Not difficult to understand

"I was unemployed"

• Why?
• Can they not even keep a job?

"I took a sabbatical"

• Mysterious
• Arousing
• Shows off the size of your enormous sack

EDIT : When I took my sabbatical and I was dating at the same time, instead of being seen as a scruffy bum it actually did give an air of mystique, since most people at that age were not doing things like that.

I was told one way is: I singed a nda and I’m not allowed to answer that

Haha, as if anyone actually asks that. A gap gets you automatically rejected by the employment AI, long before humans see it.

FMLA is always a safe bet. Only one available to care for a dying family member buys sympathy and is an area they can’t legally ask any follow-up questions.

Source: former corporate shill and interviewer

"I had to provide end of life care to a close relative."

I have a big gap from a few years of depression and that's my go to line. I have never ever heard a follow up question.

Yes. I created the document in Google docs, and you opened it in Word.

“Sorrry, I have an NDA”

In Germany, just ask them what the gap between 1933 and 1945 in their company's history is as a direct response.

"That is the year when I was happy."

No I can't. I signed an NDA.

"I took four months off to recover from burnout"

"I was consulting."

It's true, I was giving out advice left and right.

i have never been asked this question and i actively remove positions that aren't relevant to the job i send that particular resume to

An idiot asked me that once when I had just finished my masters. Like did you read my resume?

I was working on my mental health

This question should be illegal to ask.

Took a year off to let everyone else catch up 💅

Those were the times I was taking time off to argue with the voices in my head that were telling me to kill again.

"That's when I was happy" is the only correct answer.

That's too much info. A simple "I can" answers their question.

Yes, i was pursuing other opportunities that do not relate to this field so i did not include them

"The economy"

"Yeah, I spent that time driving Uber/Doordash/whatever."

No boss to confirm/deny, and it's not like Uber is going to tell a random employer when one of their drivers were active.

It’s called a line break. Now I know why you needed someone proficient in MS Word!

I always put in "traveling overseas"

In my case this is actually true, but I've never had anyone question me taking 12 months off every few years

If i have to explain the gap (which clearly means I was not employed), it means you are incompetent, you fail my interview, I don't work with incompetent bosses.

Me: "I was moving in silence or under a NDA."

I had a six year gap. I tried to found a startup with a buddy and it fell through. I had enough savings to spend time learning new technologies and leveling up my skills. It made me unemployable. It really sucked. Finally taking a temp gig for four months got the phone to start ringing.

Time loop

I could have been in that gap once, twice .... a million times ... we don't know

"That was a period of my life that is none of your business."

It’s a store, they sell clothes, I worked there.

It's classified

I have a one year gap in mine and I can't remember anyone asking about it.

Never have to explain my work history for anyone! Well, until I flee the country. Self-employed yay!

Meeting clients like "hi yes I'm capable, responsible, and don't want to rob you" goes a long way

Went Karouac on everyone's ass!

My resume has a bigger gap than goatse

I tried to get the US-Citizenship. But then came the Macarena…

In principle they shouldn't be allowed to ask that. if they seem to be giving too much weight to that they are just being lazy on trying to evaluate you and they will likely be bad employers who believe that taking time off for yourself is a red flag

Just lie. There is absolutely nothing unethical about lying about timeframes on your resume.

Looking for a job after being made redundant, but still in good standing with your former coworker or manager? Just say you still work there.

Otherwise they'll have way more leverage when it comes to salary negotiation.

My friend did this when he got made redundant, landed a well paying job, after months of being unemployed.

You have no reason to have a gap on your resume because you'll be unfairly punished for it.

Just lie. It's 100% ethical.

Big if true