5.5 Years Unemployed, Should I Lie on My Resume? (employment, 2014, applying)

[Jesse69]

I can't believe I'm already 5.5 years unemployed, but this is still a bad economy with record unemployment even though the gov lies about low unemployment. I did put a lie on my resume, starting in Jan 2014, but maybe I should take it off. It W----- C-------, a company my SR Mech Eng friend Horus runs. I never actually did work for him, but in Fall 2013 I did two *** & Fixture designs in Solidworks 2012 for my terrible Triton College *** & Fixtures Class. I say I did these two designs for my friend's company, but I have no actual 1099 or tax records to show for it. I just say I got paid Paypal at $24 / hr for him, and that I got the job because he was overstuffed with work. Can recruiters see through this lie?

The resume lie worked only with one recruiter, but I didn't get any jobs from her. I guess other recruiters withheld jobs from me because of the lie [I guess].

What should I do? Companies discriminate against the long term unemployed a lot, and now I'm 45 too.

My other lie on my resume works though, I say I did online Patent Invalidation with Article One, but I never say I never earned a cent from them.

[MountainGuy74]

How have you not managed to find any work for over 5 years? What in the world have you been doing for income since unemployment benefits only last 2 years? I know the economy isn't that great right now but that's a really long time to be unable to find any kind of work.

[RoadWarrior12]

It's not the employment gap.

It's the paranoia and assault conviction.

[Jesse69]

I interviewed at Cummins Alison but they didn't call me for a 2nd interview because my $48,000 year min salary for them was too much, they were probably looking for a cheap $45,000 a year candidate. This was in summer 2010 when they got 221 resumes for their job ad.

I shouldn't have rejected applying for the low ball salary of $23/hr for a John Deere job in New Orleans around March 2009, but that was too low for doing Proe and knowing GD&T.

I guess I should have accepted working for $45,000 a year at a certain South Side Chicago Eng firm, but I insisted on $48,000 year for having an ME degree, and if they wanted ME input they should at least pay for that. It was a Solidworks Mech Designer job. But the Sr Eng didn't like my spotty work history.

A Chicago recruiter just called me 4 months ago for a Solidworks Plastic Design job, but then they dismissed me for not having recent experience.

I apply to numerous Chicago job ads on Monster and CareerBuilder, but sometimes it's just a resume black hole. Like one week I applied for 20 jobs and yet I did not get a call for a single interview.

I fear I am getting discriminated based on my age and work history. I hardly have work experience as a design engineer but I've gotten a few calls and interview for some. I think if I had a solid 5 years design work history I would get frequent recruiter calls.

Chicago is a terrible jobs market. I just lived here to live rent free in my parents house, but a terrible thing happened - my mom died, her $4,198 monthly pension is now gone, and now my brother controls the Trust and he want to sell the Chicago house I live in because he wants his inheritance money. He always excuses that the Trust says he has to sell the house.

Because I interviewed for a rare Proe Designer Job knowing Windchill, electronic schematic reading, and Proe Creo and yet the Rockford company still didn't hire me after passing their schematic reading test and Proe test. For a $23/hr job.

I get $1171 monthly SSDI, but now that won't be enough.

[Jesse69]

Originally Posted by RoadWarrior12

It's not the employment gap.

It's the paranoia and assault conviction.

Companies never know about my Schizophrenia when I apply, and Chicago job companies only go back now the last 7 years of criminal history I guess. So my record has been clean since 2002 - 12 years.

[aliss2]

Have you sought assistance from a career counselling service that assists people with barriers? 5.5 years gap is not unusual for people who deal with a lack of experience/age/mental health history/criminal record, you're probably going to need some professional assistance at this point. If you feel that your mental health is under control with medication, then it may be worth considering starting your own business/become self-employed as well.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

I interviewed at Cummins Alison but they didn't call me for a 2nd interview because my $48,000 year min salary for them was too much, they were probably looking for a cheap $45,000 a year candidate. This was in summer 2010 when they got 221 resumes for their job ad.

Unemployed for five years and you made 3k an issue? Uhhhh, what am I missing?!!!??!

[I'm Retired Now]

If you have someone at the company to say you are working and have been there for your 5 1/2 years, I say go for it. You have nothing to lose. It's war out there! If you don't lie successfully you will never go back to work. But only lie if you have a 50% or better chance of getting away with it! Have your talking points and ducks in a row.

[jman07]

Lie for things like that if you can get away with it! I did to appear undereducated and it was the best decision I ever made. Don't listen to the people on here who say, "never lie on your resume." They are full of it and don't want their competition to get the upper hand! DO what you have to do. Period.

[Tcoma11]

Get a job "under the table" to supplement the SSDI

Cash jobs are the way to go. Even if it's like $8/hr cash, which is the equivalent of a $10/hr W2 job, that should more than make up the difference.