47-Year-Old Candidate Who Passed High School In 1996 Questioned About Work Gap From Three Decades Ago; Reply In Viral Reddit Post

A Reddit post by shared on r/interviews has gone viral after an user shared their experience of being questioned about a decades-old gap in their work history during a recent job interview.

The post, titled "Asked me about a gap 30 years ago," was shared online on June 17 and has since gained over 6,200 upvotes and 500 comments, sparking a wave of reactions.

"If I mentioned every job..."

The candidate, now 47, was applying for a management job in the tech industry. Recounting the moment, the user wrote, “A month back I had a team-interview. The HR-guy in the call (they were 3 people) asked, ‘I can see you ended high school in 1996 but I can’t see what you did between 96 and 99?"

The candidate responded with, “I’m 47 years old. If I mentioned every job I ever had on my CV, it would be 10 pages long."

Netizens react

His post sparked a wide discussion about the relevance of such questions.

“I can understand asking about a gap a year ago or so, but almost 30 years back? Seriously. What is the relevance," the Reddit post read further.

The post struck a chord with many who found the question fair enough. Reactions poured in, ranging from sarcastic to analytical.

Redditors think THIS is why HR asked the question

Reasoning things out, one user wrote, “Probably checking you weren’t in prison,” while another added, “We’ve interviewed people that had gaps like that and asked—and they were like, Oh, I was in prison for 4 years."

Some users speculated it was a strategic move to assess the candidate’s composure. “It was a trick; he was trying to see how you responded,” one wrote. Another commented, “Spotting inconsistencies is a useful skill… but knowing which ones matter is key.”

Meanwhile, found the question about a gap in work experience outdated and unnecessary. "HRs are too busy asking stupid questions," they wrote.