Talk about child's autism and CV gap or not?

[Magnolia799]

Is it too confronting to just tell them the truth about why I have a lengthy gap in my CV - I've been supporting my child who has autism and I only wanted to return when we'd had a routine for several years that works.

To me, autism isn't a scary or big thing, everyone in my life knows it's just part of what we deal with. I'm not sure how it would come across to other people. Or do I just blandly say 'ive been caring for my family'

Blandly caring for family, they don’t need to know

Time out as a carer, those responsibilities are now over. Let's the employer know you aren't going to be disappearing at short notice

I wouldn’t be so explicit and give so much detail. I’d be vague and put something like ‘career break to focus on family’.

Just write caring responsibilities.

Thankfully for the replies. After the first interview a Senior Director (wouldn't be line manager) asked several questions around it and clearly had concerns. I'm in two minds whether to even go for the second interview as I feel I've been pegged a bit as having been a SAHM who isn't really interested in working...

Remember they can't ask you questions that might be deemed sexist. You would be within your rights to say I don't need to answer that, or, you can't ask me that. But if they had major qualms they wouldn't have invited you back. So go in head held high and blow his socks off.

On an application or in an interview tell them as little as possible about your private life.

None of it is relevant to your ability to do the job, which is all they should be judging you against. Anything else leaves them open to accusations of discrimination.

So I'd just say taking time to care for family. If you're asked in an interview I'd say I'd prefer to focus on just talking about the job role and not my private life

All employers will ask why you have a gap on your CV. It's not sexist to ask what the gap was for. The same question would be asked to anyone. Just say that you had caring responsibilities. Which is the truth! Maybe they asked several questions as you were being evasive. You don't need to be.

If they've asked you back for second interview it's clearly not an issue. You seem defensive about being a SAHM. It's really not an issue. You're overthinking their questioning about your CV gap. Just go for the interview. This time next week you could have a new job!

I'd go just to challenge their misogynistic, archaic and discriminatory views.
CVs drive me mad. All they need to know is-
Do you have the skills and if needed experience to do the job?
Do you have the relevant qualification.
What you have been doing for the last 5/10/20 years is totally irrelevant.

Then I certainly wouldn’t give any more detail.

But take the job if you want it, if you do a good job they will be perfectly happy

I’d say with additional health needs that have now stabilised.

I wouldn’t say autism. People can be very nasty about it.

Of course what you’ve been doing in the last 5 years is relevant

The best qualification for any job is recent experience of doing something close to whatever it is they are considering hiring you to do

In this case the OP’s experience is clearly broadly recent enough as she has a second IV. They are just curious and possibly making some assumptions about why she’s been off for a bit and what that might imply about her performance going forward. It’s annoying but it just has to be ridden.

I took four years out to care for my asd son, I created a little work from home job and even though it was only an hour or so a week I put that down to cover that time frame. I've never mentioned my childrens or my health issues at an interview.

On an application or in an interview tell them as little as possible about your private life. None of it is relevant to your ability to do the job, which is all they should be judging you against.

This. There is no need to go into detail on your CV. If they ask then you just tell them that you were caring for a family member at that time.

Don't go too into private or family life. You just need to impress upon them that you're fully capable of doing the job like any other candidate.

In interviews if a candidate starts talking to much about their personal circumstances it's not great or relevant as a first impression. Everyone has baggage or circumstances in their personal lives, I want to know that it will not impact your ability to do the job.