Should a carrier gap influence a recruiter's decision? ๐
Marina ฤuriฤ
7 replies
I took a one-year gap in my job search. I wasn't doing mentally well and wanted to take a break to reflect and make a carrier shift towards management from medicine.
I took this opportunity to polish my skills, re-assess my focus for the upcoming period and work on my health.
It shouldn't influence their decision, but I'm curious to hear more experiences and thoughts.
Replies
Daniel Engels@daniel_engels
You meant "career gap", right?
In the ideal world, a career gap of 1 or even 2 years shouldn't be a negative factor. (To begin with, most women experience it at some point of their career!)
On the other hand, such a gap might raise a concern with the employer. Is the person sure about his career path? Is the person too independent to comply with the office routine?
The bet advice for the candidate is to give a cohesive story that explains the gap - before the employer starts inventing such a story on his own.
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@daniel_engels grammarly keeps correcting me to the wrong option.๐คฆ๐ผโโ๏ธ
I would agree with you with the explanation of the gap and a question about the career path would also be great to align expectations for both sides.
As long as you can justify the gap, are clear as to why it was necessary and how it added value to your journey, you're good to go...
No, a carrier gap should not influence a recruiter's decision. However, if the gap is too long or there is a pattern of job-hopping, it may be a red flag to the recruiter.
one year career gap is ok, and if you use this time for brush-up your skills then it is a nice idea. Just love your work, whatever you do.