Funny you mentioned that, i've seen a FB job posting mentioning they are ok with misdemeanor on the record.
I wonder if there's a time they will okay a felony on file.
Thanks for adressing this as this is a very valid point.
I was at the start of the process with two major companies in their respective markets just weeks after i got hospitalized (which echoed back my 12 mth hiatus later).
At the initial screening i have mentioned the reason of reschedule to be the hospital stuff. Words of support and `i know a person who have had the same problem` type of stuff came along. Next thing i know i'm out of the loop with both HMs.
One can only question was this a coincidence or an assesment i wasn't going to fit due to health troubles.
>>If you're already getting calls and interviews, you've already passed through the filter since a gap is most likely to hurt you while a HR recruiter is sorting through a large pile of resumes.
I get Linkedin messages most of the time since i updated my profile to conclude the last place of work.
>> Did you do any personal projects, classes or open source that can show continues professional interest and passion?
Yes i did, but it failed as it was a venture to start off a web service with other people that ended up being unenthusiastic to contribute. All i have is a HLD document, couple of modules and task boards at Gitlab. Nothing to really brag about.
Thanks!
I'm still a bit hesitant to add a section describing the nature of the hiatus to a list of previous work experiences.
Seems a bit unprofessional to me as if the work experience is sorted in descending order — the gap is gonna be at the top.
So i'm at crossroads here: risk and add the medical section or prepare an answer if a follow up question even occurs.
With former i'm blatantly throwing it to the face, with the latter i'm more moderate.
Do you think the vague `medical` needs further elaboration?
I sure do know my medical is not related to mental health.
Is it reasonable to somehow indicate that or it should be better left for an interviewer to inquire?
Props to the commnunity.
I'd like to summarize the points that stood the most strong to myself and that were most common among the commenters.
The obvious:
* Don't lie. If you don't feel like being completely upfront just keep back.
* Build confidence. You should not feel guilty for taking a break.
* Don't put the hiatus at the top of your work experience on CV.
The not so obvious:
* If you have been on medical, think twice if coming up with this is worth the risk. You may get chewed.
* Sabbatical is always a safe bet. Elaborate if needed on the achievements, personal growth, projects that you've been up to.
* Be prepared to get lowballed if you have no other offers at your disposal.
* Express eagerness to get back into the game.
The impalpable:
* Don't bring the break into focus unless the hiring manager brings it up.
* Prepare a good answer if being asked on the nature of the gap. Don't overburden with details, be brief and concise.
Feel free to add points that i might've missed. And thanks again for the good advice.