Resume gap
I left my previous employer 7-8 months ago due to personal reasons and trying to find a new job. However, there is a gap in my resume now and I'm not getting past the onsite stage even after excellent interviews. In the onsite, I get asked about why I left the previous employer, which I am telling the truth that I wanted a little pause from my fulfilling career for personal reasons and took a career break. In few interviews, just saying that I took a personal career break was not enough for them. They asked me to go into detail why I left my previous role. How does the hiring manager see the personal career break? Do they take it as a red flag? Any suggestions or advice would be helpful here.
Can you just say you were laid off for non-performance reasons and decided to do a career break after that? If they have any qualms with that, then fuck them. A lot of people would be in a similar position to you in this market
Give enough detail (even if made up) just so that it doesn’t sound so mysterious. “Personal reasons” can go anywhere from “I had a major drama with my manager who didn’t like me and put everyone against me” (aka don’t hire me because I bring drama wherever I go) to “I had a sexual harassment claim against me” (red flag even if not proven). Being asked to provide details and skirting the question just makes it more suspicious. Just say you had to take care of a sick family member or that you took a bit of a sabbatical to go hiking or whatever your preferred hobby is. Just give them something to stop imagining all the possibilities.
I would say something like, I quit my job to take care of some personal matters like taking care of an elderly parent, selling property abroad, etc. I left in good standing. That's it. If they ask why aren't they taking you back? My role was filled. No openings at the moment. That's it. I would personally not go into details. Managers and HR pry to find red flags or reasons not to hire you. Don't give them any. Honesty is good with friends and family. Not with employers. Your friends and family want the best for you. The employer wants the best for them, not you.
Yup, fair game is personal matters. No true professional pries further than that and if they want to pry further end the interview process cause imagine working there with these kind of people.