"Imagine this: You're interviewing for a new job, after having taken time out of work to travel and forget the stress induced by your former employer. As the interview progresses, the hiring manager naturally inquires what you've been up to since leaving your last role and your heart races as you search for the perfect response to justify the break."
"'Sorry, I signed an NDA,' is one easy way to dodge answering the uncomfortable question at all-at least, that's what TikTokers are recommending. It all started when the Well, I Laughed podcastposted a 50-second snippet of the show on its TikTok channel with the out-of-the-box career advice. 'Lie-you signed an NDA so you cannot talk about that time,' one of the two podcast hosts in the video said. 'It's literally a get-out-of-jail-free card.'"
"NDAs aren't actually that common Nondisclosure agreements, sometimes known as 'gag orders,' are used to prevent staff and ex-staff from making private business information public. As such, they were often employed to keep negative situations like sexual harassment claims quiet (a recently banned usage), or reserved for senior staffers with insider knowledge whose revelation would harm the business. It's why the handful of recruiters Fortune spoke to said they rarely come across NDAs."
A short podcast clip encouraged job seekers to claim they signed a nondisclosure agreement to avoid explaining employment gaps, and the tactic spread widely on social media. Some applicants reported using the excuse successfully, arguing it adds intrigue or suggests high-level government or military work. Recruiters warn that NDAs are relatively rare and typically reserved for senior employees or sensitive roles, so claiming one can appear fabricated or imply involvement in problematic situations. NDAs historically were used to silence issues like sexual harassment, a practice now restricted, increasing scrutiny. Recruiters recommend honest, credible explanations for employment gaps.
Read at Fortune
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