Culture

Explaining that resume gap and job-hopping: Quite possibly outdated concepts

At the beginning of my work life, I knew that you had to put together a resume and a cover letter. At the very beginning, I didn’t have much experience to list and could keep my resume to one page. My cover letter was to be the shining star where I could show my value, commitment and can-do attitude. Time went on and my resume got longer. My cover letter did as well with a long list of accomplishments were married to passion for the mission.

As I got into hiring positions, I was primed to look for gaps in resumes. They were to be red flagged. As were job hoppers. You know, those who stayed a year or less. Now, my perspective on that has completely changed and I believe those are somewhat outdated concepts.

Why are they outdated? Primarily because we need to also emphasize mental health and well-being. Does it make sense to stay at a horrible job for several years just to show you can stay at a job for more than a year? No. And, less and less people are tolerating toxic work environments. Sometimes, for financial reasons, you may have no other choice. But it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t leave a bad place, the first chance you get.

Similarly, there may be times when you need down time. Or you need to take care of a sick family member. Staying at a job and being a family care-giver may be severely taxing. Sometimes, one makes a sacrifice. Sometimes, you just need a minute. Resume gaps, for that reason, don’t necessarily disturb me. One may be curious but it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker of any sorts.

The workforce is changing. What we want and expect of life is changing.

5 replies »

  1. Wish everyone had that attitude. Maybe they will get there.

    Instead, companies set up automatic processes to catch those red flags – and won’t consider those workers. A young person I know who had a corrected physical problem could not even get an interview with stellar qualifications – because of those gaps sustained while fixing the problem.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Oh Dear Lord ‘Resume Gaps’ Mine is 14 Years and 9 Months and Still Counting
    Yet Sure the First Year and a Half Annual And Sick Leave Counts for the High
    Three of Federal Retirement for the Golden Handcuffs Retiring After 5
    Job Changes and Promotions Just in 5 Years Then Doubling
    my Pay for the Early Federal Benefits of Retiring Disabled
    As True i Never Said No And i Didn’t Leave Until i
    Was Almost Crawling Away And True Literally
    Half Dead Just So Much ‘General Adaption Syndrome’
    Otherwise Known As ‘Autism Burnout’ Not Diagnosed
    Until i Finally Went Away Became The “Normal me” Assessed
    As No Longer Fitting into Society as me Poetic Justice in a Way
    For A Commodity Well Used for Government Service Juiced All the
    Way Out
    of my
    Humanity
    As True i Was Just
    A Canary in A Coal Mine
    Humans Are not Evolved to
    Be Cogs in A Machine on a Screen
    So Far Removed From the Human Element
    of Existence As It’s True Computers And Or Long
    Distance Avatar Humans Replaced Most All Warm
    Touch of Humanity That Literally Heals Anxiety and
    Pain When We Closely And Humanly Work Together Normally
    as Evolved So Now i Dance And Sing Freely in Oral Tradition on
    Paper And Earth Dance Floor Ways Is it Normal Depends on If one
    is Human or Not
    i Could No Longer Pass
    For A Machine Just No Longer
    Able to Fit into The Machine
    Dead for Heavy Metal That Way in Head For Real…
    Green Land Is Where It’s At Dear Miriam Frozen
    Nature Much Better Than Frozen Humanity Indeed
    As Long As
    There is
    Green
    Left to
    Do And Still Land…
    i May Have Mentioned it Before
    i Rose to an “NF-4” Grade Level
    of Pay Equivalent to An “O-4” Major
    in the Marines And True Every Once in
    A While i Get Saluted At the Gate of the Military
    Station Going to Work-Out at the Military Gym and
    Sure Sometimes Within Leg Pressing Still Up to 1520 Pounds
    After Passing Out Shoes There for 18 Years at the Rental Counter
    of the Military Bowling Center Finally Ending Up As Manager
    Progressing the Rest of the Way Up the Ladder to Hell and
    Sure Heaven
    too Those
    Last 5 Years There
    It Was Like Boom Boom
    Boo Boom Boom For Every
    Job Change after Being in the Same
    Work Space for 18 Years As Remember
    Like ‘Rainman’ i Only Wear HaneS UNderwear
    (From K-Mart or Walmart) 100 Percent Cotton
    Yes True It’s All Religion i Create as i Go Free Now hehe…
    Dance Sing
    Eat Repeat
    And When i Have to
    Go Like Forest Gump
    i Just Go And ‘ReSuMe’ my Religion AS Such…
    Anyway As Always Thanks For ALLoWinG me to
    Stop at Your Way Station to Share Another Story So
    Excited Tonight Got to See A “Star Link Train” in Night Skies Free
    Almost As Exciting As Northern Lights Before We Found Out What
    That UFO
    Is For Real Hehe..:)

    Like

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