12 month CV gap due to injury

cantdecide

As the title suggests, I was recovering for 12 months from injuries I suffered in an accident abroad in 2012/ 2013. How do I address this on my CV? A brief summary? How much detail should I include? Should I mention that I've made a perfect recovery?

Many thanks

Mrs OBumble

Just say you were caring for a sick family member. No need to mention who it was!

Thoie

Alternatively put down traveling. Or leave it blank, and answer the question in the interview when/if they ask about the gap.

Tarzana

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Just say you were caring for a sick family member. No need to mention who it was!

I don't see what's wrong with mentioning that it was injury and that they are fully recovered. I've been very open about a previous illness I had and that honesty has always gone down well. Better than the "dog ate my homework"-esque sick family member.

OP, briefly mention it in your cover letter and stress that you are recovered.

starlit

If you abroad at the time just substitute it with 'traveling' its still a gap year or just be honest and say its a gap year no further detail unless they ask in an interview. Do be honest if they ask. Say you were abroad at the time while traveling and that you got an injury and out for the year. Just briefly mention it.

cantdecide

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Just say you were caring for a sick family member. No need to mention who it was!

Thanks but the Mark Twain comes to mind "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything" because I have a crap memory (and I'm a slow learner- all things I'm prepared to omit from my CV :P )

doovdela wrote: »

If you abroad at the time just substitute it with 'traveling' its still a gap year or just be honest and say its a gap year no further detail unless they ask in an interview. Do be honest if they ask. Say you were abroad at the time while traveling and that you got an injury and out for the year. Just briefly mention it.

Thoie wrote: »

Alternatively put down traveling. Or leave it blank, and answer the question in the interview when/if they ask about the gap.

Well I recovered at home having been away for nine months. It still seems like trouble if I start bending the truth right?

Tarzana wrote: »

OP, briefly mention it in your cover letter and stress that you are recovered.

I was very much leaning toward doing this before I started the thread. I was thinking that if there was a resounding feeling of 'oh that's a bad idea' I think I might have been open to oversimplifying the truth but the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to explain I was out of action for year due to injuries that I have made a complete recovery from now.

Tarzana

cantdecide wrote: »

Thanks but the Mark Twain comes to mind "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything" because I have a crap memory (and I'm a slow learner- all things I'm prepared to omit from my CV :P )

Nail on the head. If you tell them the truth, not only will you not have to remember anything, but you will be able to go into detail that you simply wouldn't have if you were telling a lie. They'll probably cut you off, but the honesty will come across.

_Brian

cantdecide wrote: »

As the title suggests, I was recovering for 12 months from injuries I suffered in an accident abroad in 2012/ 2013. How do I address this on my CV? A brief summary? How much detail should I include? Should I mention that I've made a perfect recovery?

Many thanks

I have a similar gap due to an RTA, I don't put anything onto my CV and when asked in interview I explain I was injured in an accident.

Hasn't been a problem, secured two jobs by telling the truth..

cantdecide

_Brian wrote: »

I have a similar gap due to an RTA, I don't put anything onto my CV and when asked in interview I explain I was injured in an accident.

Hasn't been a problem, secured two jobs by telling the truth..

Good to hear. However, the problem for me is that I'm applying and applying and not hearing anything back let alone being called for interviews (let alone actually getting a job). I was very much thinking an unexplained gap might have been a problem.

Mrs OBumble

An unexplained gap usually is a problem - I wouldn't shortlist anyone with one, unless they were a fantastic fit otherwise.

K4t

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

An unexplained gap usually is a problem - I wouldn't shortlist anyone with one, unless they were a fantastic fit otherwise.

Why may I ask?

Beano

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

An unexplained gap usually is a problem - I wouldn't shortlist anyone with one, unless they were a fantastic fit otherwise.

what if there was an explanation for the gap on the cv?

Stheno

Beano wrote: »

what if there was an explanation for the gap on the cv?

Then it's not unexplained?:pac:

Mrs OBumble

K4t wrote: »

Why may I ask?

Because it says that the applicant has something to hide likely that they were in prison or sick, and thus may have issues that I'd rather avoid.

Especially at the moment, when it's likely that there are plenty of perfectly good applicants who don't have unexplained gaps who I can choose from.

Is it fair? Probably not. But there's no requirement to be "fair", just to be legal. (I'm not allowed to discriminate because you have a disability. I am allowed to base my decisions on whether you have unexplained employment gaps. Or because you're fat, short or ugly.)

Is it fact that people do it? Yup - and the great thing about boards.ie is that we can warn people that's how (some) employers think, so that they can take action to avoid the problem.

P_1

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Because it says that the applicant has something to hide likely that they were in prison or sick, and thus may have issues that I'd rather avoid.

Especially at the moment, when it's likely that there are plenty of perfectly good applicants who don't have unexplained gaps who I can choose from.

Is it fair? Probably not. But there's no requirement to be "fair", just to be legal. (I'm not allowed to discriminate because you have a disability. I am allowed to base my decisions on whether you have unexplained employment gaps. Or because you're fat, short or ugly.)

Is it fact that people do it? Yup - and the great thing about boards.ie is that we can warn people that's how (some) employers think, so that they can take action to avoid the problem.

Where on a CV should someone address the break though?

Timmyctc

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Because it says that the applicant has something to hide likely that they were in prison or sick, and thus may have issues that I'd rather avoid.

Especially at the moment, when it's likely that there are plenty of perfectly good applicants who don't have unexplained gaps who I can choose from.

Is it fair? Probably not. But there's no requirement to be "fair", just to be legal. (I'm not allowed to discriminate because you have a disability. I am allowed to base my decisions on whether you have unexplained employment gaps. Or because you're fat, short or ugly.)

Is it fact that people do it? Yup - and the great thing about boards.ie is that we can warn people that's how (some) employers think, so that they can take action to avoid the problem.

Someone has an employment gap and the first thing you jump to is they're a convicted criminal. Lordy. :pac:

Tarzana

Timmyctc wrote: »

Someone has an employment gap and the first thing you jump to is they're a convicted criminal. Lordy. :pac:

A family friend of mine who is high up in a pharma company said the same, she'd assume the worst. And she is a very nice, fair-minded individual. But hiring people is a risk and you look for red flags, I guess.

My degree took 6 years instead of 4 due to an illness. It was resolved by the time I earned my degree and when I was looking for graduate jobs, I was always honest about that. In fact, I turned it into a positive, pointing out that I still got a great degree which demonstrated my determination.

I still get asked about it sometimes now and I'm always honest.

Tarzana

Tarzana wrote: »

A family friend of mine who is high up in a pharma company said the same, she'd assume the worst. And she is a very nice, fair-minded individual. But hiring people is a risk and you look for red flags, I guess.

My degree took 6 years instead of 4 due to an illness. It was resolved by the time I earned my degree and when I was looking for graduate jobs, I was always honest about that. In fact, I turned it into a positive, pointing out that I still got a great degree which demonstrated my determination.

I still get asked about it sometimes now and I'm always honest.

Took 5 years to do my degree (failed one year, have no good reason for it either) and I have the correct dates down on my CV but I have never been asked why it took an extra year in an interview.

Mrs OBumble

P_1 wrote: »

Where on a CV should someone address the break though?

Where it comes in the employment history


2013-current Whatever at whereever

2012-2013 Family care responsibilities

2002-2012 Whatever-else at Somehwere

Tarzana

Salvatore Dazzling Eyebrow wrote: »

Took 5 years to do my degree (failed one year, have no good reason for it either) and I have the correct dates down on my CV but I have never been asked why it took an extra year in an interview.

I think 5 years wouldn't raise as much of an eyebrow as 6 years, lots of people have to repeat a year or module.

K.Flyer

If your gap was due to an accident and you have fully recovered I don't see any reason to be vague about it.
I personally would not hold it against someone if they were up front and honest. Far better to be straight about things than lying or being misleading and getting found out later.

K4t

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Because it says that the applicant has something to hide likely that they were in prison or sick, and thus may have issues that I'd rather avoid.

If they disclosed their illness and explained that they had made a full recovery would you still have doubts?

Tuisceanch

P_1 wrote: »

Where on a CV should someone address the break though?

In your personal profile?

Mrs OBumble

K4t wrote: »

If they disclosed their illness and explained that they had made a full recovery would you still have doubts?

No, because that's an explained gap, not an unexplained gap.

Actually, I wouldn't want them to disclose the illness. Just to explain that they were out of work for an extended period due to health issues, now resolved.

However I might be more inclined than usual to ask them to do a medical.