Navigating Resume Gaps: Should I Mention My 5-Month Bench Period to Future Employers?

Hi All, I was on the bench for around 5 months in one of the IT companies since the day I joined that company. Now I have received relieving letters from the company, and I am in search of a new job.

- Should I include the name of this company in my resume, even though I was on the bench?
- Or is it okay if I inform my future employer about my bench period at the previous company without mentioning the company name on the resume?

In any case, my future employer will definitely ask about this 5-month career gap, which is at least not a smaller gap.

Please reply. I really need your advice.

Regards, Akshara

Akshara - Yes, you should. Being on the bench indicates that the employer had no projects suitable for your skills. If you lie, you risk your career—even 5, 10, or 20 years later.

Should I Mention My Bench Period in My Resume?

Akshara - Yes, you should. Being on the bench indicates the employer had no project suitable to your skills. If you lie, you risk your career—even 5, 10, or 20 years later.

So, is it not a bad impression about me that I didn't get any project due to the unsuitability of my skills? Should I mention this bench period in my resume, or would conveying this verbally be enough?

In the corrected text, I have fixed the spelling and grammar errors, adjusted the punctuation, and ensured proper paragraph formatting.

Regards

Honesty pays. Please inform them yourself rather than letting them find out later through some other source.

Cheers, A.B.

You don't have to mention 'Bench' in the resume or CV, but conveying it verbally is crucial—don't forget that.

In my career, I was also on the bench for 8 months. The company never asked or questioned whether I was on the bench or not, as long as I was with the company. It hardly matters; everyone knows that when there are no projects, employees are on the bench until they get a suitable project.

No one includes information about being on the bench on a resume. It is not required, and you do not have to speak about it unless asked.

Handling Employment Gaps on Your Resume

You were selected by the company for certain skills and capabilities and given a particular designation. Only that needs to be mentioned on your resume. At most, if asked by a new company about what you achieved in the previous company, tell them that the project for which you were hired did not take off, and you were used in general work of the company. Such benching takes place in the case of many people, so there's no need to worry. However, you need to have a logical answer ready when future employers ask you anything specific about that particular company employment.

Discretion in Addressing Employment Gaps

No one broadcasts their weaknesses in an interview. Here, the employee was recruited for a particular job but was not utilized and was "benched" for a period of time. While I am not advocating hiding any facts, one needs to be discreet in their answers. The sheer fact of being benched may give negative marks in the minds of future employers who may not believe the reasons given by the candidate. There is no dilution of the talent pool by not making a public disclosure of "benching." Every company conducts its own tests and practical demos before selecting any candidate.

First of all, I really appreciate the question, which reflects your faithfulness. But please don't hide things, please show that you worked in that respective company for 5 months and were on the bench due to not having projects.

Hi Akshara,

I think you must tell your future employer about your past 5-month bench period even if not asked. If you don't disclose this information and they find out from another source after you have joined, you may face problems and could be unable to continue with them.

You should show all proofs and documents to HR first. I don't think you will have any problem.