Timeline for How to address year off in resume for software developer?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
10 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 2023 at 17:44 | comment | added | Dakeyras | @user2402616 If you worked on some pet projects that never reached a point they could bring in revenue, then that's still you developing commercial projects in private enterprise - it just didn't work out (which is not uncommon). While I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a consultancy, you can definitely describe it as an exploratory phase of trying to put together a startup or something. Look at it this way - if you'd hit on something very valuable, you would probably be selling it now instead of applying for jobs. Just because it 'failed' doesn't mean it wasn't a real attempt. | |
| Feb 23, 2023 at 15:24 | comment | added | user2402616 | I'm in United States. I like the idea but did have some apprehension about doing 'LASTNAME CONSULTING' and then explaining it wasn't real business yet and I didn't make money. Perhaps a compromise is 'Sabbatical 2022-Current' ? Then add few bullet points of technical points I worked on. I think this will also depend on employer. And I plan to have few different resumes depending on it. I think not adding anything is fine too, as someone suggested. But some of my projectes are worth adding on a technical note | |
| Feb 23, 2023 at 14:57 | comment | added | Kate Gregory | In Canada you can be a "sole proprietor" or a partnership basically by just saying you are. There's a piece of paper you can do that makes it easier to get a bank account, but you don't have to have a sep bank account as long as you track the money somehow. The company revenue (after company expenses) gets added to your personal income at tax time. It's to your advantage to incorp once you are making significant revenue, but it's a choice. Many country people do workshop kind of things (fix cars, tint windows, print decals) from their homes without ever incorporating. Their businesses are real | |
| Feb 23, 2023 at 13:52 | comment | added | nvoigt♦ | @KateGregory I don't neccessarily care about incorporation, maybe "founded your own company" was too naive wording in my comment. Where I live, if you have revenue, you need a tax id for your business. It cannot run on your private citizen id. So whether you decide to incorporate or run a freelancer business, if you write an invoice, you need to register with the authorities. If they did this, then it is a fact they can talk about, if they didn't, then "Lastname consulting" is a dream if you want to be positive, a straight lie if you want to be negative about it. | |
| Feb 23, 2023 at 12:33 | comment | added | Kate Gregory | Gregory Consulting started in 1986. Gregory Consulting Limited was incorporated in 1989. It was a real company with revenue before it was incorporated. It had a bank account and customers. I understand OP's entity is a little looser than that, but anyone who wants to claim without incorporation you didn't found a business will have me to answer to. | |
| Feb 23, 2023 at 12:31 | history | edited | Kate Gregory | CC BY-SA 4.0 |
added 224 characters in body
|
| Feb 23, 2023 at 11:33 | comment | added | orithena | I'd call that gap a "sabbatical", maybe with a note "Exploring entrepreneurship". | |
| Feb 23, 2023 at 6:50 | comment | added | nvoigt♦ | While I second the "put something in, don't leave a gap" idea, making up a company name sounds kind of shady. If I were the interviewer and asked something innocent about the CV like "oh, so you founded your own company?" and the person has to say "uh, well, not really, see..." then I will wonder what else on their CV was more artistic freedom then fact. | |
| Feb 22, 2023 at 20:54 | vote | accept | user2402616 | ||
| Feb 22, 2023 at 19:58 | history | answered | Kate Gregory | CC BY-SA 4.0 |