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Overheard a manager say they'd never hire someone who took a 2 year career break
I was in line at a coffee shop in Denver and heard two people talking about hiring. One manager said flat out they'd toss any resume with a gap over 18 months, calling it a 'red flag for commitment'. It made me freeze. I took 22 months off to care for my dad. How do you even explain that in a cover letter now? It feels like a hidden rule no one talks about. Has anyone gotten past a big gap like that in an interview?
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margaret_bennett33mo ago
That manager's take is pretty harsh and not the norm in my experience. Plenty of places will see caregiving as a valid reason for a gap.
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jesse_barnes373mo agoTop Commenter
Yeah, margaret_bennett3 is right, that is a harsh take. When I was getting back into work after a long time caring for my dad, I just put "Family Caregiving" right on my resume for that period. In interviews, I kept it simple and said I was focused on that full-time, and then I'd talk about how the skills from that, like managing schedules and handling stress, actually helped me be better at the job I was applying for. Most people just nodded and moved on to my actual work experience.
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julia8431mo ago
jesse_barnes37, I think putting "Family Caregiving" right on the resume is the smartest thing to do. It takes the mystery out of it for the hiring person. Plus you can actually frame it as a strength not a weakness. Like managing meds and doctor appointments is basically project management. And dealing with insurance companies? That's negotiation skills right there. I bet most interviewers hear that and think, "okay this person can handle real life stuff." If anything it filters out the bad managers who can't deal with normal human experiences.
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