Job history gaps ? Is there still hope ?

I've been unemployed for about 8 months now and my previous position was a temp role in operations at a top 3 credit rating agency for 6 months and before that I had a 2 year unemployment gap ( traded stocks and options) after graduating from a non target school with no internship experience. So far I've been able to land about 5 interviews in the 8 month span. I have been using temp agencies and also applying for full time positions mainly in operations/admin, middle office/back office. I fear that this job history gap is a major flaw in my search to enter the corporate financial services industry. Is there any advice anyone can give me on improving my chances of landing a role ?

 
brooklynkid:

Just the 6 month temp role at a top 3 credit rating agency. Good news, I'm waiting to hear back from a client services rep position at a top credit rating agency and a upcoming interview with JPM for a client operation analyst position.

 

No one will care. It's not a gap in which you were unemployable... you just took some time before stating a masters. You are worrying about nothing. People quit jobs early all the time before starting MBAs or whatever; had several friends in banking / consulting leave and go travel for a few months before heading back to school

 

Thanks for your answer.

But I think a follow-up question they're going to ask if I just say the offer fell through is that whether I've actually signed the contract before quitting, which I haven't.

At this moment, it really doesn't matter if I had or not from a personal perspective because it fell through anyhow, but I just don't want to come across as sloppy or stupid for the decision I've made. Also, if I had actually signed the contract and the offer fell through, then I at least have some legal rights to raise serious complaints to the company, which in this case I have none.

If asked, should I just explain this situation as the way it really happened, or say that the offer was not extended after I signed the contract?

 
20focla:

Thanks for your answer.

But I think a follow-up question they're going to ask if I just say the offer fell through is that whether I've actually signed the contract before quitting, which I haven't.

At this moment, it really doesn't matter if I had or not from a personal perspective because it fell through anyhow, but I just don't want to come across as sloppy or stupid for the decision I've made. Also, if I had actually signed the contract and the offer fell through, then I at least have some legal rights to raise serious complaints to the company, which in this case I have none.

If asked, should I just explain this situation as the way it really happened, or say that the offer was not extended after I signed the contract?

Employment is at-will. An employment contract is utterly irrelevant--at best, a contract would have guaranteed you some compensation. But you are never, ever guaranteed the right to be employed. Not even professional athletes with ridiculous contracts receive the right to play.

Array
 

No one is going to ask you whether or not you had a signed offer. Say that you got an offer and quit your job. The new company basically screwed you. You can say they pulled the offer due to budget or department restructuring, etc. and left you in the lurch because you'd already quit.

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