The Myth of the Resume Gap

[jfk]

While I think that referencing your poker activities in a resume is generally a risky idea, the approach and presentation of the OP is an outstnading model for the right way to do it.

Nice work. Thanks for the very useful contribution.

[Eratosthenes]

During my 30 years or so of working for the man I have been involved in hiring hundreds of new employees, many of them young and only a year or two out of school. I was the final decision maker on many of these hires. With that background, I have a few comments:

1) If you have a significant gap on your resume, you will almost certainly be asked about it. It is a strategic decision whether you put poker on the resume or leave the gap, and are prepared to discuss it in an interview.

2) Never, ever, never lie on your resume. In fact, don't even put literal truth that could be interpreted as a lie on your resume. Companies and government agencies now take this very seriously. If you are found to have lied on your resume, you will be fired immediately and the company may take action to recover things like signing bonuses. I think if you google around some, you can find instances where employees found to have lied on their resumes have been taken to court for damages.

3) These days everybody knows someone who plays poker. Poker is on cable TV several times per week. The stigma of being a professional poker player is small. If you give the impression that you think your poker background is a problem, your propective employers are more likely to think it is a problem.

4) Poker is a very analytical pursuit. The skills and disciplines learned in poker would be attractive to many employers. You should be prepared to discuss those things. As a poker pro, you were 100% responsible for your actions--you didn't have a boss checking up to see that you weren't cold calling raises. Very few young people have this sort of experience and this could be an advantage with some employers.

5) I had security clearances early in my career. Things have changed a lot since then, but I had some fairly dodgy things in my past that did not prevent me from getting fairly high clearances.

6) Most employers do a background check before making an offer to a candidate (or they make the offer contingent on the background check). Since you have had some poker success and published some articles, it is likely that this will be turned up in the background check. Getting through the interview process without mentioning poker and then having it turn up in the background check would be a huge problem. Better to let them know up front.

[mephisto]

I remember watching a profile of Varkonyi the WSOP ME champ, trying to get a job everywhere but couldn't because he just couldn't sell his poker skills at wall street. It was sort of sad to see him being reduced to flipping card tricks infront of wall street execs while they were giving him false hope.

That said, I appreciate this thread and I really like that presentation you put in your resume. Eratosthenes post is also very helpful imo.

[TheRock69]

I am graduating college this year and I played poker as a living for the last 4 years. I can not wait to get a high paying "Normal" job as poker can be very stressfull, lonely and unrealiable income. I am not putting poker on my resume as I worked once a week at a retail store, but I am concerned that my name is on google for poker tournaments as majority of hirers search your name on google.

[OrangeKing]

[ QUOTE ]
I will give some estimates here:

400 million Americans

approx 150 - 200 million in the labor market

generous off the cuff estimate: 1 million who play poker


[/ QUOTE ]

You've overestimated the number of Americans by about 100 million, and are short on the poker players (if you include those who play for money in weekly home games or the like, and I think you shuold) by an order of magnitude...even before the poker boom. Tens of millions of people play poker in some form or another, whether it's going to a casino a few times a year or playing with friends in a quarter 7-card stud game where check-raising isn't allowed.

[kiwi]

I manage a recruitment company, and spent 10 years working for what is now Monster.com. Here's my take on recruitment based on that: (albeit Asia PAcific Region)

Poor recruiters will ignore your resume based on Poker being a scary word
Good recruiters, or those that are poker fiends, will say - "Check out this poker guy - let's meet him tomorrow"

Poor recruiters have average clients and job openings, good ones the opposite. You will get exposure to less openings, but they will be relevant and interesting.

Everything is relative - if 50% of your resume is consumed by your Poker journey, you are looking at entry level roles anyway. If you have a great degree, 5 years with Microsoft, and play golf like Tiger, I'd interview you if you had just left jail.

You are possibly focussing too much on the detail of the Poker bit. "18 Months - Professional Poker PLayer/Author" may be better. Pad your resume with non-poker stuff, rather than the thing you are worried may be an issue.

Finally, good leaders hire based on ability and potential, not just experience. 90% of hiring managers want the same 10% of candidates. The smart, personable and innovative ones that will make them money. You simply need to get yourself in front of decision makers, and make sure your resume isn't flawed, as someone pointed out. The rest will be about your innate abilities relative to the other candidates.

Whatever you do, leave the shades and ipod at home, and don't yell "I've GOT THE STONE COLD NUTS" if you sense the interview is progressing well [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[GrannyMae]

AWFUL to mention that you were a pro-player in your resume. smart bosses will think you are a degenerate, or went broke.

extend last job, or say you had an Ebay business or something.

[kiwi]

[ QUOTE ]
AWFUL to mention that you were a pro-player in your resume. smart bosses will think you are a degenerate, or went broke.

extend last job, or say you had an Ebay business or something.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thus joining a firm full of stupid people who lie. WTG

[AncientPC]

It's quite simple, visit a random non-poker related forum and tell them you're a pro poker player. I let it slip on one of the forums I frequent often and got torn a new one.

[kiwi]

What the hell would I know - don't play good poker and don't post on lots of forums. OP should ignore my advice. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]