Easy questions have easy answers, right?
This question should be illegal to ask.
No I can’t. I signed an NDA.
This can also help you filter the lunatics from the normal workplaces. In an interview, I once explained that I couldn’t discuss specifics of my client work because of confidentiality and NDAs, and they kept pushing. It wasn’t even the same industry! There was no obvious competitive advantage.
The NDA: Dear me, I promise to talk about the fun times only with my friends and not with potential employers. Signed, me.
I tried to get the US-Citizenship. But then came the Macarena…
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.
I spent some time in a mountain cave replica in a Nepalese themed restaurant, diligently honing my programming skills without the noise of the outside world. No internet, no mains, no toilet. Just me, my laptop, an angry manager who called the police and 60 charged replacement batteries that fell off a truck.
There I created the art of meditative programming where I learned to program not just my machine, but myself. As a result of this resume gap I am now able to function as a 13.6% more productive employee and have finally met the benchmark of 1.0x engineer. At my former employer I delivered a project which brought them in revenue totaling at least $12, giving me priceless experience because of this training.
My resume has a bigger gap than goatse
“I was consulting.”
It’s true, I was giving out advice left and right.
I totally had a guy catch and call me on that
“Those 3 months I did consulting for a local elderly care facility, helping them learn some computer basics”
“Sir, your parents don’t count” without missing a beat. I actually did help other people in that specific chunk he was asking about, but rude lol, and I think that might even be a big part of why I didn’t get that one tbh
It was my sabbatical, and be really smug when you say it, like I’m better than you.
Online and on video games.
Me: “I was moving in silence or under a NDA.”
That’s too much info. A simple “I can” answers their question.
In Germany, just ask them what the gap between 1933 and 1945 in their company’s history is as a direct response.
I am not sure drawing a comparison between your unemployment and the reign of the Nazis is the best move
But if you get a rise out of them it’ll be perfect.
I got really into table tennis and lost track of time.
Those were the times I was taking time off to argue with the voices in my head that were telling me to kill again.
Did you win the argument?
That’s what the interviewer asked too. The voices didn’t like that question…
For like 3 months out of the 2 year gap, yeah
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
I have a one year gap in mine and I can’t remember anyone asking about it.
An idiot asked me that once when I had just finished my masters. Like did you read my resume?
I think they do that to:
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Judge your reaction to being asked stupid questions.
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Check that you know what’s written on your CV, to see if you’re lying on it or something?
C) Because someone else chose the candidates for interview.
Based on the context and my own personal experience as a person who has interviewed hundreds as a hiring manager --not syaing I do this, just that I understand-- they said “HEY FRANK WE NEED YOU TO SIT IN THIS INTERVIEW IN 30 MINUTES. K THANKS” and Frank showed up and tried to pretend that he knew what was going on.
Sounds about right, I’ve had interviews where the boss has forgotten.
Granted it was just bar work, still pretty funny to see the dawning of realisation spread across their face.
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