
Ask HN: How do I explain a resume gap after taking a sabbatical? - rootsudo
I&#x27;ve been off work for a year, and been doing minor projects&#x2F;freelancing for some small companies as I backpack and travel around Asia.<p>Recently, I&#x27;ve been trying to find remote gigs&#x2F;office jobs, and I&#x27;ve gotten feedback that my resume gap is troublesome.<p>I pass tech interviews, and I&#x27;ve gotten an offer or two that I declined due to not meeting salary&#x2F;lifestyle requirements (but now looking back maybe I should&#x27;ve taken them.)<p>Should I just add a few projects I did on my resume? They&#x27;re really minor and involve basic Windows sysadmin stuff that can be done in a week or two.<p>Or, alternatively, how do I re-word it so it doesn&#x27;t seem like I&#x27;m desperate? I&#x27;ve had recruiters from the typical bucketshops of Apex, Cybercoders and misc say &quot;you&#x27;re a good candidate but that gap is troublesome&quot; in not so nice words.
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Blackstone4
It's easy for people to criticize. Ignore them. Recruiters want easy wins so
they can get paid.

There will always be people who are negative about X, Y or Z. Find your own
way. If you start believing them that is trouble because it'll come across in
any interview.

Be proud of the time you took out to travel around Asia. "I had a fantastic
time, learning about new cultures, broadening my mind, meeting new people from
all over" etc. On top of that you were resourceful enough to pick up
projects/freelance work over that period. Many people will be jealous of this.
Speak to this part of them.

Not sure if you had prior experience or just graduated. Either way I would put
it on your resume along with your travel. Something like:

2017 - Travel around Asia while freelancing. Here's a list of freelance
projects I worked on: \- Sysadmin running servers.

2014-2016 - Software engineer, Midwest city - Regular software job

~~~
Blackstone4
People who don't understand why you took time out to travel around Asia, are
people you probably don't want to work with. Think of it as a culture litmus
test.

If you're back and not currently working, you could pick up freelance work or
work on your own project or open source. This will give you something to talk
about when talking to recruiters. i.e. What are you doing now? "I take
freelance work and am also working on this great project which does X, Y, Z".

Also believe in yourself. You are valuable. When speaking to potential
companies interview them to see if there's a fit. Be like I am really looking
for the right opportunity and X, Y, Z. I'm not willing to jump on
anything....(even if it is not the case, play hard to get. People want things
that are hard to get.... not things that come easily)

~~~
kreetx
This is very true!

When you start interviewing you'll see plenty of recruiters who think it's
awesome what you did and will want to know all about it And you'll meet those
who look down on it for some weird reason ("what do you mean you want to be
free/control your own life?").

But the inspired ones will help you all they can to see if you and the company
are a match. The best recruiters (IMO) are your temporary & one-shot career
counselors: if they're empathetic and highly intelligent, then they are
information highways between you and the prospect employer. You all have only
to win in a situation like that!

------
stuaxo
Put it in your resume, include detail about everything you did.

Don't listen too hard to recruiters, when I got back I started wondering if it
was an issue, and then something came along.

(That feeling of "will I work again" seems to happen every time I'm between
contracts, after the first month or so).

Here's the section of my C.V. from when I went travelling + coding my own
projects:

Dec 2014 – Jan 2016 Travelling + Open Source

Audiovisual work and creative coding - many improvements on the creative
coding environment Shoebot.

Prototypes built included a midi mapper, music visualisers and simple VJ
tools, culminating in using them to VJ for a band in Taipei.

Submitted fixes to OpenGL/Shader tutorials as I completed them. Implemented
Vext to make it easier to use graphic and gui packages with virtualenv such as
Panda3D, Gtk and Qt, it broke 100 downloads within 3 months of being uploaded
to Pypi.

------
omer_balyali
Companies are looking for energy and experience, but by time with experience
the energy goes down, basically you start to -at least slowly- burn out. So...
after a sabbatical, you supposedly full with energy and a motivation to work
better. And you have the skills and the experience.

If a company only cares of the lines written on the resume, it doesn't really
matter you filled it or answered really good in the interview, there will be
problems later on.

But if a company knows, it's not just sum of the parts but as a whole who
you're and how you approach life and work is that all matters, then there will
be no problem telling what you did in these times.

You don't have to go to Asia... maybe you just want to focus on some other
stuff or have some time off. But also you went to Asia, so you use this time
for yourself, in a way you thought would be better for you. I think this is
very important aspect of a professional. If you don't know how to allocate
your time and energy, you're not efficient.

You did something most people even can not dare to think of doing it. Don't
try to please people, be yourself and this way you will eliminate all the
pretentious people/companies and will find a better match for you. Don't
settle for what people say to you, just because they can't do it.

------
dsr_
When bucket-shop recruiters criticize your resume, remember that they don't
know crap about doing the work. They are just salescritters trying to sell
you, and they don't know how to fit you into one of the boxes that they've got
on a shelf.

As a hiring manager, I've stopped talking to bucketshops entirely. They may
have a bunch of names, but they add zero value beyond that, and are certainly
not worth the fee.

By all means, list the travel on your resume, list the small projects you've
done.

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FlyingAvatar
I would put Freelance / Travel Sabbatical as a "job" and then list some
highlights of your learning / experience from them if you've also done that
for the other jobs you listed.

------
jsjohnst
You are wasting your time with Cybercoders anyway. No quality hiring manager
will give them the time of day, let alone hire them to get candidates for
their company. They are literally the sleazy used car version of a recruiter
and I wouldn’t take their advice on anything.

Send me your resume (see profile) and I’ll be happy to see what I can do to
help!

------
mosselman
"I took a sabbatical." would seem like a good place to start and finish.

~~~
tjic
Agreed.

"1 year sabbatical, backpacked around Asia."

If I saw that on a resume I'd think it was awesome. (...and I've hired dozens
of people).

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cornholio
> "you're a good candidate but that gap is troublesome. Only two weeks after
> finishing an elite school you went straight to a corporate 9 to 5 job and
> never demonstrated any personal initiative, ability to take risks or minimal
> desire to understand the world around you"

There, fixed it.

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hownottowrite
Instead of worrying about it, why not turn it into a strength?

Do you have any pictures or journals from your travels? If so, build out a
long-form article or better yet a small site. Explore why you went and what
you learned, how the experience changed you, etc etc. You can reference this
new destination on your resume rather than leaving a blank spot.

~~~
jenscow
And if related your job, make the site yourself so you have a technical
project to show... put the code on github.

------
arthurBrooks
Yes, it is good idea to add those small projects. More relevant they are to
the job. More points for you. By not adding those. People reading your resume
will wonder what you have been doing in this period?

You can also add some of your personal or side projects as well.

The idea is to show them that you were somehow active during this period,
either by doing small gigs, or by doing your own stuff or even by reading
books or taking online courses.

I will highly recommend you read these guides

[http://www.codespaghetti.com/cv-tips](http://www.codespaghetti.com/cv-tips)
[http://www.codespaghetti.com/interview-
success](http://www.codespaghetti.com/interview-success)

I really hop you will be able to find the kind of job you are looking for.

------
SCdF
I only took 5 months off, so it doesn't look as "bad" as yours, but I found
spinning it as self-learning worked as a positive for me.

So in the interview (I only did one…) I talked about how I wanted to take a
break to try new styles of software dev and learn things that you don't often
learn in corporate environments to be a better dev etc. If your potential
employer cares about "passion" (shudder) you can spin it pretty well, because
you're clearly so passionate about software dev you want to forgo salary so
you can concentrate on being a better dev.

FWIW while I did do a bunch of things like that (learnt clojure!), I also
spent nearly a month watching YouTube 8hrs a day… you just fail to mention
that bit in interviews ;-)

------
illwrks
If your less than 30 simply state you wanted to get your travel itch scratched
before you make plans to settle down.

------
fsloth
The culture of being "employable" and fitting a certain mold is an enslavement
strategy by a subset of the corporate world.

Unless you are poverty stricken, would you really want a role that says "Only
willing drones wanted"?

Yes, being smart and getting things done is important. I have no idea how this
correlates with a polished "employee" image.

------
wtk
They're just jealous you've done that ;) Be proud of your sabbatical. I'm
planning on doing similar.

------
snowAbstraction
I did something similar twice. Once when I was younger where I traveled and
lived in China and only did a little English teaching. And again 5 years ago,
I took math classes in a new city where I moved to for my wife's job until her
position was more certain and then I got regular employment.

I've changed jobs and interviewed some afterwards: some employers make a big
deal (negative) about these gaps. While others seem mildly impressed that I
did something somewhat different. They tend to pay less attention now that a
few years have passed. I think it is also because such gaps are more common
these days and because losing employees to other companies is probably bigger
problem than sabbaticals.

------
RpFLCL
Talk about your passions and what you did to stay busy. Tell recruiters and
interviewers about your passion to stay busy while traveling and how you
didn't bulk at the chance to take a risk.

Be prepared to discuss any issues that arrose at your last job that encouraged
you to take the time away.

Hopefully you have a positive reference or two from your freelance work or
prior jobs.

A year of travel is an understandable and common activity in our field. A
company who understands this is also a company that might understand when you
need personal time down the road.

------
QuarkSpark
You have been 'busy' all this while( even if it's a sabbatical). That's
important, that is what you need to project to your potential companies on
your application.

Create a personal website(if you don't have one) and put up your personal
projects that project you in a positive light. Github is also great.

When a company receives a resume, there's no way to quantify and judge what
the candidate has done in the past year. Give them something to think about.

I have marked Cybercoders as spam and you should too. They lazily bombard you
with irrelevant jobs. There are other tech recruiting firms(Bay Area and LA)
that have better reach and more understanding of candidates profiles. LinkedIn
is great for networking and reaching out to recruiters and seeking out
referrals.

Mark up your sabbatical period on your resume. Write in there "Traveled the
world exploring new cultures, worked on personal projects, taught myself new
skills to grow forward." Mention a supporting online link in this section.
Nothing to hide here IMO

On your website, you can write down experiences you gained in detail, while
working on your open source projects, what you learnt. This is a huge plus.
Many candidates send in resumes without a proof of their past projects. You
already got this, try to work it into an interview call + offer.

------
d--b
This is bullshit.

If it's a problem that you may put your life before your career, then you
don't want work for them.

We need to change that culture little by little.

Here's what I would say: "This gap is troublesome to you? FUCK. YOU. I had
some money aside and decided to take it easy for once, and not rush back to
the petty corporate word where people roll their eyes when I take 3 weeks for
Christmas. If you can't fathom that, I'm going to get my skills elsewhere."

------
k__
Is this a US thing?

Did this and found a remote job no problem here in Germany.

~~~
Nashooo
Where did you look for European remote work ?

~~~
k__
I found my job 2015 at a startup in Frankfurt via AngelList. (I'm living in
Stuttgart)

~~~
optimusrex
I found my job in Cologne. The language of my office is English. Did you have
to know German for your job?

------
jenscow
When I'm hiring, I don't care about gaps - provided you've done something
productive with yourself. _Unexplained_ gaps (or just stating "sabbatical" /
"unemployed") are a red flag.

List it like a job, what you've done and achieved. How does that break make
you different to the others?

All else being equal, I'd hire the one who's took a break from their
environment, learned new cultures, and made the most of live.

~~~
exodust
Just out of interest, why is an unexplained gap a "red flag"? A red flag for
what exactly?

The chances that someone working for 10 years non-stop needs a break and might
be burnt out, is higher than someone who worked for 10 years, had a break, and
is now looking for work again.

~~~
badpun
> Just out of interest, why is an unexplained gap a "red flag"? A red flag for
> what exactly?

A red flag that work and being productive is not your top life priority.
Obviously, an employer would prefer to only hire people obsessed about work if
possible.

------
thisisit
You should add the projects in your resume. It will people understand that you
were still doing some work, during your gap.

------
mindcrash
While reviewing CVs I would love to see "Took some time to travel through
Asia", followed by a few lines amongst which was written "Helped small
business in <some city in China> to improve their system administration".

And that would definitely lead to a interesting conversation while
interviewing :)

But ofcourse, that could just be me.

------
candybar
The key is to be open and transparent about what you did. One major reason
that companies are rationally worried about resume gaps is that gaps could
mean anything - for all they know you were running a criminal enterprise or
locked up in a mental institution. It could also mean that you couldn't find a
job for other reasons that may no longer be documented - there are things that
wouldn't show up in your background search after a period of time for
instance. Continuous employment history isn't desirable because it's important
that you were always working, but because it is verifiable in a way that rules
out certain possibilities. Other than explaining your situation in a
transparent way that soothes these fears, if you worked for or with others on
some projects during this time, you could offer them as extra references.

------
tastyham
Say you took a sabbatical? Lots of people take sabbaticals. I'm surprised
anyone has cared. I'd maybe explicitly put "sabbatical" on your resume so
people know it was on purpose rather than that time being due to being
unwillingly unemployed.

------
sparticvs
When reviewing a candidate, I don't think I've ever focused on the work
timeline and making it complete. What matters to me is that you have
experience in the thing I need help in. Everything else is a bonus. I would be
asking about the things on the resume and trying to get more detail which
would help me understand how much actual experience you have.

A recruiter's prime objective is to spend the least amount of time to get the
person the highest paid job. That's how they get paid. I'm actually very
annoyed that companies use recruiting firms so much, they are terrible and
don't actually get you good candidates, just qualified candidates.

------
jonballant
I just went through a similar experience after a 2 year gap traveling Asia and
Australia. Are you looking for work in the USA?

My experience in interviews in Europe is that employers were genuinely
interested in my time abroad and wanted to learn about my experiences. I am
applying for jobs in Europe where a gap year is much more common. If
recruiters are telling you the sabbatical is a problem they are not connecting
you with the right employers. Every person I've talked to entering the job
market after a year traveling did not have difficulties with the sabbatical as
long as you can sell it that you were not partying the whole time. Good luck!

------
mindhash
Expressing what you did during your break without discomfort would demonstrate
a confidence in your skillset.

A person like that comes out as someone who knows what he knows. and hence can
take risks.

on the downside, most HR folks never get this. so sending resume/CV has lower
chances of conversion.

A better way I have found is to go referral way. Find people or network with
people in space and get referrals. Have them connect me directly with hiring
manager. This opens up channel for discussion.

All the best. Hang in there!

------
dropit_sphere
What's to explain?

------
watmough
It's BS that this is a problem.

I have various breaks in my resume, including for layoffs, working on my own
things etc.

Just have a reasonable narrative and you'll be fine.

------
etiene
"I took a sabbatical". If the company has a problem with that they are not a
good place to work anyway.

Given that, looking for jobs sucks, a couple of rejections can easily make
people feel really down. So after some failed attempts I know it's hard to
keep the mindset that you are also interviewing the companies, but do try to
keep in mind that you deserve a good work environment!

------
jamestomasino
Fill the time honestly with what you were doing and how it made you a better
person. It will make you stand out from the crowd and show a depth of
character and introspection that some employers will appreciate.

Move on from the recruiters that want to churn you out. Find some other
options with solo recruiters or go at the companies you're interested in
yourself.

------
MandieD
Yes, put the projects on there. It shows that you are self-disciplined enough
to complete things even when not in a regular job.

------
DoreenMichele
The _gap on the resume_ is troubling because they don't know what you did
during that time, so fill the gap. I would go with a combination of
suggestions here.

"While on sabbatical to fulfill my dream of backpacking around Asia, I helped
cover expenses by taking on small projects of limited scope, such as... "

------
bparsons
You don't even need to mention that you did small gigs. Just say you took the
year off to travel.

From the recruiters POV, that should be sufficient. The only concern would be
that you might want to do that again in the next couple of years, so assure
them that this is not the case.

------
motohagiography
Two questions: for any job with exceptional responsibility or skill required,
has there ever been a candidate with a resume gap where the story behind it
did not make them more interesting?

When you see a gap, what do you really think happened in it and what does it
signify or mean?

------
clueless123
Ignore recruiters, There is nothing wrong with listing a one year sabbatical
in your resume.

------
icedchai
Just say you were an independent consultant, and list a couple of those
projects. Fluff it up a bit "network and server administration for small
businesses..." It's pretty easy to talk around this stuff.

------
rco8786
So weird. I did this last year and people had nothing but great things to say
about taking a sabbatical. Maybe the problem is you’re going through the big
enterprisey recruiter shops.

------
tomcooks
I'd avoid talking about your backpacking and instead talk about it as "got
involved in the asian startup scene, offering my sysadmin services to foreign
companies"

------
magic_beans
Just say you freelanced during that period. You can come up with a few
projects to list during that period.

------
gesman
Fill gap with "consulting" and list impactful projects to demonstrate your
expertise.

------
op00to
Do you want to work for a place that would discount you because you took a
sabbatical?

------
awinder
Out of curiosity how much experience did you have before the sabbatical?

If companies are actually filtering based on a year off (what recruiters say
definitely deserves a filter), that seems like it could be super troublesome
if not legally, then ethically for sure. That’s a filter that many parents
would become trapped in.

------
lwh
I'm a rockstar ninja was in a cast and attending rehab.

------
runjake
"I took a sabbatical to backpack around Asia."

------
unixhero
Lie, you owe HR and Recruiter-reps nothing.

------
sjg007
list yourself as a consultant for the time you took off.

------
hodl
Mar 2017 - Feb 2018

RootSudo Ltd

Chief Architect

Blah blah

------
Numberwang
Lie and say you went travelling in Asia. That's what I did.

------
modi15
Its a red flag. If you are capable of taking of for an year, whats stopping
you from taking off again. No one wants to hire someone who will leave after
sometime. And there are probably other hires who dont have this red flag.

~~~
aaronbrethorst
If you have more than one employer listed on your resume, what's stopping you
from quitting the company that might hire you? No one wants to hire someone
who will leave after some time for a new job.

~~~
V-2
It's not a good analogy the way you put it, because having more than one
employer in and of itself is so very common that it's hard to be biased
against it.

 _However_ a dinstinctly high frequency of changing jobs, say in the 90th
percentile among candidates (and how many people take sabbaticals?), now that
could be a red flag already. And for exactly that reason - it implies the
candidate is _relatively_ likely to jump teams again.

Hence it is not absurd to assume quite a few employers would prefer someone
who worked at 2 places throughout the past few years over someone who worked
at 5 - all other things being equal, obviously.

I am not arguing whether it's right or justified - or to what extent. That's
another story.

~~~
croon
> It's not a good analogy the way you put it, because having more than one
> employer in and of itself is so very common that it's hard to be biased
> against it.

Your parent compared one (1) gap year in a resume being a red flag for the
explicit reason that they might leave again, to someone else having switched
employers _atleast_ once, for the exact same reason given by GP.

It's a totally apt analogy. Leaving is leaving.

Your further reasoning doesn't change this analogy. Many employment changes in
a resume is no different to many gap years, in regards to the initially stated
premise.

~~~
V-2
I disagree. Taking a gap year is a bigger career disruption than simply
changing employers. It's not by coincidence that one is much more common than
the other.

The willingness to do former indicates lesser degree of dependence (or sense
of dependence) on an ongoing employment than mere willingness to trade one job
for another. That's why the "leaving is leaving" line of argument doesn't
speak to me.

