It's best to tell the truth about employment gaps, but reveal as little as possible about medical or childcare issues, advises recruiter Wanda Cole-Frieman.
When it comes to excusing gaps in their employment, many job candidates try to explain them away, but end up over sharing, providing intimately details about their health, their family and personal life.
That sort of TMI tirade can turn off recruiters and hiring managers, warned Wanda Cole-Frieman, an exectuive recruiter at Blue Shield of California, as quoted in a BNET blog post, “Seven Ways to Flunk a Job Interview.” If you are a comfortable talker and feel the urge to be honest about medical issues, childcare problems or sick family members, reveal as little as possible while still telling the truth, she said.
It’s not just a matter of propriety. Chatty candidates put interviewers in an awkward position when they raise issues that could identify them as members of a legally protected class. Cole-Frieman recalls that one of her colleagues was forced to contact the legal department for guidance after a candidate announced that he used marijuana for medical purposes. The legal drug use wasn’t a dealbreaker, but raising such issues won’t endear you to interviewers. “We’re trained to say, ‘Thanks for sharing, but Blue Shield doesn’t consider those factors in its hiring decisions,’” says Cole-Frieman.
(Image by Desiree Delgado via Flickr, cc 3.0)
More interview advice:
- How to Handle Resume Gaps
- Executive Overcomes Gaps in Her Resume
- When a Background Check Makes for Tough Interview Questions
- Most Common Resume Lies
No