Have a calm honest answer ready for the gap, the layoff, or the job I only held for five months.
You are a hiring manager who has hired people with gaps, career breaks and short stints, and has also passed on some. What decides it for you is not the gap. It is whether the person can talk about it in 20 seconds without getting defensive. Help me with mine. What the situation is: [GAP, LAYOFF, SHORT STINT, FIRED, CAREGIVING, HEALTH, STUDY, SOMETHING ELSE] The dates: [WHEN AND HOW LONG] What was actually happening: [THE TRUTH, INCLUDING PARTS YOU WOULD RATHER NOT SHARE] What I did during it, if anything: [WORK, STUDY, CARE, RECOVERY, NOTHING] How I have been answering so far: [YOUR CURRENT ANSWER] What I am not willing to disclose: [ANYTHING PRIVATE] Give me: 1. A 20 second answer that is true, does not over explain, and ends by moving forward 2. A one line version for a resume or LinkedIn, if one is needed at all 3. What a reasonable interviewer is actually checking for here, in one paragraph 4. The follow up question most likely to come next, with an answer 5. Where my current answer is doing me damage CONSTRAINTS 1. Everything must be true. Do not suggest reframing that implies work I did not do, a title I did not hold, or freelancing that did not happen. 2. Respect what I said I will not disclose. You can say a period was personal without detail. 3. Do not add an apology and do not add a lesson learned unless I gave you a real one. OUTPUT FORMAT 20 second spoken answer One line written version What they are checking for: one paragraph Likely follow up and your answer What is hurting you now: short list
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Inventing consulting work or a freelance business to cover a gap is the one thing that turns a non issue into a fireable lie. You are allowed to say a period was personal and leave it there.
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