Pretty bored of software engineering and would like to try my luck at starting a business, the risk seems fun and I'm still pretty young (mid 20s). Business will be non tech so experience won't be relevant if I fail and have to come back. I estimate the gap will be around 1-2 years. I'm pretty good at leetcode so I'm confident I can at least pass interviews, but not sure if I'll be able to get any interviews with a gap. Any previous experiences with gaps on resumes? I have less than 4 yoe so it's not like im super experienced. TC: 230k
I don’t think much. I had a no name company job for one year making 55k in the Midwest. One internship. Both in a totally different industry. And I had a break for six months after my first year. Got interviews at Tesla, rivian.. but ended up in semiconductors in the Bay Area making more than 2x ✌️ So yeah I’d say there’s always a chance.
A lot
Gaps don’t matter. I have a 6-year gap on mine. Still got multiple FAANG+ offers during my last job hunt.
May I ask if you were doing anything that has to do with software engineering during this time? How many years of experience did you have prior to your gap?
Gaps don't matter as much as people think. And starting a business, even if it has nothing to do with tech, is not a gap. That being said, I would contribute in other ways to keep your skills sharp (e.g. open source contributions) while in non-tech.
It doesn’t matter, maintain contacts and use referrals.