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I was working in a reputable IT company for 2 years, however I took a break of 2 years to pursue a career in Indian Civil Services. I got selected at state level but couldn't make it to Highest post and now I am planning to return to IT.
Please guide on how I can describe my this career gap in the interviews.
Emphasise your strengths
As always with interviews you should be trying to present yourself in the best light possible. So when it comes to them asking about your 2 year gap don't just say 'Oh I was meeting personal goals' you want to show what you did and amaze them with the transferable skills you learnt.
Transferable skills
For example did you have to communicate a lot with other people? Has this improved your communication abilities? Are you more clear and concise now?
Communication is a skill that is important in every workplace, you will rarely work alone and someone who is able to explain themselves concisely will be a fantastic advantage.
Were you frequently presented with difficult tasks? Did you complete them on time to the best of your abilities?
Showing that you can handle difficult tasks and still give it 100% of your effort shows that you aren't likely to just give up and stop trying if you are presented with difficult tasks whilst working for them. This is definitely a desired quality to have.
Were you presented with conflicts, either in the workplace or with a customer? How did you handle it? Did it go well?
Someone who can remain calm and professional whilst in a conflict of any kind will be a very good trait to have, if you have an example of doing this then definitely bring it to their attention. Someone who isn't going to snap at a client in high pressure situations will be a very valuable person to have.
Conclusion
All in all, as long as you can show what you learnt, and show how this has improved you then I can't see it being too much of an issue.
However, on top of this you might want to make sure you have done some sort of training course or tests to bring yourself up to speed. Things change fast in the IT world and 2 years is actually a fairly long time to be out of it. Your biggest challenge probably won't be the 2 year gap, but will be the lack of current knowledge, so make sure you brush up on all of that too to make sure you aren't at a disadvantage!
You can either try to explain your employment gap in your CV, or by mentioning it in a covering letter but not in to much detail. Always explain these in one or two sentences. There is no need to go into lengthy details or explanations. It is always easier to explain gaps in detail later in interview situations rather than in a initial CV application.
You will almost certainly be asked about it in any subsequent interview you have with a potential employer. Make sure that you give the same explanation for your career break as you listed in your CV. If you have been invited to a interview then take this as a positive sign as it means that even with your employment gap the recruiter is still interested in you. During the interview always focus on and try to get across that you are excited and eager to get back into work.
Please guide on how I can describe my this career gap in the interviews.
I'd go with something like this:
I was working in a reputable IT company for 2 years, however I took a break of 2 years to pursue a career in Indian Civil Services. I got selected at state level but couldn't make it to Highest post and now I am planning to return to IT.
There's no reason to hide your foray into public service, so just be honest about it. Indeed, you might be able to use it to your advantage. Consider looking for IT positions where your interest in and knowledge of government and public policy would be a useful asset.
