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How do I explain a 5 year gap in my resume to prospective employers? I have recently finished a 5 year spell managing a semi successful rock band and are now looking for a new job. Prior to that I had worked in web design (for 5 years) and before that in IT (10 years ago, for 10 years).

I really enjoyed working with the band - although the money was terrible - and I've since been trying to get work in the music industry but have not had any luck so far. It's a fairly small industry in the country I live in, and apart from managing the band I have no relevant qualifications.

I'm now looking to return to work in the web or a media related industry but after the 5 year gap (where I've only done a few  design jobs) I'm feeling a little rusty and lacking some specific skills. I gained a lot of new skills managing the band that I would like to think could be considered transferable - assuming I find the right position. I still feel that the gap has put me behind and are not sure how to make that look good.

TomW's picture
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I don't see a gap in your resume at all. For five years, you were the manager of a rock band. Just liike for any job, list your responsibilities and accomplishments.

Yes, you've probably let some skills rust. You (probably) also bring skills that move other web designers and IT folks lack. It can be what sets you apart from the rest.

ken_wills's picture

TomW nailed it.  At the risk of not keeping my arms and legs in the car at all times (see TomW's avatar), I will add:

* Emphasize transferable skills.

Chances are, if your cover letter and resume reflect an experienced professional, you'll always be among the people selected to interview (they'll just think it's cool and want to talk to you about it).  Lots of companies love to stress that they hire professionals with interesting backgrounds.  That's you.

 

Good luck!

phildog's picture

 Many thanks for your thoughts Tom and Ken - it's nice to have a positive perspective on this and I have definitely taken that on board.

In terms of listing the band management on my resume - a friend who works for a large telco suggested I send him my resume so he could forward it to his colleagues. He asked why I had listed the band work on my resume as it was not relevant for the IT industry - referring to it as "soft skills" - and suggested I leave it off . Leaving it off the resume would highlight a big hole in my career, so I guess the best way to respond to that is to keep it there and emphasize the fact there were a large number of responsibilities, accomplishments, and transferable skills.

Time to work on nailing my list of significant achievements as per the MT Interview series!

ken_wills's picture

Phildog:  Sounds like your friend, though well-intentioned, might not really be in a position to judge the most effective way to present yourself and your resume.  Plus, in fairness to him, maybe your original version didn't highlight management accomplishments and transferable skills from that period. 

Your comment just reminded me though - during my job search a couple of years ago, I learned to be wary of putting too much stock in any one person's opinions.  Initially, every time a recruiter or hiring manager or outplacement counselor commented on my resume, I'd revise it. Some of their advice was sound, some was not.  But the real effect was that revising my resume became a distraction from the <real> work of job search: talking to people.

Don't be afraid to revise it - especially if somebody with relevant experience hiring in the industry you're searching gives you specific advice that makes it a more effective tool for getting interviews.  But don't let every person's comments cause you to rewrite and revise.

I started with a 100% MT one-pager.  Based on feedback I got along the way, it became more like 75% MT, intentionally modified to suit my background and experience, and the expectations of hiring managers in the actual industry I was applying to.

Good luck!

 

stephenbooth_uk's picture

 Having worked in IT for some time I would hotly contest an assertion that 'Soft Skills' (i.e. being able to deal with people) are unnecessary in the IT industry.  IT has a reputation for a lack of 'soft skills' but they are certainly necessary if you are to survive in anything but a 'Tape Monkey' type job.  In management they are vital.

 I remember sitting in a lecture about 20 years ago and being told that 95% of major IT projects in the past year were deemed to be a failure (over run, over spend, don't deliver what the customer needs).  The person delivering the lecture thought this was pretty good as it was down from 98% 5 years previously.  In recent years a key reason for the failure of IT projects  has been identified as a failure to find out what the customer actually wants.  Being able to communicate with the customer, discover their expectations, manage those expectations where they may not be completely reasonable and codify those in a way they can be incororated into a system requires 'soft skills' as well as technical know how.  Whilst this will often be turned over to a business analyst as a manager you may also be involved.

Support desks are moving away from the basement dwelling technical troglodytes of old (i.e. my first job in IT) towards more generalised service desks.  The frontline phone operators need 'soft skills' to deliver their services to the customers as do their managers to support them in that and to deal with the occasional customer who successfully navigates the call excalation process to get to talk to a manager when they are unhappy.

As a manager, even in IT, a big part of your job tends to be dealing with people.  Your directs, your peers, your bosses, your customers (internal and external), your suppliers (internal and external) &c.  To survive, let alone be successful, you need to be good at it and 'soft skills' are what you need to be good at it.

Stephen

PS In case anyone is interested a 'Tape Monkey' is a slightly derogatory term for someone who's job it is to sit up all night watching the servers run backups and change tapes as required.  This job has now largely been replaced with robots.  A moral you can take from that is that if you don't develop your 'soft skills' you could be replaced with a robot.

--

Skype: stephenbooth_uk  | DiSC: 6137

"Start with the customer and work backwards, not with the tools and work forwards" - James Womack

 

swboucher's picture

Ken Wills, you're so right.  I've been in the staffing industry for many years.  When people ask me for resume advice I freely share -- and then I tell them not to follow my advice word for word.  People should confer with as many as possible and take what resonates for them and make it their own.  There is no one sure-fire way to formulate a resume these days.  Just make sure it's authentic and it feels good to you.

And I would definitely include the 5 years as a band manager.  What new skills did you pick up during that time?  Thinking fast on your feet?  The logistics of group travel? Working well with differing temperaments?  I'll bet you learned lots.

Susan.

phildog's picture

 Ken, Stephen and Susan - many thanks for your feedback - it's great to have your input and I really apreciate it.

Funnily enough Stephen I used to be a tape monkey back in the 80's! 

Thanks again everyone.