blonde poker forum

Finally started to look for a job the last couple of weeks after 18 months of sitting in my underpants playing poker all day.
Not had as good a response as I expected which could be down to being the end of the financial year or could it be down to the gap on my CV since September 06.

Is it worth putting something down on my CV for the last 18 months, if so what exactly? Or shall I just mention in a cover letter that i've had a career break?

I suppose I could get artistic for example state I was a freelance Database administrator (well I have been using Poker Office and Poker Tracker a lot.)

Anyone have any advice please.

What do you want to do?

Unfortunately, many employers will see 'poker player' and think 'lazy, reckless gambler' before filing your CV in the bin.

"i booked 18 months off to travel the world - then realized i was agrophobic..............."

Looking at going back into IT Support.

Lol

the travelling the world be would be good or maybe that you worked freelance and decided you wanted to go back to the workforce as you didnt enjoy working alone? Depends what kind of job it is though?  Tell them something that doesnt make you look like a degenerate gambler :)

Use some artistic licence. I'd never employ someone who admitted they'd played poker for 18 months, I'd put them in the little box in my mind labelled "moans a lot, never satisfied, know how to criticise, but don't know how to do".

But then you'd not wanna work for me......

I decided to take a bit time out after Boldie and I moved house recently.  I simply listed it as "career break" on my CV.  I was actually head-hunted before I wanted to go back to work and my time out of work was never mentioned at the interview.  I'm not sure if I was just lucky but with so many people unfortunately suffering badly from stress these days, I don't think "career break" looks too bad.  If asked, you could then say you took time out for family reasons (probably not a lie and no-one ever questions this further).

snoopy?

The gaming industry need IT support. They won't look down on 18 months of poker.

I work in fruit machine design and the 18 months I played poker full time was a deal maker in the interview.

If you can blag that you've been freelancing in the field you're in for 18 months, I'd do that.

I probably wouldn't employ someone who'd be playing full-time poker, as I couldn't guarantee that they'd be able to work successfully 9-5 (and I guess the role you're looking for would be normal office hours?).  Of course, in Adam's case it's relevant and therefore a plus - but there won't be many industries that consider playing full-time poker an asset. 

charity work in a third world country always goes down well just have to do some research on your chosen country 1st

I'm an IT development manager and have done a fair bit of recruitment. As long as the CV says something for any gaps, I'm not particularly concerned at the CV stage. Will ask about a long "career break" gap at interview - probably best to judge your interviewer whether to tell the truth or not. If you can eloquently explain an attempt at a pro-poker playing career it may not go down too badly. Personally I'd be quite interested, but then I play poker, so I would. IT peeps tend to be quite pokery generally so you may be ok.

property development.

Demolition would sound more realistic in sheffield !!

Heres a tip, don't put any dates on your previous employment and don't put your age on. This is totally acceptable under anti-age discrimination legislation.

you need dates of employment

Previous employment dates are vitally important, especially if any training is involved for a new job. Most employers will rigorously check these as training is very expensive. If someone has a history of a lot of short term jobs they would usually not be suitable where expensive training/retraining is involved IMHO.

I beg to differ.

From "Age and the Workplace guide for employers":

Application form
Remove age/date of birth from the main application form and include
it in a diversity monitoring form to be retained by HR/Personnel.
In addition review your application form to ensure that you are not
asking for unnecessary information about periods and dates.
Asking for age-related information on an application form could allow
discrimination to take place.

So unless the dates of employment are necessary to the role (such as regulatory reasons) then these should not be on application forms and by inference there is no need to put these on your CV.

I know this legislation quite well as I was a recruiting manager when the Act came in and went on numerous training courses.


You need to clearly explain what your skills and experiences are and its in your own interests to be honest, if you lie on your cv then it is very easy for you to be dismissed.

If you have the relevant skills and experience then you should be getting interviews, if not then you could probably make a few bucks out of employment tribunals

Have you tried any IT recruitment agencies?

- tell them you had 18 months off to have gender realignment surgery.

- apply to your local labour controlled council for any job which looks utterly meaningless but pays at least 50K per year.

Guaranteed you will be running the place within a year.

Say you took time off to get a degree, if they ask what say "a degree in ICM management"

Tell them the truth, be proud of who you are and don't aspire to work for someone who disaproves of your personal values.

Travelling imo.

Sod what the law says, trust me you need dates of employment on there.