Anonymous wrote:i've been out of work for a long time and i met with an alumni career counselor recently.

first thing she said when looking at my resume gap was employers will think the worst and wonder what i was doing to support myself (i.e. is this person selling drugs, etc.) and also because of my name (not a muslim name but it is blatantly foreign) wonder if i was out of country doing nefarious things.

if my career counselor thinks that, there is no shot for me then...i've seriously given up.

if Belgian euthanasia rules become more relaxed, i'd quickly tie up my affairs here and go get it done. I can't control much of anything but atleast i would be able to control my death.

In all seriousness, you should talk to your alma mater about this counselor. This advice is beyond stupid; I shudder to think what other absolutely asinine thoughts shes putting in people's heads. People this incompetent should be fired.

Anonymous wrote:I've heard it said, in jest let's hope, that gaps in resumes means jail time for men and lots of babies, possibly from different baby daddies, for women.

What a vivid imagination is needed to assume the gap was due to the babies born from multiple fathers! Is it because one daddy typically can't afford a SAHM, but if your kids have multiple fathers, the child support adds up and you can now stop working? Everyone's story is so different, and every hiring manager is different too, so I bet their assumptions vary. The gaps can also be explained in a cover letter, to avoid potential drugs or jail fantasies.

I've heard it said, in jest let's hope, that gaps in resumes means jail time for men and lots of babies, possibly from different baby daddies, for women.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:i've been out of work for a long time and i met with an alumni career counselor recently.

first thing she said when looking at my resume gap was employers will think the worst and wonder what i was doing to support myself (i.e. is this person selling drugs, etc.) and also because of my name (not a muslim name but it is blatantly foreign) wonder if i was out of country doing nefarious things.

if my career counselor thinks that, there is no shot for me then...i've seriously given up.

if Belgian euthanasia rules become more relaxed, i'd quickly tie up my affairs here and go get it done. I can't control much of anything but atleast i would be able to control my death.

Your career counselor is an idiot! If you are a female, then it would be natural to think that you took some time off to raise children (even to take care of your grandkids, if you are older). You could have won the lottery or inherited a large sum of money that let you forget about jobs for some time. You could have done missionary work that does not necessarily go on the resume. Whose first thought would be that you were selling drugs?? If someone's mind is so screwed, then you don't want to work for this person anyway.

Seriously, the career counselor is an *ss. The absolute worst thing I would think about a person with a gap was that he/she moved in with parents, and that is not even a bad thing. Drugs would never cross my mind. And if the applicant was female, I would assume that the gap was related to family care -- also not a bad thing.

Anonymous wrote:i've been out of work for a long time and i met with an alumni career counselor recently.

first thing she said when looking at my resume gap was employers will think the worst and wonder what i was doing to support myself (i.e. is this person selling drugs, etc.) and also because of my name (not a muslim name but it is blatantly foreign) wonder if i was out of country doing nefarious things.

if my career counselor thinks that, there is no shot for me then...i've seriously given up.

if Belgian euthanasia rules become more relaxed, i'd quickly tie up my affairs here and go get it done. I can't control much of anything but atleast i would be able to control my death.

Your career counselor is an idiot! If you are a female, then it would be natural to think that you took some time off to raise children (even to take care of your grandkids, if you are older). You could have won the lottery or inherited a large sum of money that let you forget about jobs for some time. You could have done missionary work that does not necessarily go on the resume. Whose first thought would be that you were selling drugs?? If someone's mind is so screwed, then you don't want to work for this person anyway.

i've been out of work for a long time and i met with an alumni career counselor recently.

first thing she said when looking at my resume gap was employers will think the worst and wonder what i was doing to support myself (i.e. is this person selling drugs, etc.) and also because of my name (not a muslim name but it is blatantly foreign) wonder if i was out of country doing nefarious things.

if my career counselor thinks that, there is no shot for me then...i've seriously given up.

if Belgian euthanasia rules become more relaxed, i'd quickly tie up my affairs here and go get it done. I can't control much of anything but atleast i would be able to control my death.

Anonymous wrote:what is your field, OP?

In this economy, and in many overly saturated fields the answer is yes. It is nearly impossible to find employment after a large gap unless you have connections or a previous boss that was willing to take you back.

Now, if you were in a field that is in demand then you may have an easier time.

I think your industry is the key OP. I have seen plenty of people in my industry (marketing) take a break and have no issues coming back into the field. But I think it also depends on the level you want and the salary you are willing to accept. I have also seen a lot of people take consulting jobs at first when trying to return to the workforce that have led to full-time opportunities so you may want to look at temp and employment agencies that will help get your foot in the door.

If you have young kids who still need full-time childcare, this becomes a bit more challenging to accept temporary/contract assignments as the cost of childcare may be more than what you will be making but you may need to find a way to make it work if you want to break back into the working world. Good luck--it's not impossible for every field and in some cases, it's much easier than you think.

what is your field, OP?

In this economy, and in many overly saturated fields the answer is yes. It is nearly impossible to find employment after a large gap unless you have connections or a previous boss that was willing to take you back.

Now, if you were in a field that is in demand then you may have an easier time.

PP were you high up at a Big 4 beforehand?

Anonymous wrote:CPA pp here agin. I already had 14 years of experience before I quit work. I worked for 4 years after that and quit again for 3 years after I had my youngest and just went back at slightly more salary than when I left 3 years ago ($200k + range).

Is this typical for your field or do you have other unique qualifications such as graduating from a prestigious school/program?

CPA pp here agin. I already had 14 years of experience before I quit work. I worked for 4 years after that and quit again for 3 years after I had my youngest and just went back at slightly more salary than when I left 3 years ago ($200k + range).

CPA here. Jumped right in after 4 years at a higher salary and no, I did not keep up with my skills.

Yes for me. Perhaps not so for others in my profession.

Teacher

I don't know, since I don't know your field or circumstances.

FWIW, I am a lawyer and we relocated to this area for DH's job. I had 12 years of experience in small firms and legal aid societies. It took me 2 years to find a job in which I am underpaid (although, part of the delay was probably due to the fact that I needed to get admitted to the bar here. Once I was admitted in DC and MD, I found a job within a couple months).

I hope you have better luck.

Subj