Latest / The Comeback Career Podcast with Fexingo: Returning After a Gap, Stay-at-Home Re-Entry / How a Career Gap Helped One Parent Return as a Recruiter
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked a lot on this show about returning to work in specific roles — data analyst, cybersecurity, marketing manager. But there's one career path that I think is uniquely suited to people with a gap, and we haven't covered it yet: recruiting. Luna: Recruiting. That's interesting — because recruiters are usually the gatekeepers, right? The ones who might be skeptical of a gap. So why would a gap help you get into that field? Lucas: That's the counterintuitive part. But the key is that recruiting is fundamentally about reading people, building trust, and understanding what motivates them. And those are skills you develop intensely during a career gap — especially if you've been managing a household, volunteering, or helping your kids navigate school and social life. Luna: Okay, I can see that. But let's get concrete — give me a specific case. Lucas: Let's talk about Megan Torres. She was a marketing manager at a mid-size consumer goods company for about ten years. Then she took a five-year gap to raise her two kids. When she decided to go back, she didn't want to return to marketing — she felt the industry had changed too much, and she didn't have the portfolio to compete. Luna: So she pivoted. How did she land on recruiting? Lucas: She started by volunteering with a local nonprofit that ran job-training programs. They needed help screening applicants for their programs. Megan found she was really good at it — she could ask the right questions, spot potential, and connect with people who were nervous about their own gaps. Luna: So she built a kind of mini-portfolio of recruiting experience without even realizing it. Lucas: Exactly. She did that for about eight months. Then she took a free online course on applicant tracking systems — ATS — which is the software most recruiters use. She listed that on her LinkedIn. And then she started networking with recruiters at companies she admired, not to ask for a job, but to ask about their career path. Luna: And that led to an interview? Lucas: It led to an informational interview with a talent acquisition manager at a tech company called ClearPath Analytics — about three hundred employees. During that conversation, Megan mentioned her volunteer screening work. The manager was impressed and said, 'You know, we have an opening for a junior recruiter. You should apply.' Luna: So she applied, and she got the offer. What was the salary range? Lucas: She started at fifty-five thousand base, plus a small bonus tied to hires. That's lower than her marketing salary had been — she was at around seventy-five before the gap — but she saw it as a foot in the door. Within two years, she was promoted to senior recruiter, making seventy-two thousand. Luna: So she more than recovered. But here's the question I think a lot of listeners have: did she have to address the five-year gap in her interviews? And if so, how did she frame it? Lucas: She did address it, and she framed it as a strength. She said something like, 'During my time out of the paid workforce, I developed my ability to assess people's potential, to listen carefully, and to build rapport quickly — skills that are directly relevant to recruiting.' And she backed it up with the volunteer screening work. Luna: That's smart. She didn't apologize for the gap. She repositioned it as experience. Lucas: And that's actually backed by data. A 2025 survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found that seventy-eight percent of HR managers said they would consider a candidate with a career gap for a recruiting role — the highest acceptance rate of any role in the survey. Luna: Why do you think recruiting specifically is so open to gaps? Lucas: Because recruiters whose careers have been totally linear sometimes lack empathy for candidates with non-traditional paths. There's a growing recognition that someone who has navigated a gap themselves may be better at screening other candidates with gaps — they understand the story behind the resume. Luna: So it's almost like a self-selecting advantage. If you've been through it, you get it. Lucas: Right. And there's another angle: recruiting is a field where you can learn the technical skills relatively quickly. The core competencies — sourcing, screening, interviewing, closing — you can pick up in months, not years. What's harder to teach is the people skills, which are exactly what a gap can strengthen. Luna: Let's talk about the practical steps. If someone listening wants to follow Megan's path, what should they do first? Lucas: First, get some kind of volunteer or part-time screening experience. Many nonprofits need help reviewing applications or conducting initial phone screens. That gives you a concrete example to talk about. Second, learn the tools. Most ATS platforms have free trials or certification courses. LinkedIn Recruiter has a learning path. Third, network with recruiters — not to ask for a job, but to learn about their day-to-day. Luna: And how do you find those recruiters? Just cold message on LinkedIn? Lucas: Yeah, but with a thoughtful note. Megan's template was something like: 'I'm exploring a transition into recruiting and would love to hear about your journey. I'm not asking for a job — just hoping to learn from someone with experience.' She said about one in three people responded. That's a really good rate. Luna: One in three is great. I would have guessed lower. Lucas: Recruiters are generally open to talking about their own career. It's part of their skill set. And they appreciate someone who's direct and respectful of their time. Luna: So what about the interview itself? Any specific tips for addressing the gap in a recruiting interview? Lucas: Megan's approach was to talk about the gap briefly and then pivot to the skills she built. She said something like, 'I took five years to focus on my family. During that time, I stayed connected to the professional world through volunteering, and I realized I have a knack for understanding what makes people tick.' Then she gave a specific example: a volunteer applicant who seemed underqualified on paper but had a great attitude and ended up being one of the program's top graduates. Luna: So it's about storytelling. And the story shows you can spot potential — which is exactly what a recruiter does. Lucas: Exactly. And here's another thing: Megan also highlighted that because she had been out of the corporate world, she could relate to candidates who were nervous about returning. She said that in her first month, she had a call with a candidate who had a two-year gap, and the candidate told her later that Megan was the only recruiter who didn't make her feel defensive. Luna: That's powerful. It's a genuine competitive advantage. Lucas: It is. And it's something you can't fake. If you've been through a gap, you have a level of empathy that a traditional career path doesn't always build. Luna: So for listeners who are thinking, 'I have a gap, and I have good people skills' — recruiting might be the perfect pivot. Lucas: I think so. And it's a field that's growing. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about eight percent growth for human resources specialists through 2033, which is faster than average. And a lot of those roles are in recruiting. Luna: Before we wrap up, I want to circle back to something you mentioned earlier — about networking with recruiters. You said one in three responded. That gives me an idea for listeners who might be hesitant: if you send ten messages, you'll probably get three conversations. That's three chances to learn and maybe get a referral. Lucas: Exactly. And those conversations are low-stakes — you're not asking for a job, you're asking for advice. That's much easier to say yes to. And by the way, if this episode has helped you think about your own career pivot, that's exactly what we hope for. And if you'd like to support the show and keep it ad-free, you can always buy us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small way to say thanks if you've found value here. And we really appreciate it. Lucas: So back to Megan's story — she's now been a recruiter for three years. She told me that the thing she loves most is being the person who gives someone a second chance. And she knows firsthand how much that means. Luna: That's the kind of career you can feel good about. You're not just filling roles — you're changing lives. Lucas: And that's the through line for a lot of these gap to career stories. The gap doesn't have to be a liability. Sometimes it's the very thing that makes you better at the job. Luna: Alright, thanks Lucas. And thanks to Megan for sharing her story. Lucas: Thanks, Luna. And to our listeners — here's to your next chapter.