CAREER ADVICE COLUMN: I’ve Been Out of Work for Over 2 Years

[Thursday, October 21, 2010 | View Comments ]

Hi Dorothy. My question is about many employers don't like the fact I have been out of work for over two years are afraid to hire me willing to go with someone who has been out work less than a year.

How do I overcome this?

-K

Hi K, I totally understand and appreciate your concern. There are several things to say on this topic:

Having a gap in your work history, even 2 years or greater, is no longer as much of a stigma as it once was. With the length and depth of our economic recession, a lot of people are out of work and many of them for as long as or longer than you. If there ever was a time to have a gap, it’s right now. Hiring managers are much more “tolerant” of that gap then they used to be. It used to be somewhat a statement about either your ability to conduct a good job search (i.e.: lazy) or that there was something wrong about the person with a gap. That’s just not the case these days.

Despite saying that fact, there are still hiring managers out there that do place a judgment on you. Not as many but they do exist. This brings me to my next point. There will be hiring managers out there that will harbor judgments about all kinds of things: our age- being too old or too young, too much experience or too little, not enough education, too fat, too sick or too fill-in-the-blanks. In other word, you will find bias for all kinds of things legal or not. That means you may have to work a bit harder than others to find a job. Besides, you don’t want to work for people with too many bias’s, they will be a pain to work for.

Some things you can do to mitigate these issues: 1- consider preparing your resume in a functional format. It helps to soften the affects of the time gap. 2- Volunteer while you are unemployed. Don’t just volunteer by taking tickets at an event. Go to some non-profits and discuss your skill sets with the leader and see if you can’t drum up some meaningful work. You might even be able to expand your skill sets. In either case, you can put this on your resume, its valuable experience and shows not only drive but it fills the gaps. 3- Consider expanding your skills or education to modify the type of jobs you’ve been historically looking for 4- you may need a more effective job search. If your job search is dominated by looking for posted jobs on the internet, it’s the least effective way of landing a job. Network your way to finding the job you are looking for.

I know it’s discouraging to see hiring managers post remarks like “don’t apply if you’re unemployed”. It makes this issue seem enormously unfair and doesn’t help us as a nation to get people back to work.

Do you have a career question you want Dorothy to answer?

Email her at: dorothy@nextchapternewlife.com. She will answer all questions and will keep your name confidential if she publishes your question.

Guest Expert:

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com/

Hi Dorothy. My question is about many employers don't like the fact I have been out of work for over two years are afraid to hire me willing to go with someone who has been out work less than a year.

How do I overcome this?

-K

Hi K, I totally understand and appreciate your concern. There are several things to say on this topic:

Having a gap in your work history, even 2 years or greater, is no longer as much of a stigma as it once was. With the length and depth of our economic recession, a lot of people are out of work and many of them for as long as or longer than you. If there ever was a time to have a gap, it’s right now. Hiring managers are much more “tolerant” of that gap then they used to be. It used to be somewhat a statement about either your ability to conduct a good job search (i.e.: lazy) or that there was something wrong about the person with a gap. That’s just not the case these days.

Despite saying that fact, there are still hiring managers out there that do place a judgment on you. Not as many but they do exist. This brings me to my next point. There will be hiring managers out there that will harbor judgments about all kinds of things: our age- being too old or too young, too much experience or too little, not enough education, too fat, too sick or too fill-in-the-blanks. In other word, you will find bias for all kinds of things legal or not. That means you may have to work a bit harder than others to find a job. Besides, you don’t want to work for people with too many bias’s, they will be a pain to work for.

Some things you can do to mitigate these issues: 1- consider preparing your resume in a functional format. It helps to soften the affects of the time gap. 2- Volunteer while you are unemployed. Don’t just volunteer by taking tickets at an event. Go to some non-profits and discuss your skill sets with the leader and see if you can’t drum up some meaningful work. You might even be able to expand your skill sets. In either case, you can put this on your resume, its valuable experience and shows not only drive but it fills the gaps. 3- Consider expanding your skills or education to modify the type of jobs you’ve been historically looking for 4- you may need a more effective job search. If your job search is dominated by looking for posted jobs on the internet, it’s the least effective way of landing a job. Network your way to finding the job you are looking for.

I know it’s discouraging to see hiring managers post remarks like “don’t apply if you’re unemployed”. It makes this issue seem enormously unfair and doesn’t help us as a nation to get people back to work.

Do you have a career question you want Dorothy to answer?

Email her at: dorothy@nextchapternewlife.com. She will answer all questions and will keep your name confidential if she publishes your question.

Guest Expert:

Dorothy Tannahill-Moran is a Career Coach and expert on helping her clients achieve their goals. Her programs cover: Career growth and enhancement, Career Change, Retirement Alternatives and Job Search Strategy. Want to discover specific career change strategies that get results? Discover how by claiming your FREE gift, Career Makeover Toolkit at: http://CareerMakeoverToolKitShouldIstayorShouldIGo.com/

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