Perhaps the reason for the gap in your career was being fired, or you have decided that you are no longer satisfied with certain aspects of your job. In any case, this is a tense situation, and you will have to somehow explain it to the new employer. However, using your work break wisely can make you a more attractive candidate.
Why is it better to be honest?
You may be tempted to embellish your resume by, for example, pushing aside periods of unemployment. Or to present the case in such a way that the downtime lasted only a couple of months. The recruiter won't know anyway, you think. But in reality, the recruiter will most likely find out about this, and all the bridges for you will be burned at that very moment. It's safer to tell the truth right away. That's all.
Remember that you are not interviewing just to get paid. You are building a lasting relationship with your employer, which must be based on trust on both sides. If you start this relationship with a lie, chances are it won't progress beyond talking to a recruiter. Plus, by telling the truth, you can make the spaces in your resume work for you.
Your career breaks aren't the first ones a recruiter sees. And he doesn't think you're out of the race - as long as you know how to benefit from it. HR people aren't asking you about breaks because they want to shame you. They want to know what you were doing during that time so they can get more information about you as a candidate. So it depends on you whether this information will negatively characterize you as a candidate or open up interesting attractive aspects in you. Think about this: Most professionals have gone through a dead end in their careers when they realized they needed some kind of effort or, conversely, a break. Sometimes it takes a little time and a little effort to move from the point where you are now to where you would like to be. Deliberate or sudden time-out in such a situation is only beneficial.
Many successful people planning a break after long periods of work. This is called sabbatical. In fact, it is not such a rare occurrence. Designate a career gap as sabbatical. This will give the impression that you are in control of your life and do not live paycheck to paycheck. Of course, there are a couple of things you need to do to allow yourself a sabbatical. First, prepare yourself financially for a break from work so that you can spend your Saturday evenings thoughtfully, rather than desperately looking for work. Second, really use this time for personal and professional growth rather than sitting at home and relaxing. If you can treat a career break as new opportunity rather than as a failure, you will become an even more attractive candidate in the eyes of a recruiter.
How to properly explain gaps in a resume?
To understand this, start at the end. You are already out of work. If you need time to understand your real purpose and find the perfect employer, a period of unemployment can be the greatest thing that happened in your career. To avoid the next period of unemployment, think carefully about your goals.
List the skills and abilities required. Once you understand your purpose, he will help you determine what matters most to a potential employer. Some companies organize exploratory interviews to help candidates understand what qualifications are needed to work for the company. Then, when you are invited for a real interview, you will consider their expectations in your resume. You will be the perfect candidate for them. After this, you will understand what you should learn, what kind of training to go through in order to become a more successful candidate. This is what distinguishes a constructive career gap from a non-constructive one.
Here are some tips to help you make the most of your time off work.
Complete training. In the next five years, there will be a shortage of blue-collar professionals. There are several ways to become a specialist that is needed everywhere and for everyone. You can take an online course, graduate from a university or college, or study in a local technical program.
Freelance. In general, this is the option in which there is no need to explain to the employer why you are not working. More than 53 million Americans are freelance workers, and this is their main source of income. If there is something you can do with passion and do it well, consider whether freelance work might suit you. Even if it turns out that it doesn't work for you, it still works as an explanation to the employer why you didn't have a job.
Volunteering or internship... Such activities do not make money. However, experience is more valuable than cash: three out of four candidates who have had experience with a volunteer organization say these skills made them more attractive candidates. If your dream company offers internship vacancies, be sure to apply for this opportunity. After just a couple of months, you will probably be offered a paid position in the same department.
Travel... Great opportunity to master new language and new culture... Multilingual employees generally absorb new information faster, a quality that is becoming more and more in demand every decade. Traveling is a great way to broaden your outlook on the world. Plus, it's fun.
A period of involuntary unemployment can be frustrating. It is difficult to talk about this with the employer. Never use lies to mask gaps and ruin your relationship with the company. Instead, turn the situation around so that you can be proud of the time. Show that you have the initiative in your hands, that you always know what you want and what you need for this. A career break can be a point for a new, even stronger start. It is up to you how to use this time.
Translation from English.Based on materials: mashable.com
Image source: photl.com
The question about spaces in work book- one of the most awkward and slippery. Worse, perhaps only
Be honest
Fake excuses will be expected of you. So don't exaggerate and translate a three-day unpaid internship into a full-time job. Tell us directly and to the point what you did. It’s not bad if it was volunteer work for the benefit of humanity or even meditation practices in places of power in order to find your destiny.
Even if you've just been looking for a job all this time, recruiters will understand you - in the current economic situation, this will not look suspicious.
Don't say too much
There is no need to explain why you left your previous job - on your own or by layoff, until you are asked about it. Moreover, you should not vilify your former boss... You will look angry and resentful (even if you are) and question your generosity and judgment. Instead, show your nobility by stating, "I learned a lot in my previous job and am grateful for the experience and growth opportunities I received there." Here's a little trick: just before the interview, meet with a close friend and tell him any grudges about your former employer. For the second time in a row, you will be too lazy to splash out negative.
Focus on the future
As soon as possible, direct the conversation in a different direction - how you are eager to start working and make a feasible contribution to the affairs of the company. Rather than listing your breaks and justifying them with adequate reasons, let the employer know that you are fresh and energized for your new job.
If you have paused to work on on their own- just say that you wanted to gain strength and you gained them. If you were downsized, say: “Yes, I was a little upset, but I had time to improve my skills on my own, I read a lot, watched webinars, attended master classes, and now I am ready to use the new knowledge in a new job. Would you like me to tell you about my latest project and how I would have done it differently, with the newly acquired knowledge? " Remember - we imperceptibly transfer the conversation to another topic.
Stay active
Most the right way defeat this awkward question. Tell us about how productively you spent your unemployed period. It doesn't matter what exactly you did - if only you didn’t lie on the couch in your pajamas from morning till night, reviewing all seasons of “Game of Thrones” or funny video with cats. Another thing is volunteer projects, blogging, freelancing part-time jobs, online courses in the specialty, studying foreign language that will come in handy at work and make you a more attractive candidate. Tell us what you have achieved in this. Even if you played sports and lost 20 kilograms, this is also a victory worthy of mention. But it's doubly great if all this was connected with your profession and with the position for which you are applying.
And then the employer will see in you not a loser, who either out of stupidity or laziness could not find a job for so long, but an initiative, active and creative person.
The question of gaps in the work book is one of the most awkward and slippery ones. Worse, perhaps, only "Why were you fired from your previous job?"
“Explain the interruptions in your work history. What were you doing at that time? " And your heart started racing, your palms were sweating, you stutter. It's like asking you about a relationship that you haven't had in three years - brr, it's not pleasant enough.
Don't worry, this is not a failure yet. Let's just prepare ourselves well. Here are some tips on how to explain periods of unemployment, even very long ones, without sacrificing self-esteem.
"/>“We choose, we are chosen” - the job search process can be very accurately characterized by a line from famous song... Not surprisingly, job seekers not only have to listen to employers' refusals, but also say “no” themselves. How to do it correctly?
To help your diplomatic skills in your career, read the guidelines.
How to avoid interviews
“I sent a resume for a vacancy, they called me and invited me for an interview. After we agreed to meet, I realized that I didn't want to go. First, it is planned a good place in another company, and secondly, it is difficult to get to this office. Should I call and refuse? Maybe just not show up for an interview?
Applicants give each other advice, as they say, to the best of their upbringing. "Why to call? Recruiters constantly promise to call us back and do not call back ”; “Be sure to inform that you will not come, so as not to make the person wait in vain for you” - opinions, as we see, are polar.
Nevertheless, experts recommend taking the time to make a call or write email, even if you don’t want to, it’s unpleasant or just lazy. Since recruiters do not keep their promises, then we will not, - such a logic is unacceptable for a polite and responsible person... No matter what they say, diplomacy is an obligatory weapon of a specialist who is tuned in to career achievements.
It is also necessary to cultivate a culture of refusal in oneself because the professional world often turns out to be closer than we think. It is possible that you still have to intersect with this company or even with a specific recruiter. Rest assured that your diplomatic efforts will not be in vain. Many HR managers maintain their own database of applicants, and if the mark “did not show up” appears in front of your name, then, most likely, the way to this company will be closed for you.
According to Research Center recruiting portal site, 22% of recruiting managers are sure that usually lies “in the absence of a culture of behavior and business ethics”, 19% - in irresponsibility. Obviously, no one wants to be among the uncultured and irresponsible. Therefore, you still have to call and cancel the agreement. If you don't get through, write an email.
It is better to do this in advance, for example, on the eve of the appointed interview day. It didn't work out - call at least an hour or two in advance: the recruiter will have time to reschedule his working hours.
How can you explain your refusal to attend an interview? Since the negotiations have just begun, no special explanations are required - a polite message in a benevolent tone is enough. “Thank you for taking an interest in my candidacy, but the circumstances are such that now I am not ready to negotiate a job in your company. I wish you find the right manager. Have a good day"- such a message will leave no doubt about your good manners and knowledge of the rules of business ethics. Most likely, no further explanation is required - recruiters are faced with such cases quite often.
"I have to refuse your offer ..."
It's a different matter if you have already passed the selection, attended interviews, completed test tasks and received a job offer. Or, perhaps, they managed to agree, and on Monday they are waiting for you at a new workplace. And suddenly you changed your mind: there was more interesting option, the child fell ill, doubted the prospects - the reasons may be different. How to be?
Here you cannot do without explaining the reasons for your refusal, at least in general outline... The recruiter, the future boss, and you yourself spent a lot of time and effort on interviews. If at the final stage of negotiations one of the participants suddenly refuses to continue them, the rest have the right to know about the reasons. Such explanations are not excuses at all, but reasonable adherence to ethical norms.
Explain in a polite and friendly way why you do not want to start working for this company. “I have another proposal, and at the moment it is more interesting to me”; “I have soberly assessed my capabilities and am forced to refuse your offer: it is inconvenient for me to spend two hours on the way to the office”; “At my current location, I was offered to head new project, so I stop looking for work, ”- in most cases, you don't need to invent anything. Both the HR manager and the supervisor are likely to understand your motives without any embellishment.
However, if the reason for your refusal lies in the personality of the future leader or in the bad, in your opinion, organization of business processes in the company, do not rush to publicly declare this. The art of diplomacy is to smooth out negative aspects. Therefore, instead of posting everything that you think ("Look for others who want to work from dawn to dawn and tolerate an unbalanced boss for such a salary"), it is better to say: "Now I am not ready to accept your offer, since the working conditions do not suit me." ...
At this stage, it is better to report the refusal by phone. Email is also acceptable, but personal contact is preferable. Do not forget to thank the failed employer for your time, wish you all the best, and if your refusal puts someone in an awkward position (for example, if you have already agreed and had to go to work), then also apologize for the inconvenience.
“Do with others as you want to be treated with you” - this dictum has not lost its relevance for centuries. If we want recruiters to honestly inform us about the refusal, and not leave us alone with guesses, then it makes sense to comply with all agreements ourselves and inform us about the decision in time.
Good luck in your job search!
Many job seekers are interested in how to refuse an employer after an interview. Such a need arises when a person has applied for employment in different companies and several of them have agreed at once. The article will tell you how to behave so as not to look ignorant.
How to tactfully refuse a job
Many job seekers hope that the company will call, and then they will talk about the rejection. This option is not the best, because there is a likelihood of looking like an irresponsible candidate in the eyes of the employer.
You can notify that the vacancy is no longer of interest in different ways:
- by phone;
- in person;
- in writing.
Whichever one is chosen, it is important to do it tactfully.
Failure scheme
In order for everything to go smoothly, you must adhere to certain rules:
- Express my sincere gratitude to the company for the offer.
- Briefly and clearly explain the refusal.
- Express regret for having to resign.
- Wish you success in finding candidates.
Recommendations will help you no longer worry about how to refuse an employer after an interview. The proposed scheme, if used correctly, will help to remain a decent and tactful person in the eyes of the company.
How to resign from a proposed position
The plan of the actions described below is quite simple. The main thing is not to ignore the employer and notify him in time so that he continues to search for a suitable candidate.
The rules described below will help you figure out how to refuse an employer after an interview. An example of reasoned answers that will suit any employer is presented below.
We offer 7 important components that should be adhered to when meeting in person:
- Express appreciation for the time spent. Undoubtedly, in this situation, resources were spent on studying the questionnaires of candidates and among them the most suitable ones were selected. You should definitely thank for this and answer all your questions.
- In no case should managers be forced to speculate about rejection. It is important for the company to know the true reason. Perhaps this will help the organization in the future to be more careful about possible candidates for a certain position.
- It is important to be short and honest when describing the reason for rejection. All of the parties to the interaction spent a lot of time, so it is imperative to say the reason.
- Explaining shouldn't take long. Better to answer simply, to the point and admit that you have considered other options.
- It is also worth being polite because if other options do not work, there is a chance to return to this company and be sure that they will be accepted here.
- Try to support good relationship with the employer. It will not be superfluous to wish him all the best. The professional world is not that big. Perhaps in the near future you will have to meet at a conference or somewhere else. If you do not neglect this advice, then you can find useful connections.
- Relevant in in this case a strategy that has been compared to a sandwich. It involves first delivering good news, then bad news, and then good news. This behavior is very effective in dealing with people. It will allow you to appear in front of other people as a responsible and serious person who conducts business diplomatically.
If you follow the described tips, this question will no longer seem so difficult. After that, the employer will have a good impression of the applicant.
How to express a refusal in writing
No less often, applicants refuse a certain vacancy in writing... You can write an email to the hiring manager.
"Dear _______________________!
I am very grateful that you have chosen me for the position of _____________. I'm sorry, but I have already found a suitable vacancy in another organization, where at the moment everything suits me. I refuse your offer. It was nice to meet you and your employees.
WITH Best wishes, ___________
Date _________ Signature ____________________ "
What to do
It is also useful to familiarize yourself with what you should not do when talking with an employer. Here are some tips for doing this:
- In no case should you ignore your employer. He has the right to timely find out the decision of the applicant.
- You can not remain silent and not respond to phone calls... Often, applicants do this because they feel embarrassed to admit that they have found a more suitable position or place of work. Some do not know how to refuse an employer after a telephone interview, so they do not get in touch.
Ignoring the decision indicates the incorrectness and shortsightedness of the candidate. The data about the applicant goes to the database of recruiting agencies. The likelihood that other employers will pay attention to such a candidate is extremely small.
After personal communication with company representatives, the information is stored in the database certain time... Often companies exchange jobseeker data with each other, so it's helpful to think over the conversation plan ahead of time.
How to explain the refusal
Reasons to decline the proposed position great amount... They are different for everyone. It is important to present the information correctly in order to leave an opinion about yourself as a respectable person and a competent candidate. The tips below provide reasons for resignation that employers will perceive positively. They will demonstrate how to politely turn down an employer after an interview while maintaining a good relationship.
- Not being able to work overtime is the real reason refusal. Any employer will take this adequately.
- If the salary level is significantly lower than what the candidate can agree to, then this will be a good reason.
- If there is no career prospects, the applicant can refuse the offer without remorse.
- The proposed regime does not always suit applicants. Often when looking for a job, this moment is the main one.
- Although it is tactless to talk about it directly, it happens that at first glance you did not like the company itself or its leader. For this reason, many people refuse the vacancy immediately after the interview, but it is not worth talking about it openly. Better to say another more objective reason.
In this situation, the main thing is not to ignore the employer and inform about your decision in time.
How to refuse an offer from an employer
It does not matter in what form the applicant refuses, it is worth considering in advance how to refuse the employer after the interview. The expert tips below will help you do this competently and tactfully:
- Be as honest as possible during your conversation. If this is an email, try to communicate your thoughts in a way that makes the employer feel respectful when reading it.
- During the dialogue, you need to be open. It is important to correctly reason the refusal of the vacancy.
- Completely discard negativity during a conversation.
- There is nothing wrong with the fact that the applicant will tell the true reason for the refusal, for example, that it is inconvenient for him to get to work or is not satisfied with the salary.
- If you are not satisfied with the functionality, it is important to clearly and clearly explain what the applicant plans to do in a new job.
- Whatever the reason for the refusal, the employer has the right to know it in order not to take the decision made by the applicant personally.
- It's important to be honest and admit that you are considering multiple jobs. Having warned the employer about this, then it will be easier to carry on the conversation.
If the job seeker is honest and frank in a personal conversation, the employer greatly appreciates this. Even after refusal, he will offer to take the position if further job searches are unsuccessful.
Candidates who change jobs frequently tend to raise suspicion among employers - to find new job it is more difficult for them. The Village has learned how to explain its inconsistency in interviews and whether it's worth lying.
Elena Yakhontova
Professor High school corporate governance of RANEPA
Changing jobs often isn't a crime in itself. But there must be a reasonable explanation for this. For example, an employee is looking for HIS place of work or is specifically developing multi-competence. Or other circumstances beyond his control. For example, in a crisis and downsizing, not everyone is lucky to have a constant and Good work... Temporary is better than nothing. The employer's representative must explain the reasons for the situation, but not make excuses. And it is certainly impossible to lie in any case.
In summary ( summary work experience for a specific vacancy), you can not give all the jobs, especially if they are not related to the one for which the applicant is currently applying. Many of the movements will have to be explained during the interview. And it should also be noted that the times when there are many different places the job of the applicant was perceived exclusively as a negative (this person was called dismissively "flyer"), passed. Currently, the employer is more interested in the achievements of the applicant, what he achieved in his previous job, what he really knows how to do. There are companies, primarily high-tech companies, that are interested in long-term behavioral orientation of their employees. For them, employees who change jobs often are less preferable. But here, too, one can find a reasonable explanation for everything. You still have to reasonably prove your motivation for a long and successful work in this company.
Maria Kelina
consultant of the headhunting company "Agency Contact"
Frequent transitions do not always indicate a candidate's inconsistency or frivolity. There are entire markets and specialties that are characterized by high mobility. For example, the e-commerce market, where work is often of a project nature, or young graduate professionals who are looking for themselves. Middle and top management usually has long-term goals and objectives in business, therefore, such specialists change their jobs less often. In any case, if there is a situation where your resume is replete with frequent transitions, you need to be ready to argue for this.
It is best to include all jobs on your resume so that your relationship with the employer is transparent and trusting from the first interview. Everyone knows that the situation on the market is unstable: you could get under the downsizing, the closure of a foreign representative office, or the office relocation to another city. Tell your interlocutor about this! To support your words, you can give contacts of colleagues from past jobs. Reference checking is now widely used by recruiters.
If, for some reason, your last transitions were associated with internal conflicts, it is better not to wash dirty linen in public and not blame everyone around. It is best to describe such cases as neutral as possible and be prepared to share responsibilities.
Illustration: Nastya Grigorieva
