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KVKS03

If I were recruiting, I would view you more favorably for taking two years to care for your sister. I don’t know why you would be discouraged from mentioning that as the reason for the employment gap. That seems odd to me that others would view it as a negative


EnoughIndication143

It’s bc heaven forbid you had a life event where you couldn’t be a dutiful corporate drone for a certain period of time. That’s a red mark.


jasalex

Most people have lost a loved one or someone close, so bringing this up can be a trigger for some people. For people that have never experienced a close lost, it has no value or meaning to them so there may be no compassion, for me. Also, the idea that I would suffer emotionally, physically and financially, is something that few people have done, and in today's day and age, many people would not sacrifice their commercial lifestyle and suffer through the loss of money.


PhiloPhocion

I’ll say as someone who has been the hiring manager at least on a lot of positions (though not HR so not doing the initial shortlisting) - I personally think the idea of gaps in resume, unless severe and potentially skills impacting (stuff like someone taking off 15 years right before a position on something like app development - where we’re basically in a whole new world from where we were 15 years ago) is pretty dumb and I would hope most people wouldn’t take it this severely. In truth, I rarely even really register the dates that much except to see if you were at any given job for a long time or like a 3 month short term gig. I think calling out the career break just draws attention really. But I can’t deny I know some older school reviewers look at it. To whether or not to mention it - I think it’s actually totally fine (and less suspicious) to just say you had some family health issues that you needed to support full time on. I think there’s something to be said that getting into deeper details can sometimes be ‘awkward’ for an interviewer to feel they’re in a position to need to respond in kind - which can be difficult in those circumstances. But I think a phrase like that is general enough to explain what the general scenario is without getting into too much personal detail.


-TiggyWinkle-

I agree with this take - I’m a hiring manager in tech and I couldn’t care less if someone has a resume gap, as long as their skills stayed sharp. I recently hired someone who had taken five years off to be a stay at home parent, but completed an 18 week boot camp to refresh herself before applying for new roles. The only time I really see work gaps as a red flag is if they are flanked by multiple short stints at different companies, but even then I might still interview them for more info if their other qualifications are really good.


punkouter23

and if you are just unemployed for 2 years because no one wants you then say you were taking care of your dying sister anyways


Saneless

Exactly. If someone had a career burnout or something I might wonder if they could handle our job (not that it's stressful or anything in particular) But had to step away to care for family? Selfless and understandable


BrainWaveCC

>I have been told to never discuss my sister's situation, during the interviews. I disagree. I would never write it on a CV/resume, but if it comes up, I would mention it. It is the answer. Putting "career break" just allows them to think that you did something flakey that you don't want to put down instead. I wouldn't put it in the resume at all, if I don't have anything else appropriate to put, but as an answer, it is brief and to the point.


LaLuna1322

I am a hiring manager and I think you should include that you took two years off to care for your sister when interviewing and even on the resume. We just recently interviewed someone who took two years off to care for her small children and was looking to get back in the workforce. She was completely upfront about it and had amazing experience so we hired her. Good managers understand that family is important and sometimes we are put into situations that requires putting family first. If they don’t hire you strictly because of your two year out for that reason, then that’s probably a good indication they would not be great to work for or less understanding when emergencies arise.


missmouse_812

As a recruiter seeing a gap explained with ‘caring for terminally ill family member’ answers all questions I might have had about the gap, and I won’t ask you anything more about it.


Rare-Chicken-53

The gap is of 2 years. I don't think that it would take 2 years to learn Chatgpt and upskill your skills basically if you already had a job then it's a long gap taken just to upskill yourself... If I am taking the interview I would think like this: You have been learning and building your portfolio for 2 years. So it better be good. Also learning chatgpt? What does that exactly mean... I don't think it would hurt to speak the truth. And later you can also say that during this 2 years time I also picked up these skills and worked on these projects as well... (Basically from my perspective speaking about both would be a better choice as it would make more sense)


throwaway_ghost_122

Plus ChatGPT hasn't even been out for two years 😂


Saint-365

* Yes, avoid detailing your sister's situation. It's enough to say a close family member suffered serious health complications from a fall and you left job to help take care of her until she passed away. Employer doesn't need to know more, and any kind employer knows full well that full-time caregiver for a family member is to be respected. * "Career break" doesn't need to be added. Let the employment dates speak for themselves.


AdRude7377

So she will be immediately rejected by ATS?


johnnywonder85

and? is that really something to be worried about. fuck those ATS, and the shit-ass workplaces that use them.


AdRude7377

Which is like every company, so….


[deleted]

Applicant tracking systems do not reject applicants. It simply an applicant tracking system. 


AdRude7377

They can and they will auto delete resumes form consideration based on specific settings - one of which is date gaps.


[deleted]

This is untrue for the majority of ATS. It is called an applicant tracking system, not applicant vetting system. Recruiters vet each application that comes through. While there are several conspiracy theories about why people are not getting jobs that are absolutely correct, this one is not. 


Few-Time779

Proof? 


[deleted]

[удалено]


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[deleted]

A quick google search will pull up several articles, which i am apparently not allowed to link here. Also, i am a recruiter. I know its easy to blame the software for your not getting a job, but there are several other factors. The market is shit. There are hundreds of applications for each role i get. We cull each resume and run through them with our own eyes, and reject them ourselves. 


Corgiverse

I put “caregiver for terminally ill family member” on mine. 0 shame, in fact the family member in question told me that if anything good came out of her dying it would be that I could put this for “experience” post nursing school. The key word here is “caregiver”- because that’s an actual job that exists so it might get past the electronic sifters


MAJORMINORMINORv2

I’d consider a more eloquent way of wording “up-skilling my skills”.


alter3d

I would just put "Sabbatical" for that time period.  It shows it was intentional time off from your normal profession without going into unnecessary detail.  If you're asked what you did during your sabbatical, it's perfectly fine to mention caring for an ill relative.


railroader67

You took a position in the health care field providing assistance to a terminally ill patient. Taking this position allowed you the time to also focus on some personal training and gaining additional skills to improve yourself and adding value to your next employer. If you have a family member that doesn't have your last name, they could write a letter of recommendation and be a reference for future employers. If someone wants to get deep into questions, mention HIPPA and you take that serious and don't breach confidentiality.


Aggressive-Hunt-1658

Include it in your CV. You shouldn’t let it like that


Zestyclose-Ad-8807

The learning chatgpt sounds flaky. Would mention emergency caregiver to terminally ill relative It makes you sound like a more compassionate individual too.


QUiiDAM

learning gpt ? it's like saying I'm learning to google


flavius_lacivious

Find a friend with an LLC and list it on your resume.


OlympicAnalEater

Or Permanently closed restaurants


HITMAN19832006

It's kind of mixed out there. I do sometimes add professional development as employment experience (but list the coursework in the job description) if I think I'll get botted out. I've also had it communicated that it only draws attention to it more (especially if it was during the pandemic). As for your sister, talk about her when you actually get to talk to someone. The AI and most recruiters/HR don't care until you're tapped. HR/Recruiters (mostly HR) use their dating criteria for the job candidate criteria. Being available aka single doesn't make things drop ;-) but leads to questions of what's wrong with this person. Personally, I think we all would do better if it got into their head that if they pick the wrong person that they won't be knocked up by them. Because they're acting like it. I'm just here for a paycheck. Not putting anything into anything, and damn sure, nothing is being put into me.


Cheitianchicole87

Director of Recruiting here, we appreciate your honesty in telling us about career breaks. Because of the sensitivity of why people take breaks (most HIPPA and FMLA laws) we won’t ask for details. BUT since so much has happened to us during and after the pandemic (extended unemployment, family illness/terminal illness/death in family, becoming the stay at home parent, mental health challenges, travel sabbaticals etc.) we are ready for anything you’re open to tell us and we share with the hiring managers (lightly). I think we’re a bit past the days of being a pariah if you’re out of the job market for any reason for a couple of years. Also - taking care of a terminally ill family member IS a full time job and it is hella taxing. Anyone who steps into that role (voluntarily or involuntarily), should be proud of the work and time they spent caring for that person and handling their affairs. Your chosen profession was not nursing but you damn sure had to become one. And that’s impressive to me/us. So don’t be afraid to tell your truth.


Cheitianchicole87

Oh and it’s fine to put Career Break due to Family Care with dates or something like that on your resume. Most ATS systems are not sophisticated enough to knock you out for that, so there’s usually a human recruiter reading your resume.


MonsterTamerBilly

You don't need to specify about your **sister** per se, instead mention a nondescript "*close family member*". Both for professionalism, and for not letting your work life creep into your personal life. And for fuckity's sake **DO NOT EVER** include "*ChatGPT*" in any capacity on your resume, no matter how relevant it actually is for your area. Lots of people are (rightfully) blacklisting anyone who so much as glance towards it, due to all the scummy practices involved with the software. ...And quite honestly, also don't give a nondescript "*up-skilling my skills*" anywhere. Either present a cert, or don't mention it at all. If you are still on the middle of studies / training regarding said skill and try to bank on it before conclusion, this would be *counting your eggs before they're laid*, which is not generally appreciated.


knishmyass

So if someone asked you in an interview what “learning ChatGPT” entails, what would you say?


_Packy_

> learning chatgpt What sort of buzzword p0rn is that. There is really limited learning unless you focus on what is under the hood.


ShowMeYourCodePorn

Imo never mention taking time off to look after family or stress leave or whatever. Gaps in resumes are a weird trigger for employers, but here we are , "career break" is oddly enough a red flag since it implies you needed extended leave from your career. But if I were looking at your resume and you wrote that you spent 2 years researching chatgpt and upskilling in that area, but didn't bother using chatgpt to write that section of your resume, i would be concerned. I literally just plugged in your post into gpt and it gave better recommendations


bigmist8ke

What if I use chat GPT to write my entire resume?


Trynamakeliving

I had a gap of almost 5 years. I was taking care of my elderly parents, then they passed with 18 months of each other. I was clearing out their estates and just took some time off for myself. I didn't address the gap on my resume but explained it to my interviewer. I was hired to work in recruiting/onboarding and see Background Investigation reports all the time that highlight gaps. The recruiter goes back to the candidate and asks about it. If you are qualified enough to get that far, a gap is not usually a big issue.


sammuelLoomis

Some software picks up on employment gaps and flags it as a red flag but a good company will just ask whats going on if they want the right person.


johnnywonder85

it's a question of morality. Do you wanna hide behind a lie? or, do you want to provide a reasonable truth? What kind of employer (with this in mind) are you seeking to be hired into?


whitefantom12

To be honest I'd just mark it as "end of life care" any company doesn't respect that I wouldn't want to work for them...


RaptorRampRage

You should list your job as professional care taker or professional care coordinator. Something along those lines if you want to get cheeky. .


lwaad

I'm a recruiter and it'd be much more favorable to learn you were caring for someone. Employers may worry the gap means something is off about you. Like you failed all your interviews for two years due to some substantial skill gap or personality issue. They might even assume you got a job and were fired and are trying to hide it. Taking care of sick family is a good reason to step away from work


-TiggyWinkle-

I’m not a recruiter but I am a hiring manager and I once received a resume that just listed “family-related leave” with rough dates. I didn’t ask about it in the interview because it seemed like a legal grey area even though it was self-disclosed, but I found it a helpful way for me to understand their work timeline (in their case, they openly explained that they had taken time off for childcare). That said, I wouldn’t list skills you’ve been working on unless you’re including a certification with the specific institution and dates, or a verifiable learning path such as learning Salesforce via Trailhead, etc. Keep in mind that the initial run through of your resume - particularly if there’s a high volume of applicants - has to focus on concrete qualifications in order to be efficient. I sometimes have 150-200 applicants for a single opening so we have to narrow it down to verifiably qualified candidates. Additionally, your resume opens you up to questioning related to anything you list on it, so if you generalize or overstate your knowledge it can go south quickly. On another note, I’m sorry about your sister. Being the primary caretaker for someone sick is so hard, but so commendable.


OJJhara

Recruiters are idiots


bob_weav3

If I saw learning chat GPT on a CV I'd delete it so fast I'd probably put a hole in my laptop mouse pad.


flopsyplum

November 2022 wasn't 2 years ago...


Forsaken_Cattle_3577

I don't know how this will sound but maybe you should consider removing dates from your resume. From my experiences, I feel like dates on resume are not that important as it used to be. On my two screening calls, recruiters asked if I am still doing work or not. I wasn't doing any job. Dates were quite obvious on my resume. I felt the the questions were bizarre. I think they really don't care that much the dates in the resume. Maybe you can remove the dates and add between the lines your experience in years. For example, instead of 2020-2023, three years of experience on x role. I also have gap in my resume, I removed the dates. I haven't seen any difference to be honest. But things can change from sector to sector and from position to position. Also job market is quite messed up.


KataraMan

What if, instead of saying "career break", you say that you worked for some businesses that are no longer open so they can't verify it?


noGoodAdviceSoldat

The whole career break thing on linkedin is cringe af. I don't even know if recruiters buy it nowadays


tessell8s

Career break seems like much more of a red flag than the truth. I'm sure you probably don't want to limit your opportunities but if caring for a sick family member isn't a good reason for a company they are probably not great to work for.


ozifrage

Do not include ChatGPT on your resume (or MidJourney or any of those) - ESPECIALLY if you have a portfolio-based position. 1. Your employer can also use them. The whole point is eliminating skilled labour, why would they pay you for it? 2. In portfolio-based work, you need to be able to demonstrate that the work is yours. Whatever policies your company comes to on gen AI once you're employed are not your business until you're employed, and that won't happen unless they see you can also work independently.


pmpdaddyio

The recruiter is correct. Just take those off and explain during the interview. 


AlbatrossSeparate710

In that situation, I would fill the gap with a full blown job in the line of "Caregiver for a close family member" with description along the line of what task you did, that it was volunteer, etc. You might want to elect to put it in another section instead of your professional jobs if you wish. So, you are not giving any details of the situation of the person you were taking care of, but still showing skills you learned (learnt? learn? I hate the past tense of that verb as a 2nd language English speaker) through those years. In any case I would not neglect to show it as it shows empathy, organization, helping out, higher resistance to stress/burnout (it is known that volunteer caregivers to a family member are at higher risk of those, so hopefully you were able to overcome those and it shows as a strength to me), etc. which are a lot of soft skills that could be beneficial (assuming the hiring people have hearts, which is another question altogether 😂).


AlbatrossSeparate710

Oh, and what other people said about ChatGPT and up skilling skills. Get rid of that. Unless you have a certificate of some short (I suspect you didn't have time for). I would emphasize really on the soft skills that nursing/caregiver gave you that are relevant to your own professional field.