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Comment by stcredzero | Hacker News Reader

I had a 3 year gap in my employment. What I did: Do substantive work for a volunteer organization, be valuable, and become an officer there. Put that on your CV. A lot of recruiters won't parse your CV enough to see the difference in that entry. If you're a coder, then that's enough for you to get a "just a job" job.

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That's easy, you only have to invent a time-machine first. You weren't actually "out of work" if you instead did extensive charity work.

I'm in a similar position as OP: 2-year gap due to burnout and deep depression. I couldn't do anything beyond not killing myself, I was unable to get anything new into my brain, I touched no projects, I had burned all bridges and basically all my technical and social skills atrophied during the pandemic.

I'm no liar though, I wouldn't dare to pad my CV with stuff which I haven't actually done. I wouldn't even lie in an interview, only that I don't get any interviews at all, which I assume is because of the obvious red flag of the employment gap.

Only my savings kept my afloat until today.

Tell them that you had significant burnout but enough savings that you could take a break and renew yourself. No need to include specific medical details and nature of the burnout.

Also, start reading and updating your skills immediately. Then you can honestly say that during the down time you have been doing so. They aren't going to ask if you started working on keeping your skills updated from day 1 of your break.

> > I don't get any interviews at all

> Tell them that you [...]

Read better!

"Tell them" can also mean, put it on your resume.

Read less literally!

I mean, is that actually what you meant (because it doesn't look plausible), or...

> I'm no liar though, I wouldn't dare to pad my CV with stuff which I haven't actually done.

I'm also not a liar, not out of fear but out of pride. I don't want to lie. It degrades me to lie. But these people demand lies. They demand you promise you've always been the perfectly reliable workhorse they want. You must simply comply and give them what they demand.

> I don't get any interviews at all

Fear this more than lying!

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