A gap in your resume isn't something to be ashamed of. Just be sure that you've been doing something useful with your time.
Where Have You Been?
A gap in your resume isn't something to be ashamed of. Just be sure that you've been doing something useful with your time.
I've been out of software development
for more than a year. I survived two downsizings after
my company was bought out, but not the third. I returned
to school to learn Java (and am preparing for the Sun
Certified Programmer for Java 2 exam) and also oversaw
a remodeling project in our home. I have 15 years in
software development, but for Java I will be considered
entry-level. I don't think my absence from the field
should be viewed as a problem, but a prospective employer
may not agree.
—Patrick Friebis
Cranford, New Jersey
Steve Crandall says: Patrick, I want to reinforce
the advice that Greg gave you and then address some other
issues regarding your situation what will apply to others,
I'm sure.
| Is
Your IT Career Stalled? |
|
If you have a career question you’d like Greg and
Steve to tackle, send email to [email protected].
Put “Pro Speak Question” in the subject line. We’ll
select questions that seem applicable to a large
number of readers.
Discuss your question with others in our new Discussion
Forums under the thread, "IT Career Builder."
|
Never, ever attempt to hide or gloss over
periods in your work history that you don't think are
relevant—although you don't have to advertise them,
either. As I've said before, especially if you're concerned
about age discrimination, you can eliminate the dates
from your resume. List all of your experiences—just
don't use the "starting date-ending date" format.
Even with this method, you can convey that you're a stable,
long-term employee; use phrases like "During a 10-year
stint as senior database architect..." or some similar
wording in the description of your duties and accomplishments.
Potential employers will ask you about dates and such
during the interview stage, but at least you'll get to
that stage without being eliminated by red flags.
Longtime readers will also know that I continually
encourage folks to explore the relevance of seemingly
irrelevant experience. In your case, your absence from
the job market has some strength in it. First, as Greg
pointed out, you took the initiative to broaden your knowledge
and skills with your Java training. Second, you intend
to reinforce it with certification—good for you!
But the other part of your "time off"
interests me, too. Don't you think the things you learned
as a contractor will prove valuable? How about your project-management
skills? What about your people skills in coordinating
a diverse (and often uncooperative, if my experience with
remodeling is any proof) set of subcontractors? Can you
abstract your design and drafting skills and apply those
principles to IT?
Of course, the reaction of a potential employer
to this interval depends upon its length. If you were
out for six months, accomplished certified Java status
and managed a 5,000-foot addition to your house, the reaction
of a company is likely to be "Wow! What can you do
for me?" On the other hand, if all this took you
three years and the "major remodeling" was building
a garage, I'd have some reservations about both your learning
capacity and ability to get things done. The point is
that you don't necessarily need to apologize for your
hiatus—there may be real value in it.
But I'd like to get back to the circumstances
that put you in this situation and offer some observations
that, although they might not help you, might be of use
to other readers. You say you survived two downsizings
but were caught in the third—all resulting from the
company being purchased. Why were you still around?
I have this theory of the "death spiral"
that many technology companies have gone through, and
it usually starts with some unexpected event that shakes
up the organization. It might be too-fast growth, based
upon heady forecasts that suddenly disappear so the company
has to "right-size" to match the real business
level. Or it might be that the parent company suddenly
realizes it doesn't need or can't afford an operating
unit and sells it. Granted, many companies have survived
and even been reinvigorated by such transformations. For
many others, however, this is the beginning of the end.
Two groups in particular have to interpret
these moves. The first is customers. Customers tend to
value stability in their suppliers and can be pretty skittish
when upheaval comes to a company upon which they depend.
They start thinking about alternatives and soon move from
thinking to buying.
The second group is the employees. Although
most companies will deny it, the first wave of layoffs
usually involves employees that the company would be better
off without, but haven't found a way to get rid of before.
How the rest of the employees react at this point is crucial.
If they can make sense of the move, not just rationalize
it, and can commit to continuing, the company is reinvigorated
and has a chance. On the other hand, the best employees
may also start to feel skittish; because these are the
ones who can find jobs elsewhere easily, they start leaving
voluntarily. The company is then left with the "mediocre
middle." With that core, it's difficult for the company
to make progress—and soon comes another wave of layoffs
or another sale. See why I call it a "death spiral"?
This isn't to say, Patrick, that this is
what happened to you, or that you were only mediocre.
I bring up this point to alert our readers that some of
these organizational transactions can be beneficial; but
keep your eyes on the wall (to see the writing that may
appear) and make your resume a desktop icon.
About the Author
Steve Crandall, MCSE, is a principal of ChangeOverTime, a technology consulting firm in Cleveland, Ohio, that specializes in small business and non-profit organizations. He's also assistant professor of Information Technology
at Myers College and a contributing writer for Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine.