Reply to: How do you manage gaps in CV?

[hungry_hog]

there are various ways to do this:

1. Training
2. Business development (if under Limited)
3. Travelling (seen someone do this with 4 periods of this and has no problems finding work)

[edison]

I work outside of IT. I just use years for projects/roles on my CV (eg, Project X, 2022-2024). Probably less useful if your projects/roles are regularly measured in a few weeks/months. No one has ever asked for months instead or questioned any apparent gaps. I've been contracting for most of the last 22 years, so there are many projects that have slipped off the end of my CV or I don't think are relevant to include anyway.

I've tried to use a CV which is skills based and includes some mini-case studies for projects. Any traditional IT recruiters that have seen it usually react by their brain melting as they cannot comprehend anything other than a reverse chronological standard format CV.

[alphadog]

I work outside of IT. I just use years for projects/roles on my CV (eg, Project X, 2022-2024). Probably less useful if your projects/roles are regularly measured in a few weeks/months. No one has ever asked for months instead or questioned any apparent gaps. I've been contracting for most of the last 22 years, so there are many projects that have slipped off the end of my CV or I don't think are relevant to include anyway.

[edison]

I have a couple of small sidelines outside of the typical contracts I do. One is ad hoc work I've done for the last few years for a PR and marketing agency where I QA work they produce for their tech clients. I got a call last week for the first time in about 18 months asking if I could review a video they had made on IT service management. As far as my CV goes, it just shows as 'ongoing' since 2014.

Another is I do some advisory work with startups. It's really tailed off in the last year but again, it shows as ongoing since 2020. I will occasionally get asked about these two sidelines but never in any detail.

Individual recruiters can treat gaps very differently. I've had some who get confused that I have done interim, contract and fractional roles with the various gaps in between.

[PerfectStorm]

Explain to them that you have a life outside of work, and ask them if they've considered that for themselves.

[Snooky]

What in gods name are you talking about?

The irony in that last sentence is beautiful as well. Retirement can't come soon enough for some of the old folk on here...

AIUI he's already retired.

[malvolio]

What in gods name are you talking about?

The irony in that last sentence is beautiful as well. Retirement can't come soon enough for some of the old folk on here...

If you can't read English or understand a fairly simple point of view different to your own then I can't be bothered to try and explain why it is not me that is incapable of rational thought nor is it me whining like a kid about how unfair it is that some don't have to stay chained to a desk.

[ensignia]

Not all contractors are coders with long, repetitive spells churning out the same code for multiple clients at market rates. Some are specialists who deliver solutions in their area of expertise, which aren't necessarily wanted routinely. I moved a DR datacentre once, took three months with no operational failures or service interruptions, wasn't expecting to go back and do it again: and if I did then that would be evidence of lack of skill. Another gig I charged £60k over 5 months and saved them £450k. Another gig I rescued a £17m p.a. support contract for a major outsourcer. in a 2 month rebuild of the failing service.

We work in a wide church. Tear your head away from the monitor once in a while.

What in gods name are you talking about?

The irony in that last sentence is beautiful as well. Retirement can't come soon enough for some of the old folk on here...

[CoolCat]

I would totally agree with that sentiment but I've met very few contractors that use their career like that. For every person I've met that does dip in and out I've met many many 100's that have enforced gaps. I don't think it necessarily means they are crap though. Could be problems with working in remote gigs, wrong time of year but I do have to agree that a contractor with multiple gaps, and particularly lots of short gigs does make it look like they are struggling contracting. I can see why the assumption is there is something wrong with them rather than they are using contracting to enjoy there life is a pretty safe one.

short gigs are normal if you are in a troubleshooting type role, you go in, fix it, get it working, and leave. its not the same as having feet under the table doing repetitive stuff for years on end. etc

[CoolCat]

Not all contractors are coders with long, repetitive spells churning out the same code for multiple clients at market rates. Some are specialists who deliver solutions in their area of expertise, which aren't necessarily wanted routinely. I moved a DR datacentre once, took three months with no operational failures or service interruptions, wasn't expecting to go back and do it again: and if I did then that would be evidence of lack of skill. Another gig I charged £60k over 5 months and saved them £450k. Another gig I rescued a £17m p.a. support contract for a major outsourcer. in a 2 month rebuild of the failing service.

We work in a wide church. Tear your head away from the monitor once in a while.

correct

[malvolio]

If there are a lot of gaps in a persons CV history I'd certainly be questioning their abilities, bad market or not.

It's understandable to have a few short gaps over the course of a long contracting career, but on here I see people talking about spending 9 months on the bench. They must just not be very competent or don't know how to market themselves.

Not all contractors are coders with long, repetitive spells churning out the same code for multiple clients at market rates. Some are specialists who deliver solutions in their area of expertise, which aren't necessarily wanted routinely. I moved a DR datacentre once, took three months with no operational failures or service interruptions, wasn't expecting to go back and do it again: and if I did then that would be evidence of lack of skill. Another gig I charged £60k over 5 months and saved them £450k. Another gig I rescued a £17m p.a. support contract for a major outsourcer. in a 2 month rebuild of the failing service.

We work in a wide church. Tear your head away from the monitor once in a while.

[BigDataPro]

The question is how do we manage it? Being honest hasn't helped due to various factors such as Age, Ethinicity, Native fluency. Skillset is not one of the reason, there's no other option if it were. So adopting harmless lies is the only option left here.

[northernladuk]

BS, half the fun of contracting is to be able to do other things from time to time. and lots of stuff like you or a close family member having a major operation, and needing a long time to recover are not the kinds of things I would publicly put on a CV even in the most general terms. frankly its got nothing to do with the average car salesman job agent.

I would totally agree with that sentiment but I've met very few contractors that use their career like that. For every person I've met that does dip in and out I've met many many 100's that have enforced gaps. I don't think it necessarily means they are crap though. Could be problems with working in remote gigs, wrong time of year but I do have to agree that a contractor with multiple gaps, and particularly lots of short gigs does make it look like they are struggling contracting. I can see why the assumption is there is something wrong with them rather than they are using contracting to enjoy there life is a pretty safe one.

[CoolCat]

If there are a lot of gaps in a persons CV history I'd certainly be questioning their abilities, bad market or not.

It's understandable to have a few short gaps over the course of a long contracting career, but on here I see people talking about spending 9 months on the bench. They must just not be very competent or don't know how to market themselves.

BS, half the fun of contracting is to be able to do other things from time to time. and lots of stuff like you or a close family member having a major operation, and needing a long time to recover are not the kinds of things I would publicly put on a CV even in the most general terms. frankly its got nothing to do with the average car salesman job agent.

[hobnob]

You could write, 'Worked at Acme Corp between April 2022 and 2023'

If you're going to do that, I think it would be better to omit the month for both, i.e. "Acme Corp, 2022-2023". Otherwise you're drawing attention to the missing month.