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I absolutely never claimed the problem never existed. I even pointed out in a previous post WHY the unemployed face uphill battles. Life is not the binary equation you are attempting to fit it into. There's shades of grey all over.
My bad - I think I mixed you up with another poster. My apologies.
Long story short, you're right in that regard, and not hiring the unemployed because of their unemployed status is disgusting, no matter the "reasons" given, and does nothing but create a permanent underclass.
One valuable thing to do if your long time unemployed, (except looking for work) is volunteer. If you can tell an employer you volunteered for the National Park Service giving nature lectures, volunteered at a retirement home leading an exercise class, things like that, it shows that you did something with your time AND gained some skills.
One valuable thing to do if your long time unemployed, (except looking for work) is volunteer. If you can tell an employer you volunteered for the National Park Service giving nature lectures, volunteered at a retirement home leading an exercise class, things like that, it shows that you did something with your time AND gained some skills.
I think the argument is while a person can do these things, if the skills they gain aren't directly relevant to the line of work they wish to enter it's a waste of time. If I volunteered teaching basic computer skills, it's not looked upon as highly as volunteering my time doing basic to intermediate computer networking. Employers want to see the work done as really applicable to a real-life setting.
I think the argument is while a person can do these things, if the skills they gain aren't directly relevant to the line of work they wish to enter it's a waste of time. If I volunteered teaching basic computer skills, it's not looked upon as highly as volunteering my time doing basic to intermediate computer networking. Employers want to see the work done as really applicable to a real-life setting.
Exactly. I also don't get where folks come up with the notion that you can just volunteer anywhere. In most cases, volunteering for a regular position basically has an application process of its own - it's not as if the local pet shelter is just going to employ anyone who wanders in off the street. Top that off with the fact that if the volunteer work has zero relevance to your actual field of employment, which is highly likely, and the best you can hope for is tricking the 1st round resume filters - and then hitting a wall when a human looks at your resume and realizes you lied about being "employed" at a volunteer agency.
Exactly. I also don't get where folks come up with the notion that you can just volunteer anywhere. In most cases, volunteering for a regular position basically has an application process of its own - it's not as if the local pet shelter is just going to employ anyone who wanders in off the street. Top that off with the fact that if the volunteer work has zero relevance to your actual field of employment, which is highly likely, and the best you can hope for is tricking the 1st round resume filters - and then hitting a wall when a human looks at your resume and realizes you lied about being "employed" at a volunteer agency.
I'm in IT, and while I was laid off earlier this year, I volunteered at a homeless shelter. The job I performed was teaching homeless folks how to use the computer, helping them create resumes & fill out applications online.
Now, I wasn't asked by my current employer what I did during my two months off, because I am a DoD contractor and I came recommended by my last boss. But the interview I went to (at a different contractor) before I got hired, did ask me what kind of things I did between jobs, and I was able to say that. I got an offer from them after I accepted the other one, and when I spoke to the hiring manager, he told me that answer alone had put me above the other candidates, that they like to see people give back to their community.
So I'm not just blowing smoke here. You can take away from that what you want.
I'm in IT, and while I was laid off earlier this year, I volunteered at a homeless shelter. The job I performed was teaching homeless folks how to use the computer, helping them create resumes & fill out applications online.
Now, I wasn't asked by my current employer what I did during my two months off, because I am a DoD contractor and I came recommended by my last boss. But the interview I went to (at a different contractor) before I got hired, did ask me what kind of things I did between jobs, and I was able to say that. I got an offer from them after I accepted the other one, and when I spoke to the hiring manager, he told me that answer alone had put me above the other candidates, that they like to see people give back to their community.
So I'm not just blowing smoke here. You can take away from that what you want.
I'll grant you that IT and software fields are somewhat different, though they are probably the only high-tech field in which one can, in theory, do stuff on your own that counts for something and/or volunteer in a way that still counts towards "working in your field."
Most other forms of engineering don't fall into that category - we get into the "volunteering to design jet engines in the basement" situation - and the same applies to the medical field, etc.
Anyway, good post on your part and I'm glad it worked out for you.
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