Sorry if this is the wrong board to post in, I'm desperate. Should I be honest about my past struggles of depression/addiction with recruiters while explaining the 4 year gap in my resume?
[TL;DR former National quiz champion(covered on TV and newspapers)dropped out of B. Tech in 2020 during peak of addiction and depression . Got over it and sober in Jan'23, resumed college and completed my B. Tech in Feb'24. Picked up coding again and feel ready for a job now Should I be honest or lie about the gap? Been ghosted my few recruiters whom I was honest with.]
JS developer here. I used to be a decent student, public speaker and one of the best quizzers in the college scene. Made it to TV shows and featured in newspapers articles. But I never addressed some traumatic events that took place in my life before I turned 16. My depression took refuge in substance abuse and I abandoned all studies/career prospects during the pandemic. Eventually after 7 years of using, I got clean/sober in Jan'23 and resumed my studies. I earned my degree but on paper it took me 8 years to complete a 4 year B. Tech (2016-24).
Reasonably I get asked about the gap in my academics by hr/recruiters whom I push my CV to. I've been dead honest to them about my struggles with mental health and addiction in the past. And I've been getting ghosted. (It could be because of skill reasons on my part but I'm not even getting a feedback).
Should I not tell recruiters the truth about the gap? Should I leave the addiction bit out? How should I word it? I've never held a real coding job before but been slogging for the last 6 months to get better each day (my github and projects will reflect that). Please help me out with all your valuable suggestions. If you're a tech recruiter let me know how you would perceive my case.
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I am no recruiter to tell you how you should word out your issues, but yes from all the challenges that I have faced and gaps therefore, 6 months is a very short time to get desperate; at least for exceptional cases like you and me. But that doesn’t mean that you have to be ashamed of what you went through, I can see persistence in you … despite all odds you completed your academics… those recruiters who have ghosted you are the mediocre ones, not worthy to see the quality in a candidate.
Be patient and don’t lose your confidence, be very humble yet firm in explaining your actual scenario, and also indirectly point the fact out that you are a candidate who can nail the most difficult task one you put your heart to it!
This is all a recruiter needs to see in you!
Have a firm faith in yourself and know that you were right!
Hey! Good morning. Thanks a lot for taking the time to write this Sir and congrats on overcoming your struggles too. You're in a great company now and I aspire to be where you are. I'm more desperate to move out of my parents' home really.
If you'd be kind to take a couple more questions,
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What was your case and how could you relate to mine?
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How long did it take for you to crack an offer from the day you started applying post gap?
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How long of a gap did you have and was Flipkart the first company that hired you?
I would've love to DM you and connect but I don't have them grapes.
I had 2 such career breaks, and it took me over 1.5 year the first time and 1.3 yr the second time to get the hired post gaps.
I knew only one thing that I will not hide anything from the recruiter as there is nothing to be ashamed of , shit happens and we are humans…
Flipkart happened post my second break!
You can mention depression but best to leave out addiction.
Ideally just say something else to increase odds of getting offer.
Not everyone will understand or be empathetic to such cases. One of my ex employers thankfully was, he just asked me to get a doctor certificate that said I'm fit for work.
Hey, thanks for writing Sir/Ma'am. I'm glad you found an amiable recruiter and hope I across someone like that too.
If you find the time, I had a few questions about your experience/circumstances leading up to that interview.
Were you also suffering from depression/addiction in the past? What and how much did you mention to the recruiter?
Depression, yes (bipolar). Was on medication as well. Was dealing with founders directly, it was a small early stage startup back then. They didn't have an HR dept yet.
I was pretty honest with them about everything, and they were okay with it.
Any other time I've mentioned in a job application or portal that I am bipolar, never heard back. Plus I have a shitty tier 3 college degree so that doesn't help either.
Just tell them you got into an accident and were bedridden. No need to be honest about anything, no one cares. Real life is not that 3 idiots interview scene where being honest gets you the job.
This cracked me up. Imagine they ask me what accident and I tell them the one Raju Rastogi had in the film.
Interviewer:
While lying may not seem ideal, sometimes it's necessary to protect yourself from discrimination or unfair judgment. In your case, if being honest about your past struggles has resulted in being ghosted by recruiters, it might be worth considering providing a more generic reason for the gap, such as family responsibilities or health issues that are now resolved. This approach can help you get past initial screening processes and allow you to showcase your skills and potential in interviews. It's about putting yourself in the best position to succeed without being unfairly judged for past experiences.
After very briefly mentioning reason (personal family responsibilities/health issues) focus on highlighting the positive aspects of your journey, such as your resilience, determination, and recent accomplishments
All the best!
You're right, the power lies with the recruiters and it is their perception that objectively controls them regardless of individual candidate cases. I'll pick your advice on pivoting it to a generic family issue. Thanks a ton for taking the time to write this, Batman.