Taking Job I Don’t Want versus Gap on CV?
Discussion
Bit dispirited. (Strange, because I was way more resilient years ago facing problems like this when we were broke and had a huge mortgage. Now that I can afford to be choosy . . . ?).
Redundancy process dragged on from last December to this week — finally gone now.
I have applied for about 20 jobs (at least five hours a pop, plus five first and two second interviews). One advertised vacancy had 159 applications, with five shortlisted - interview seemed to go well, but I didn’t get it.
I was runner-up on two “dream jobs” I really really wanted - when everything went blindingly well and you get the rejection email after 19:00 on a Friday you know that they were waiting for first choice to confirm!
I have jumped through interminable hoops just to see the position go to the internal candidate (that’s a real public sector thing: waste countless hours of other people’s time, and give them a free ride on an emotional roller coaster, just to be ”fair”).
Don’t want a gap on my CV beyond four weeks because - a) May - June doesn’t really show up as a gap; and b) explainable due to weird public sector “give back your redundancy dosh” cutoff.
So, starting a job I really don’t want to do at the end of June (exactly the same old same old same old I was doing previously, barely using my hard earned professional certification). Plus it’s a horrible commute. Think being qualified and motivated to work on satellite launches, but only landing jobs repairing kitchen appliances, two hours drive away.
Alternative is open ended infinity (tautology!) of applying for jobs. Two applications still “in progress” about six weeks after the closing date: Met Police and the IOPC. There’s nothing like speedy and efficient processes!
So, take the bird in the hand? Money not an issue - I don’t really need to work - it’s job satisfaction, sanity, professional pride, and future employability.
Redundancy process dragged on from last December to this week — finally gone now.
I have applied for about 20 jobs (at least five hours a pop, plus five first and two second interviews). One advertised vacancy had 159 applications, with five shortlisted - interview seemed to go well, but I didn’t get it.
I was runner-up on two “dream jobs” I really really wanted - when everything went blindingly well and you get the rejection email after 19:00 on a Friday you know that they were waiting for first choice to confirm!
I have jumped through interminable hoops just to see the position go to the internal candidate (that’s a real public sector thing: waste countless hours of other people’s time, and give them a free ride on an emotional roller coaster, just to be ”fair”).
Don’t want a gap on my CV beyond four weeks because - a) May - June doesn’t really show up as a gap; and b) explainable due to weird public sector “give back your redundancy dosh” cutoff.
So, starting a job I really don’t want to do at the end of June (exactly the same old same old same old I was doing previously, barely using my hard earned professional certification). Plus it’s a horrible commute. Think being qualified and motivated to work on satellite launches, but only landing jobs repairing kitchen appliances, two hours drive away.
Alternative is open ended infinity (tautology!) of applying for jobs. Two applications still “in progress” about six weeks after the closing date: Met Police and the IOPC. There’s nothing like speedy and efficient processes!
So, take the bird in the hand? Money not an issue - I don’t really need to work - it’s job satisfaction, sanity, professional pride, and future employability.
f
k you are over thinking it.
If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
k you are over thinking it. If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
Pit Pony said:
fk you are over thinking it.
If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
k you are over thinking it. If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
Octoposse said:
I have jumped through interminable hoops just to see the position go to the internal candidate (that’s a real public sector thing: waste countless hours of other people’s time, and give them a free ride on an emotional roller coaster, just to be ”fair”).
Blame the Unions - insisting all jobs get advertised externally even when the Job Spec says "Must have 15 years experience of in-house IT system which nobody else has even heard of". Pit Pony said:
fk you are over thinking it.
If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
This. They will only care if it’s prison. Any company that discounts you for a gap is not a company you would want to be working for k you are over thinking it. If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
Countdown said:
Pit Pony said:
fk you are over thinking it.
If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
k you are over thinking it. If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
Jimjimhim said:
Countdown said:
Pit Pony said:
fk you are over thinking it.
If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
k you are over thinking it. If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
In my defence it is a professional hazard / trait (I’m an Analyst, so over thinking stuff is what we do - albeit in the realm of Geography and Statistics - to balance out the “gut feelers”).
Some frustration creeping in that my inability to network has finally bitten me in the arse - I am bloody good at what I do, with lots of evidence and professional certifications, but, when it comes to the attractive jobs, the networked-up seem to have an edge.
Pit Pony said:
fk you are over thinking it.
If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
Do computer algorithms care about a gap ? Very few CV's go anywhere near a real human first.k you are over thinking it. If you can afford to take the time off, don't take the job.
Nobody cares it it took 1 day or 1 year. A gap on the CV can be explained by
1) I was looking for the right job...plenty of offers but I didn't think they would be challenging enough
2) I'd always wanted to take a gap year.
3) I decided to spend 3 months refurbishing my house
I'll say it again.
Nobody will care.
Octoposse said:
Point taken!
In my defence it is a professional hazard / trait (I’m an Analyst, so over thinking stuff is what we do - albeit in the realm of Geography and Statistics - to balance out the “gut feelers”).
Some frustration creeping in that my inability to network has finally bitten me in the arse - I am bloody good at what I do, with lots of evidence and professional certifications, but, when it comes to the attractive jobs, the networked-up seem to have an edge.
Whilst networking is a tool in the job hunting box, it’s by no means a killer punch.In my defence it is a professional hazard / trait (I’m an Analyst, so over thinking stuff is what we do - albeit in the realm of Geography and Statistics - to balance out the “gut feelers”).
Some frustration creeping in that my inability to network has finally bitten me in the arse - I am bloody good at what I do, with lots of evidence and professional certifications, but, when it comes to the attractive jobs, the networked-up seem to have an edge.
If you can genuinely do the jobs that you’re applying for, then it can simply come down to who does the hiring manager fancy working with the most. There’s much that has been written on this, but to summarise, keep applying and you’ll no doubt find your ‘fit’ with a hiring manager. And just in case you aren’t, do spend some time with the hiring manager before the formal selection process, that way you can both gauge each other outside of the constraints of an interview for example. Good luck!
rog007 said:
Octoposse said:
Point taken!
In my defence it is a professional hazard / trait (I’m an Analyst, so over thinking stuff is what we do - albeit in the realm of Geography and Statistics - to balance out the “gut feelers”).
Some frustration creeping in that my inability to network has finally bitten me in the arse - I am bloody good at what I do, with lots of evidence and professional certifications, but, when it comes to the attractive jobs, the networked-up seem to have an edge.
Whilst networking is a tool in the job hunting box, it’s by no means a killer punch.In my defence it is a professional hazard / trait (I’m an Analyst, so over thinking stuff is what we do - albeit in the realm of Geography and Statistics - to balance out the “gut feelers”).
Some frustration creeping in that my inability to network has finally bitten me in the arse - I am bloody good at what I do, with lots of evidence and professional certifications, but, when it comes to the attractive jobs, the networked-up seem to have an edge.
If you can genuinely do the jobs that you’re applying for, then it can simply come down to who does the hiring manager fancy working with the most. There’s much that has been written on this, but to summarise, keep applying and you’ll no doubt find your ‘fit’ with a hiring manager. And just in case you aren’t, do spend some time with the hiring manager before the formal selection process, that way you can both gauge each other outside of the constraints of an interview for example. Good luck!
Countdown said:
Octoposse said:
I have jumped through interminable hoops just to see the position go to the internal candidate (that’s a real public sector thing: waste countless hours of other people’s time, and give them a free ride on an emotional roller coaster, just to be ”fair”).
Blame the Unions - insisting all jobs get advertised externally even when the Job Spec says "Must have 15 years experience of in-house IT system which nobody else has even heard of". For the OP, I've reviewed hundreds of CVs, I've never once looked for or noticed gaps in employment. If it's just a few months I'd be surprised if anyone even notices. I'd guess it's only when you start getting to years that people might ask questions.
E63eeeeee... said:
Unions don't say that. Unions represent people who already work there, not people who might work there at some point in the future. Getting approval for external recruitment is usually much harder in the public sector because it implies an overall headcount increase. IME there are no corporate drivers towards external recruitment, they are always fought for by the recruiting team.
I can categorically assure you that in 2005 the Manchester branch of Unison (working in the MOJ) insisted on it. It wasn't to increase headcount (which was night on impossible) it was to replace people who left. The Union Rep said it was to stop Managers from appointing favourites. This rule only applied to Support staff (Finance, HR, Admin, IT).It was a stupid rule because managers still appointed the internal person because they were always the best person for the job.
Countdown said:
E63eeeeee... said:
Unions don't say that. Unions represent people who already work there, not people who might work there at some point in the future. Getting approval for external recruitment is usually much harder in the public sector because it implies an overall headcount increase. IME there are no corporate drivers towards external recruitment, they are always fought for by the recruiting team.
I can categorically assure you that in 2005 the Manchester branch of Unison (working in the MOJ) insisted on it. It wasn't to increase headcount (which was night on impossible) it was to replace people who left. The Union Rep said it was to stop Managers from appointing favourites. This rule only applied to Support staff (Finance, HR, Admin, IT).It was a stupid rule because managers still appointed the internal person because they were always the best person for the job.
t can be found across public sector recruitment if you go looking for it. E63eeeeee... said:
Replacing people who have left *is* increasing headcount, given most of the time attrition is the only way to bring it down.
Eh? If the establishment has 10 people in it and 2 leave and are replaced you still have 10. That’s not increasing headcount it’s changing heads. To most people (who need the money) I would say Take the job offered, and see what happens (new contacts etc). Better to be doing something than sitting around getting stressed and worried at home all week.
But if you’re financially secure, then stuff it! Presumably you are middle-aged or older? YOLO. Take a year off, do some travelling or pursue your hobbies. A year might turn in to 2. At some point you will fancy doing something new and something will turn up.
But if you’re financially secure, then stuff it! Presumably you are middle-aged or older? YOLO. Take a year off, do some travelling or pursue your hobbies. A year might turn in to 2. At some point you will fancy doing something new and something will turn up.
I’m in the same position, and a gap of a few months on a CV won’t even be noticed. When I was recruiting I didn’t give it more than a few seconds thought.
If it’s 6 months or more, then it’s a question to ask, but if it’s answered with something like “I was made redundant which I’d found very stressful. I took some time to relax and spend time with my family before looking for a new job, did long overdue home improvements, looked after an elderly parent, and so on. It took me a while to find the right position as it was a tough market, but I’m glad I did that rather than accepted the wrong job and had to move on quickly”….
If it’s 6 months or more, then it’s a question to ask, but if it’s answered with something like “I was made redundant which I’d found very stressful. I took some time to relax and spend time with my family before looking for a new job, did long overdue home improvements, looked after an elderly parent, and so on. It took me a while to find the right position as it was a tough market, but I’m glad I did that rather than accepted the wrong job and had to move on quickly”….
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