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I've been unemployed for almost two years, and it's the most frustrating and depressing predicament. At first when I was laid off I was looking for jobs that paid basically what I had been making...well -- after months of being turned down (actually mostly no responses), I gave up for a while and started trying to fix my house up to sell. I spoke to a Realtor and she said don't bother putting any money into my home because I will most likely lose money wen we sell. Well time has passed and I've continued to apply for jobs and paint my home, work on the landscaping -- just waiting for something to break loose, you know. I've gotten to the point where I am looking for a job that will pay about half of what I had been making...still nothing! Today I was offered an application to apply for a minimum wage job working ten hours a week. I cannot accept that.
I don't know what I would say if an interviewer asked me that question because quite honestly, I've been trying to stay sane for the past couple of years -- I want a job and I'm a great worker. My past employer wrote me an excellent recommendation. The problems is that in my area (St. Louis), there are more than 100 people applying for one job, and I'm over 50 years old. It's not like those of us unemployed just twiddle our thumbs.
I'm now looking for another area in which to live where maybe I would have a better chance of obtaining unemployment. Does anyone know of such an area?
Oh -- I'm a woman who has worked as an office manager. Anyone?
Last edited by bobbypin; 02-16-2011 at 06:24 PM..
Reason: Addition of last paragraph
The way I see it is employers are idiots who overlook the middle aged crowd. They are more settled with themselves, they tend to be more loyal, timely, willing and able to work a bit of OT because they don't have kids to get back to, less sick days or days off due to children being sick or field trips, no maternity leaves, less or no hangover days off, and a lot of them don't need healthcare if they are getting it through their spouse. They might even actually appreciate their job.
Their loss. Someone needs to start a business hiring only middle aged people. Their profits would probably soar.
you can also lie on your resume and bridge the time together, so what, and if they find out, so what, on the next.
Like the other recruiter said, the more time you out, the less they hire...so then at that point like you have nothing to lose, so freaking lie on the resume...so what.
adventually somebody somewhere will hire you..................
Oh man, I remember going in for a job interview and the CEO asked me why I've been unemployed for 6 months after graduation. I had a bit of a sarcastic tone when I told him how I searched for work in D.C., relocated to Seattle to search for work, and then moved home to search for work. However, he nodded and acted like he understood. Fortunately, I still got the job.
It seems very silly that an employer would ask that question with a national unemployment rate of over 9%. Do they really expect someone to say, "Oh, nothing really. Just smoking some weed, playing World of Warcraft, and making money through online poker." I basically told my interviewers the truth about my situation and have been hired, so telling them you've been searching for work probably couldn't hurt.
Oh man, I remember going in for a job interview and the CEO asked me why I've been unemployed for 6 months after graduation. I had a bit of a sarcastic tone when I told him how I searched for work in D.C., relocated to Seattle to search for work, and then moved home to search for work. However, he nodded and acted like he understood. Fortunately, I still got the job.
It seems very silly that an employer would ask that question with a national unemployment rate of over 9%. Do they really expect someone to say, "Oh, nothing really. Just smoking some weed, playing World of Warcraft, and making money through online poker." I basically told my interviewers the truth about my situation and have been hired, so telling them you've been searching for work probably couldn't hurt.
I know, .............................like we really want to get up out of the interviewer seat and, smack them in the head and say WTF you think I'm doing mutha chukka !!
The way I see it is employers are idiots who overlook the middle aged crowd. They are more settled with themselves, they tend to be more loyal, timely, willing and able to work a bit of OT because they don't have kids to get back to, less sick days or days off due to children being sick or field trips, no maternity leaves, less or no hangover days off, and a lot of them don't need healthcare if they are getting it through their spouse. They might even actually appreciate their job.
Their loss. Someone needs to start a business hiring only middle aged people. Their profits would probably soar.
I was unemployed after college for several months and I had a HR 'screener' at a bank ask me that. I said "I've been looking for the right opportunity, with the economy the way it is, it is competitive out there" and the interviewer said something like "Well, I would think in a few months you could get a job, what have you really been doing?"
I would have been tempted to respond: "Sitting on my thumb. What do you think I have been doing?"
I fail to understand how this is not a valid question. Every interview process generally includes discussion of work history, including tasks, reasons for leaving previous jobs and gaps in employment history. All are valid points of discussion in an interview, regardless of if the gap was between 2002-2004 or from 2010 to the present.
Now if the interviewer is being a d-bag about your responses (as some of you have experienced) then that is unacceptable behavior.
I fail to understand how this is not a valid question. Every interview process generally includes discussion of work history, including tasks, reasons for leaving previous jobs and gaps in employment history. All are valid points of discussion in an interview, regardless of if the gap was between 2002-2004 or from 2010 to the present.
Now if the interviewer is being a d-bag about your responses (as some of you have experienced) then that is unacceptable behavior.
I think the point is when you look at a resume you can see there is a gap in employment.
Why waste your time and theirs if it is an issue.
Don't schedule the interview and save everyone some grief.
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