Addressing Gap in Resume

Addressing Resume Gaps

You're not alone, I have a gap on my resume too. Did a Master's in CS and then dropped out to pursue this GenAI thing. So yeah, I get it.

The Market and Resume Gaps

I got an offer in April this year, so I've experienced some of this firsthand. Given how hard the tech market has been since last year, I doubt too many recruiters will throw out your CV because of a resume gap. And if they do, they don't deserve you anyways (as long as you've been doing something to progress your goals)

Attitude During Hard Times

I think the more foundational thing is that you don't give up. Everyone gets stuck at some point, whether it's not getting into a top tier school, hating their first job, or not getting promoted at their first job for several years. I even had friends get into medical school after 4 years of trying.

If you really want to do this and don't see yourself doing anything else (at least in the 3-5 year timeframe)... just stick with it.

• Employment gap is OK: just expect recruiters to ask & have a reasonable answer prepared.
• With the game your main intention is likely just doing random stuff (like the accelerator) and seeing what sticks. Building without a clear intention to learn (especially when you're early in your career and you're not getting traction in it) will unfortunately have the same result as doing nothing. I recommend this masterclass on side projects on how to better approach side projects.

Developing a game seem like solid experience, especially if you've published it somewhere. But you need to make sure you have a narrative around it where you explain what was interesting/difficult about it, and why it was valuable. If you're not applying to game companies, you need to figure out the transferable skills you gained.

I'd also go through the resume course: Get More Interviews: Write A Stellar Resume As A Software Engineer