Addressing Resume Gaps

[brownbears13 19]

Hi everyone - my husband just got his EAD from AOS and will soon begin his job hunt. Would it be better for him to leave a two-year gap in his resumé or list a job he's been working that's not relevant to his field?

 

For context, he graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science and was a software engineer on OPT. However, his company moved, and he was not willing to relocate with the team. He wasn't able to find another job related to his field and has been working as a shipping clerk since 2018.

 

We're not really sure which is best to list on resumé—a gap or an unrelated job as most recent experience. We appreciate any insight you guys may have!

[databit 328]

Better to show that he was willing to take the shipping job, because he wanted to work. Otherwise, they might suspect jail, physical or mental illness, laziness, etc. A gap is always suspicious to HR.

[millefleur 5,046]

I would avoid any gaps and just put the shipping job. He could also use them as a reference assuming he was a good worker and left on good terms. I've known people in my area who were hired as software developers despite having many years of experience in a totally unrelated field. 

[brownbears13 19]

Thank you! Will advise him to keep the job listed. Good to hear other people with similar stories had success @millefleur

[TBoneTX 45,284]

Late to this thread, but agree fully that the job should be listed.  Ambition (to keep working, to stay busy, to be productive) is an asset to any potential employer.

 

In the interview or cover letter, explain the situation as frankly as you've described it, add "so I took the shipping job because I [insert sales pitch about personal qualities].  It's given me energy, and I'm ready to apply that energy to your organization."

[QueenOfBlades 224]

Definitely list it. Without a doubt. The shipping clerk position can be spun into a positive in an interview. If he leaves the big gap, he likely won’t even get the interview to explain the gap. Employers nowadays get a ton of applications for most jobs and they have to go through them quickly to find ones that stand out. Ones with big gaps in work history have a natural disadvantage. 
 

Besides, never know where it might lead. I worked in the legal industry. I currently work for the biggest commercial property insurer in the world on the underwriting side helping with the creation of the contracts, which is definitely my alley. I didn’t get there from the legal experience. The engineering consultants who visit sites to evaluate risk needed someone on their team. I first was brought into the company because of totally irrelevant engineering experience I had in the UK about 5 years prior. I wanted legal work; but the recruiter called me saying she thinks they would really like me and to apply for it. I got it based on experience I thought was completely irrelevant to my career at that point in my life. But it got me into an amazing company that claims to have the second best retirement benefits in the country. 
 

You never know where things might take you. List the job and fluff up any possible skills or attributes associated with it that could be relevant to the role. Hard or soft skills. People have core competencies as employees that carry across any role and industry. 

[inloveVEN 46]

i was coached by an organization called upwardly global ( https://www.upwardlyglobal.org/ ) by the way, he should contact them for help, this people do a great job helping with resume, mock interviews, etc, specialized in profesional immigrants and In their model they have a section called "additional experience" where he can list what they call survival jobs. So it let him to keep his focus in the main path of his career, no allowing employers to get distracted, but letting they know other things he was doing that kept him active. So he list all his jobs but the jobs not related with their professional career it can be located at the end of this list as other jobs or additional experience 

Edited June 5, 2020 by inloveVEN