Hi friends,
I am Rishi. I am new to this forum. Nice to see a forum like this helping many people around.
I have a very serious problem in career. After I completed my MBA -marketing in August 2002. I was encouraged by my father ex-Manager in public sector banks to apply for bank POs exams.
So I started preparing and applying for many banks but could not succeed. I spent 1 year and 4 months trying for POs and then joined a multi-national banking BPO as customer care executive in January 2004. I worked there from January 2004 - January 2007 [3 years]. I then went to Ireland for International MBA in January 2007 itself. But I came back to India in April 2007 as my mother fell seriously sick and was bed ridden. I took a letter from the college there that I was leaving for personal reasons. I started looking for jobs but couldn't get any. I then got into a leading MNC as research coding analyst [field related to marketing but in research]. Worked there for 2 years [September 2007 - September 2009] and then joined another MNC as associate analyst and am still working here.
My problem: -
After my MBA i have a gap of 1 year and 4 months and after I came back from Ireland in June 2007, I have a gap of 4 months. This means, I have a gap of 1 year 8 months in my career. Please let me know how do I handle this gap. I think these days companies are very strict about career gaps and background checks. While I have no issues in the employment and education side. I have issues with my career gaps.
Top companies like CAP GEMINI and GALLUP have opened up for very good consulting roles in my field. But I have a gap of 1 year 8 months in my career. Please let me know what to do. I don't have guts to apply.
Someone please help me. Can I go ahead in career? Please tell me...
Regards,
Rishi
From United States, Seattle
2I am Rishi. I am new to this forum. Nice to see a forum like this helping many people around.
I have a very serious problem in career. After I completed my MBA -marketing in August 2002. I was encouraged by my father ex-Manager in public sector banks to apply for bank POs exams.
So I started preparing and applying for many banks but could not succeed. I spent 1 year and 4 months trying for POs and then joined a multi-national banking BPO as customer care executive in January 2004. I worked there from January 2004 - January 2007 [3 years]. I then went to Ireland for International MBA in January 2007 itself. But I came back to India in April 2007 as my mother fell seriously sick and was bed ridden. I took a letter from the college there that I was leaving for personal reasons. I started looking for jobs but couldn't get any. I then got into a leading MNC as research coding analyst [field related to marketing but in research]. Worked there for 2 years [September 2007 - September 2009] and then joined another MNC as associate analyst and am still working here.
My problem: -
After my MBA i have a gap of 1 year and 4 months and after I came back from Ireland in June 2007, I have a gap of 4 months. This means, I have a gap of 1 year 8 months in my career. Please let me know how do I handle this gap. I think these days companies are very strict about career gaps and background checks. While I have no issues in the employment and education side. I have issues with my career gaps.
Top companies like CAP GEMINI and GALLUP have opened up for very good consulting roles in my field. But I have a gap of 1 year 8 months in my career. Please let me know what to do. I don't have guts to apply.
Someone please help me. Can I go ahead in career? Please tell me...
Regards,
Rishi
From United States, Seattle
Hi
From you post it is evident that you seem to be anxious, confused and possibly depressed that due to circumstances beyond your control, there is a career gap and that is affecting your career plans.
While the Career Gap is a reality, you should not think of the worse case scenario and not apply for the jobs you believe are best suited for your background, experience and long term prospects.So my immediate response is that you should evaluate your suitability for the openings and apply for the job.
At the same time, you must prepare well to answer the queries arising out of the career gap and I am sure an enlightened HR will not be biased in their evaluation simply because of the career gap. How you present your case in response to the query on career gap will be very crucial. It is also possible that your application may not get short listed but don't jump to the conclusion that it is because of the career gap. Similarly despite giving what you believe is a good interview you might not get the appointment but that should not be misconstrued as a fall out of a career gap.
What is critical for you is a clear focus on your goals,a proactive response to the opportunities that you see and self belief. . This should be backed up by persistence, discipline and a never say die attitude.
Best Wishes
From India, Mumbai
From you post it is evident that you seem to be anxious, confused and possibly depressed that due to circumstances beyond your control, there is a career gap and that is affecting your career plans.
While the Career Gap is a reality, you should not think of the worse case scenario and not apply for the jobs you believe are best suited for your background, experience and long term prospects.So my immediate response is that you should evaluate your suitability for the openings and apply for the job.
At the same time, you must prepare well to answer the queries arising out of the career gap and I am sure an enlightened HR will not be biased in their evaluation simply because of the career gap. How you present your case in response to the query on career gap will be very crucial. It is also possible that your application may not get short listed but don't jump to the conclusion that it is because of the career gap. Similarly despite giving what you believe is a good interview you might not get the appointment but that should not be misconstrued as a fall out of a career gap.
What is critical for you is a clear focus on your goals,a proactive response to the opportunities that you see and self belief. . This should be backed up by persistence, discipline and a never say die attitude.
Best Wishes
From India, Mumbai
Thank you ACT.
You made a point there. I don't know why the professional world is so tied up with the so called strings...i mean everyone does not have a super track record..,some may get a job in the beginning and some may not...why is this an issue when i am being upright about all my credentials..now in this case honesty doesn't pay off...neither does faking...why is the corporate world giving hell to talented prospects like many of us...
Rishi...
From United States, Seattle
You made a point there. I don't know why the professional world is so tied up with the so called strings...i mean everyone does not have a super track record..,some may get a job in the beginning and some may not...why is this an issue when i am being upright about all my credentials..now in this case honesty doesn't pay off...neither does faking...why is the corporate world giving hell to talented prospects like many of us...
Rishi...
From United States, Seattle
Dear Mr Rishi,
As rightly pointed out by Mr Jacob, please do not think of the flip side straight away.
Things as they are, can be easily explained.
The blessing in disguise is that the GAP is a thing of the past.
Mostly no one would rake up an old issue.
Even if some one does, please be candid and it would be appreciated.
The interviewer would be more interested in knowing how you
would be useful to him as on today.
Forget the past and plunge ahead. A good future awaits you. With good wishes,
V.Raghunathan..................................... ......Navi Mumbai
From India
As rightly pointed out by Mr Jacob, please do not think of the flip side straight away.
Things as they are, can be easily explained.
The blessing in disguise is that the GAP is a thing of the past.
Mostly no one would rake up an old issue.
Even if some one does, please be candid and it would be appreciated.
The interviewer would be more interested in knowing how you
would be useful to him as on today.
Forget the past and plunge ahead. A good future awaits you. With good wishes,
V.Raghunathan..................................... ......Navi Mumbai
From India
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