Long story* short, Husband quit his job in October 2008 to take care of his disabled parents. He’s now at the point where they’ve got good caretakers other than him, and he’s ready to look for a new job.
How in your opinion should he explain the two years’ gap? I know a lot of people have been off work the last few years, so he won’t be the only one with a long break in his resume.
On one hand, “I quit because I had to take care of my parents” shows a strong level of responsibility to duty. On the other hand, it might cause employers to worry that he’d have to quit again, or might have to frequently leave early/come in late due to his obligations with his folks. (Which, TBH, he might.)
Also, should he mention the gap in his cover letter? Husband is hella charming, once he gets to the interview he can knock their socks off. It’s just a question of getting there…
I haven’t gone job hunting in almost 7 years, so I’m not up to date on the current Way Things Are Done in the job market to advise him. Help!
*detailed on these boards at the time, I’ll go into it if you want but it doesn’ matter that much.
He could phrase it along the lines of “I quit to take care of my parents until a more stable care environment could be arranged for them” or something like that, to underscore that he is no longer doing this. I DO think that being forthcoming about his reasons demonstrates his sense of responsibility and duty, as you mentioned.
purplehorseshoe and your instincts are correct. You’ve got to address it but the highlight needs to be that he wasn’t looking for work during that period because he was arranging a stable care environment for his parents. That goal has been achieved, while his parents health hasn’t improved their environment and care are under control and he’s now ready to turn his talents to new challenges.
I’ll join the chorus. Put it out there, but make sure they understand that the situation has stabilized. I don’t know to what extent the law allows potential employers to question him further about that, but I’m assuming it isn’t much.
I would think – having met your husband and understanding the charm factor – a potential employer would be impressed by the fact that the two of you held a household together while he committed his time to caring for his parents, and that they’d see him as someone serious and dependable re-entering the workforce.
He could actually put his caretaking gig right on his resume. If it doesn’t match up with the rest of his experience, he can go into more depth in the interview or on the cover letter. I don’t really see a downside with being forthright about this, either - he basically took a break from his career for a couple of years for a very good reason.
Employers worry about long gaps because they are concerned that either a) the candidate is a flake and b) their skills, experience and network may have softened.
Clearly taking care of sick parents takes care of a). I might wonder how he could afford to not work for two years, but I suppose that doesn’t matter.
Instead he should focus on b) and make sure his skills are relevant.
I wouldn’t worry about a cover letter. Sending resumes and cover letters or applying online is a terrible way to look for a job. You should call potential hiring managers directly.
See, that was my basic method of approach, back in the day - find the listing on CL or whatever online source, then Call the contact to confirm that the position was open, etc, and see if I could make an appointment for an interview at that time. (This works best with small companies, of course.) Between that method and going through temp agencies, I never had much trouble finding another fulltime job within a month or two.
However, my friend says that that’s Not How It’s Done anymore, that you just send your resume out online and wait for the call.
OTOH, that same friend has been looking for work for about as long as Husband has been out of work, so he doesn’t seem to be having much success his way!
You know who does it “the way it’s done”. Everyone. Yes, you put your resume on line and call a couple headhunters. But that is an extremely passive way of looking for a job. I wouldn’t even bother with headhunters unless they call you with a specific request for a well established relationship. Otherwise it’s just some idiot doing what you should be doing. Calling hiring managers directly and selling yourself on how you can help them.