Longest career break

**max** · 26 February 2008, 22:52

Originally posted by Hicks View Post

I am currently job hunting after a few years away from work.

I haven't had much luck yet but to be fair I haven't applied for many roles due to lack of opportunities in my field.

However, of the few applications I have made, I have not heard anything back so I am trying to assess why that may be which is making me think that perhaps my absence from work is an issue.

So, I wanted to get an idea of other peoples' experiences:

What is the longest career break you have taken?
What did you do with your time and did it affect your job hunting afterwards?

TIA.

Maybe you industry has moved off shore? or your skills are longer in required....technology is like that.

**SueEllen** · 26 February 2008, 23:40

Originally posted by Hicks View Post

What is the longest career break you have taken?
What did you do with your time and did it affect your job hunting afterwards?

TIA.

The two people who I know who have taken a career break of over 18 months to go off and do stuff aboard, came back to the UK and retrained before going back into IT. Like you they were getting no where before they did their training courses.

**smiff** · 27 February 2008, 09:26

I had a break for 18 months. When I started circulating my CV to pimps again, they really focussed on that time off, and some of them basically inferred that I would have forgotten my entire skill set and they wouldn't put me forward for roles.

I honestly think I would have been better telling them I was in jail or something.

How dare you take some time out!!!

**BlasterBates** · 27 February 2008, 10:07

It does depend on your skill set. A friend of mine is a network specialist, and was doing support, took a few months off and now can't get anything.

I think although the market isn't too bad, it is more difficult than last year.

**tim123** · 27 February 2008, 11:12

I've got a friend who does what I do (embedded systems for telecomms).

Between you and me he's not particularly good.

But twice now he's taken a year off and both times managed to find a job within a few weeks of starting to look.

Though perhaps the reason is that he knows he's not particularly good and is happy to accept the "integration" jobs that I am continually being offered and turn down as (if I'm entirely honest) beneath my capabilities (I actually say "not interesting enough").

tim

**too_many_details** · 27 February 2008, 11:14

I took 12 months off in 2004. I'm in Java development.

The biggest issue seemed to be agents reluctant to put you forward if there were other candidates with no gap.

I accepted a permie position earning a third less to get back into the game.

What field are you in?

TMD

**Pickle2** · 27 February 2008, 11:56

Why not just rejig yorur marketing material (sorry, cv) so the "gap" appears before the last job you had?

OR even better, dont bother stating start and end dates. Just list clients in chronological order and state duration.

EG

Projects and clients (most recent first)

Big Telco, 18 months
Responsible For: making tea etc etc

Big Insurance co, 21 months
Responsible For: ordering take-out etc etc

Local Gov, 15 months
Responsible For: posting cds etc etc

**dmini** · 27 February 2008, 13:23

I had just over 2 years out - I was working but not in IT. I did do a couple of 1 week contracts during that time.
I managed to relate some of my non-IT work across - I do M$ server support & some 3rd line desktop by default, as do many server people. The work I initially did was low grade - floorwalking locally, but as I could only do part time at that point due to family stuff - to be expected. Since then - 2005 I havent had an issue.
So... my advice, thinking back. be prepared to take a low grade post, for the short term, to prove your skills (and help remember the bits you will have forgotten) It won't mean you stay there at that level - my current post is on far more than those days, about twice, and although I am working for a different organisation, and site, the fact I got this post is directly related to that scummy local part time one I had, and how well I did in it - a rather large outsourcing organistaion were also working on that site, and I came to their notice, and have since worked on 4 different contracts for them - increasing the rate each time

**NickNick** · 27 February 2008, 14:03

I too took 15 months off in 2004 / 5, and spent a good three months of that honing my cv and interview skills and applying for jobs. When I landed a contract in the end, I started to get offered more (and better) contracts almost immediately. I guess the fact that you are in work makes you more likely to find work.

Jus tmy 2p.

NN

Longest career break