How bad does a year out gap look on a CV?

[Francko]

How bad would a one-year gap out of work look on a cv on somebody who is 40 and worked continously for the past 15 years?

And no, I am not going to do an MBA or something similar (perhaps a distance learning course but nothing glamorous).

Would this look very suspicious in the eyes of potential employers (especially for contracts since they want you to start from day 1 and you might be quite rusty) and substantially reduce your chances of finding employment (let alone a very rare niche skill set or a total lack of skills - let's assume for now the case of an averagely skilled IT person)?

Did anybody do something similar and regret/did not regret it?

Cheers,
Franco

[scooterscot]

Took 5 months out in... 2006 or was it 07, 3 of them were intentional. Every agent I told "was for training purposes" - never had a problem. I think most good agents would understand, and if you're good at what you do you'll not have a problem getting back on the saddle.

If you want to take a holiday (shorter one) do it during the contract. Incredible as that sounds I've once negotiated a 2 month extension, during which I would not charge, and took the 2 months off back to back. If it's OK with the project and the line manager I do recommend. As the old saying goes:

'don't ask don't get'

[Cliphead]

Took 5 months out in... 2006 or was it 07, 3 of them were intentional. Every agent I told "was for training purposes" - never had a problem. I think most good agents would understand, and if you're good at what you do you'll not have a problem getting back on the saddle.

WSS

I took 6 months out to travel a few years ago but put it down to training with no problems.

[expat]

How bad would a one-year gap out of work look on a cv on somebody who is 40 and worked continously for the past 15 years?

TBH I don't give a flying ****. I'm not contracting just to be tulip scared to do what I want with my life.

I have had a few gap years, but alas the latest was 20 years ago. Nobody even noticed AFAIK. Contracting has come to a pretty pass if agents are now going to blackball you because you didn't want to keep your nose to the grindstone.

Having said that, in last year's recession I did get agents saying "you haven't worked since February?" with that tone combining incredulity with suspicion, and the feeling that they would be obliged to drop me if I were behaving suspiciously, like not working.

PS I see one little word got past the sweary nanny, perhaps because it was so shocked by what I said before?

[lukemg]

I would certainly consider having an 'excuse' ready but alternatively, just keep working until whatever skills and experience you currently have become worthless (pretty much guaranteed) and a year long gap is the result.
HTH

[minestrone]

I often take 6 months off by choice, nobody every asks me about it.