? for Thyme, Tina, other managers in a financial field

[whoisjohngalt]

I haven't worked in 5 yrs.  I've never worked in an area where we live - New England.

I still get regular phone calls from recruiters wanting to know if I am looking for a job, wanting to meet with me, sending me emails with job openings that they have.   My guess is it's bc the combination of things that I used to do is not easy to find.  But I really don't know what interests them about my resume.

Anyway, obviously, they all ask the same question - have I worked in the last 5 yrs and if not, why.  

Am I  being childish for not wanting to tell them?  I really don't have anything to hide, I stopped working when we moved and I was already pregnant, our plan was for me to stay home.    I understand they want to make sure that I wasn't in prison or mental institution, but beyond that - why do they need to know?

Theoretically, I am not planning to look for a job, but you never know what life brings, so I really don't want to start pissing them off, "small world" and all that.

So, 1 - what would you be telling them if it was me ?  and 2 - from a perspective of a recruiter /hiring manager - what answer would satisfy you ?

Oh and my DH thinks that I should also tell them that part of the reason was my Graduate Degree, which is BS - since that had nothing to do with me not working.  

[happyscooter]

Tell them exactly what you said here.  You moved (husband's job?) then you had a baby. 

[Deleted]

I think it makes the most sense to just go with the truth. You had a baby and wanted to stay home for a while. If I were looking to hire someone, that would be a perfectly acceptable reason. You could always throw in grad school if you wanted. As in, "I also attended graduate school during this time for x, y, z". But you don't have to state it was a reason for not working. That might backfire..,I know a lot of people (self included) that worked when they were in grad school.

[whoisjohngalt]

Yeah, I guess I could just keep it short and simple....

[souldoubt]

Why would you lie given your reason?  Any time you do lie if they find out no matter what you lied about that's not going to put you in a positive light.  If you can't be honest about something as legitimate as being a stay at home mom they're probably going to question your honesty on other things. 

[whoisjohngalt]

I am not trying to lie, it just bugs me that they ask.  I don't know....I don't like 'work" people asking personal questions and I guess I see it as a personal question ??

Like I said I am probably being childish about it....

[souldoubt]

They ask because it's a legitimate concern.  Gaps in work history can be due to people being lazy, young and not willing to commit and the list goes on.  They can also be due to health issues, being a stay at home parent or other legitimate reasons that shouldn't be held against you.  Employers don't want to invest time and money in the hiring process only to end up with someone who showed signs they may not have been the best fit from the beginning because of their gap in work history and the reason why. 

[raeoflyte]

Once your business is up and running, I'd say you'd be fine saying you were in school and starting your own business, but I'm not a manager.

I don't mind stating that I have kids in the interview stage, but I understand why you wouldn't want to give that as a reason too.

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

I also hire people and have been on hiring committees for a decade. 
My questions are generally seeking answers to establish work ethic. I work exceptionally hard and abhor laziness. I don't want to hire someone who seems to avoid work.

Explaining why you've chosen not work would help me understand the type of person you are. The problem is we do bring at least a smidgen of our personalities to work, so personal questions are a must. 

[whoisjohngalt]

Yeah, I see where you all are coming from....

[mmhmm]

Sometimes, it helps to try to put yourself on the other end of the telephone.  If you were going to represent someone as a good candidate for a job for one of your clients, wouldn't you want to know (if that person had a gap in employment) why there was a gap in their employment history?  Did they just decide they didn't like working?  Did they get fired?  Were they in jail?  From the recruiter's point of view, those aren't personal questions.  They're questions that directly relate to what they're trying to do.  Their job is to find good candidates for open positions with their client companies.

You had a legitimate reason for the gap in your employment history.  You moved, you had a child, and you used that time to obtain a Master's degree to enhance your future opportunities. Sounds good to me!