Anyone jobless for a long time before?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Based on ur experience, what are some acceptable answers that an interviewee can give to account for a e.g 6 months unemployment gap?

What if everyone gives a standard acceptable answer ?

I was about to give the same suggestion. My reasons would be:
1. A short break of 1 to 2 months should be more than adequate to recharge
2. A longer break, especially a year off, will mean a longer time to move back to gear. Your inertia will be greater. If you are in the high tech line, a year break could finish off your career!

People do take breaks, but professional breaks aka sabbatical - to work in academia or on secondment to another company.

At 42, and taking breaks for time off and do nothing is career suicide, unless it is a company sponsored activity like climbing Mount Everest for charity as well publicity for your company.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

economy is now quite uncertain. Are you sure you wan to take such risk?

How about securing a new job but inform your new employer that you can only start work with them 3 month to 6 month later before you quitting your current job?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I graduated from NUS in 1997 and have been gainfully employed for the past 17 years.
I am moving into my early 40s and decided to take 6mths to 1 year break at this point before continuing my next lap of working journey towards 60 years old.

Would society be so unforgiving to scrutinize my break at mid-career?

I hate to give explanations despite it being a planned rest schedule.

You have a family or parents depending on you or not? If free-and-easy, swinging single, then I'd say no problem at all with doing whatever you want. No one would question you on your judgement.

If not so free-and-easy, then you could consider other options like taking a no-pay leave from your current job, then resuming later.

For me, it is as much the answer as how you answer the question. I look for sincerity and honesty. We are well aware that people move because of personality clashes at work, difficult bosses, or lack of career progression. We (at least I) want to be sure that you were not the problem! They are people who are the cause of problem at work, but they like to paint it like the colleagues are the trouble makers. So I certainly don't want to be recruiting a problem case.

For our area, it is true that the longer you are out of practice, the further you will fall behind in the field, unless you were using that gap time to catch up with technology. For me, I will be impartial to a candidate with a 6 month unemployment gap if he comes across as a earnest and passionate about the area / subject matter.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Based on ur experience, what are some acceptable answers that an interviewee can give to account for a e.g 6 months unemployment gap?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What if everyone gives a standard acceptable answer ?

But not everyone will have the same personality.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Trust me, 6 months gap still ok. You can say the companies were choosy and you can't do anything about it except keeping a lookout continuously and you need to consider those positions carefully too. You must be aware that any interviewers can shoot any type of questions under the sun. They can be horribly persistent in their quest for truth. Just answer honestly and be patient.1758

I agree. We can't control what the interviewers wanna ask. They can be harsh or they can be understanding. So best way is to just give an honest answer. If the interviewers don't accept it, they might not be the best employers for u too.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I agree. We can't control what the interviewers wanna ask. They can be harsh or they can be understanding. So best way is to just give an honest answer. If the interviewers don't accept it, they might not be the best employers for u too.

agree.. honesty is impt. However, still need apply some white lies maybe in other questions.

As for unemployment gaps, just provide honest answer why jobless. If the interviewers ask you what other positions or companies you applied, you shd only say out the similar positions that you previously applied in same industry to show your interest in this job field/ industry. For e.g., if you apply for healthcare executive in nhg, you may say that you applied for other executive positions in singhealth etc because you really have passion in healthcare industry.

From my personal experience, can tell from the interviewers' questions or expressions that they like your profile from the start or not since they would have your application form or resume. When I applied for one position in a ministry, they asked just one question and quickly asked me whether i had any other questions for them.

Looks like I am going to end up as the second PhD holder to turn to taxi driving after the intended break.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I was about to give the same suggestion. My reasons would be:
1. A short break of 1 to 2 months should be more than adequate to recharge
2. A longer break, especially a year off, will mean a longer time to move back to gear. Your inertia will be greater. If you are in the high tech line, a year break could finish off your career!

People do take breaks, but professional breaks aka sabbatical - to work in academia or on secondment to another company.

At 42, and taking breaks for time off and do nothing is career suicide, unless it is a company sponsored activity like climbing Mount Everest for charity as well publicity for your company.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

You have a family or parents depending on you or not? If free-and-easy, swinging single, then I'd say no problem at all with doing whatever you want. No one would question you on your judgement.

If not so free-and-easy, then you could consider other options like taking a no-pay leave from your current job, then resuming later.

Thanks for your views.

For someone working in a loss-making manufacturing company where there are alot of fire-fighting activities and survival politics in the department, taking no-pay leave to recharge is not quite an option.

The reason: They need people to fire-fight everyday on a 24-7 basis. If they can do without the employee for 6 months, they could do without him forever. So no-pay leave is actually not an option.

It's Monday again.