Reply to: Anyone been out for an extended perioddue to family illness - how did you explain it?

[Scoobos]

Thanks to all who've posted, I've certainly taken quite a few comments on-board (especially the CV restructuring).

Confidence isn't the problem for me, its more frustration. I will never be as confident as I am now , skills and experience wise. I've still NEVER been rejected for a role after an interview , in any country ; an achievement I am proud of.

I'm frustrated though as my last client was the very best, client satisfaction was at its highest - so it seemed an ideal time to take a break anyway (sick wife or not). I can't understand how I'm not even getting call backs from roles which appear to be written for my CV, or perhaps they are. As i've said in another post I don't really like explaining anything to agents who've just finished up at Mcdonalds , or sainsbury's (why do they include that on their linked in profiles?)

I haven't been lucky with the niches I've picked in the past (e.g ISA Server) but that's a different story

[NotAllThere]

...When they call I'd say its 5 minutes on my skills and the role and then 10-15 on where have I been.....

That's because they're fishing for leads. Nothing else.

Your best bet, in my view, is contact people you have worked with before - either past clients or agencies - and get them on the case. This is one reason why it's a good idea to build a relationship with a few specific agents.

Work your network, and a simple statement of "Break from contracting to look after critically ill spouse - now thankfully recovered".

btw - there are cheap ways of publishing it yourself. No-one needs to buy it, but if you can, e.g. link to it on amazon, that might impress the more gullible!

btw2 - At the insistance of an agent, I interviewed one lad who'd had 18 months off backpacking. I hired him. Gaps are not insurmountable. This was in 2001, when the market was crap.

[Pogle]

Perhaps that's mine or the OP's problem lol. It's a shame the consultancies and off-shorers get away with it. I have managed a number of COTS acquisitions in my time and some of the porkies consultancies and sw houses tell AND get away with are as amazing as they are shameful.

Yep I've seen many cv's with blatant lies on them with regards to length of contract. One guy had him working at HMRC for over 12 months, when he'd only been there for 2 - I know cos I was there at the same time and I was kept on, whilst he got the heave ho.

[Contreras]

Put simply, they do not care about the "why".

All they care about it is "Can this guy secure the role over someone else, potentially through another agency".

With a market with many candidates and few roles, they need a way to cut down the candidates. And that's assuming your CV arrived in front of them soon enough, maybe they bin everything after the first 50 received.

The only caveat would be if you have very niche skillset.

Nail. Head. Hit. ^

+rep given.

Make that +2.

I don't have contract dates on my CV, nor client Co. details. Just profile, bullet point functional skills list, followed by "example" contracts without naming the client, all presented as if a single "permie" role, followed by the permie roles I had before contracting.

Reason for this initially was that it was difficult to present a few scrappy bits of work with some significant gaps using the conventional format.

Tbh, I wasn't sure how this approach would go with the agencies or clients. In fact it still seems a bit weird. However, in the 4 months since putting it online I must have spoken to 40+ agents (probably more, I've lost count). I would say about 80% wanted to know end client details, which is easy to rebuff. Only 2 were bothered by the lack of dates, and most don't even ask!

Had 3 interviews with potential clients - none of whom queried the lack of a timeline. Only one enquired about the identity of a previous client, to which I hesitated and the question was quickly retracted! All 3 subsequently came back with offers of work.

YMMV, especially other sectors, e.g. Banking. There is certainly some luck involved, but that is my experience. I think that if you come over as self-confident to the agent you are 90% of the way to getting your CV in front of the client.

When they call I'd say its 5 minutes on my skills and the role and then 10-15 on where have I been....

Yep. 5 minutes sounds about right to listen to the job spec. and say "sure I can do all that". As for discussion on previous roles... they are milking you. If the role hasn't been detailed in the first few minutes it's time to wind the call up imho.

As for time off to look after a loved one, personally I don't see a problem with explaining the gap honestly. It does sound like your confidence has taken a knock though, and the agent needs to be given the clear impression that whatever prevented you from working before is now fully resolved (even though at heart it may not be that simple).

The detail is definitely no business of the agent. The last 6 words from the first line in your original post is plenty enough information, if they want to know more they can FRO. Same for the client at interview.

Embellished stories about failed Plan B's would go down less well, imho.

Good luck!

[helpFul]

The X-Factor

I'm wondering if honesty is the best policy and I just tell agents that I've been out due to a serious illness in the family

Agents couldn't care less. If you are not moving from one contract straight onto the next you are stuffed. Sob-stories won't work with these people.

[nomadd]

Put simply, they do not care about the "why".

All they care about it is "Can this guy secure the role over someone else, potentially through another agency".

With a market with many candidates and few roles, they need a way to cut down the candidates. And that's assuming your CV arrived in front of them soon enough, maybe they bin everything after the first 50 received.

The only caveat would be if you have very niche skillset.

Nail. Head. Hit. ^

+rep given.

[Scoobos]

jmo, I used to think that too - perhaps I'm jaded ... I think that the agents I've been speaking to do care about the "why" and not the track record, skills or experience - they see a CV like a permy application and "gaps are bad mkay".

When they call I'd say its 5 minutes on my skills and the role and then 10-15 on where have I been....

I'm pretty low risk, I've never been to an interview and not been offered the role, and have worked for world leaders. I think I'm a pretty good bet - on past history.

The calibre of agent that's calling me has dropped and I really don't think they understand the way contracts and contractors work - I've said in other posts I've been shocked at some of the things they've told me; along the lines of 12k salaries, better than what they got when they worked at mcdonalds or carphone warehouse this time last year.... These agents are calling from the big brand agencies too.

[jmo21]

Put simply, they do not care about the "why".

All they care about it is "Can this guy secure the role over someone else, potentially through another agency".

With a market with many candidates and few roles, they need a way to cut down the candidates. And that's assuming your CV arrived in front of them soon enough, maybe they bin everything after the first 50 received.

The only caveat would be if you have very niche skillset.

[tractor]

Knock backs would be in the form of not getting interviews or getting interviews but not getting the roles. I don't encourage lying / Bending the truth, but it is a last resort thing. I would use the opportunity to try and brush up your skills and possibly drop your rate just a tad to make it attractive for the clientco to take you on.

Perhaps that's mine or the OP's problem lol. It's a shame the consultancies and off-shorers get away with it. I have managed a number of COTS acquisitions in my time and some of the porkies consultancies and sw houses tell AND get away with are as amazing as they are shameful.

[pmeswani]

Yep, similar situation with Mum. Ready to go back a year ago, plenty of interviews but it seems that unless you are coming out of one contract into another, the platitudes are all there, good cv, matching experience etc, but no deal. Always goes to someone with more recent experience. Driving me nuts tbh.

Knock backs would be in the form of not getting interviews or getting interviews but not getting the roles. I don't encourage lying / Bending the truth, but it is a last resort thing. I would use the opportunity to try and brush up your skills and possibly drop your rate just a tad to make it attractive for the clientco to take you on.

[tractor]

Do the agents really care why you were off? I would have thought you had best keep your business to yourself unless specifically asked. The whole idea of being a contractor is this level of flexibility and it really shouldn't matter but the damn agents don't understand that.

I would probably make the dates as generic as possible on your CV without lying about end dates etc and let them pick up on the fact you haven't been active for a period. Hopefully they will just look at your experience and put your forward based on that. If you give them the info you have been out that will be their focus rather than you being skilled and capable of the role they are looking to fill? If they ask then be generic with your answer, I don't think they will appreciate your situation fully so no need to lay it on thick IMO.

Exactly NL. Often I get past the agents though but it's difficult to get around the questions like 'when did you last use X or Y' It seems to go downhill from there. Still.....gotta keep goin...

[tractor]

...

Thanks, its hard to tell whats a knockback though as agents usually tell me they'll put me forward anyway - but who knows if they do.

I was cocky in January/Feb and thought I could choose who my clients were and turned down a few roles - since then its been dead for me

Thanks for sharing tractor, it helps to know that it happens to others too, we live near each other so if you're ever going round the bend and want to share a beer, just let me know.

Are you being honest with them then? Or using a cover story?

Yeah I'm being honest with em but no one likes the gory details so I keep it brief and try to concentrate on the positives eg skills match, exp match etc but it seems like it's not quite enough. I even went back to a previous client for a role similar to one that I had succcessfully completed over a 3 yr period but it was the same result came away positive but no go. Being over 50 doesn't seem to help either.

Lost count of how many times I have revamped my cv etc but hey-ho, onwards and.....

[Scoobos]

cheers northern - thats what I've been thinking and doing and I'll stick to it.

Seems every agent i've spoken to in the last week or so thinks that I'm going for a perm job the way they are talking.

[northernladuk]

Do the agents really care why you were off? I would have thought you had best keep your business to yourself unless specifically asked. The whole idea of being a contractor is this level of flexibility and it really shouldn't matter but the damn agents don't understand that.

I would probably make the dates as generic as possible on your CV without lying about end dates etc and let them pick up on the fact you haven't been active for a period. Hopefully they will just look at your experience and put your forward based on that. If you give them the info you have been out that will be their focus rather than you being skilled and capable of the role they are looking to fill? If they ask then be generic with your answer, I don't think they will appreciate your situation fully so no need to lay it on thick IMO.

[Scoobos]

Thanks, its hard to tell whats a knockback though as agents usually tell me they'll put me forward anyway - but who knows if they do.

I was cocky in January/Feb and thought I could choose who my clients were and turned down a few roles - since then its been dead for me

Thanks for sharing tractor, it helps to know that it happens to others too, we live near each other so if you're ever going round the bend and want to share a beer, just let me know.

Are you being honest with them then? Or using a cover story?