Dealing with Long-Term Unemployment

@Sene not sure about submitting a resume without dates of employment. Might just get thrown out without human eyes viewing it. I would put my actual dates of employment and maybe include a sentence in the cover letter to explain the gaps. But you know, in today's world, so many people are on long-term unemployment and employers know that. So more than likely it won't raise too many red flags. We have people who have been unemployed for four years or more but find that they are still being hired. The economy has already started turning around and more jobs are becoming available. Hopefully your issues with the union will be resolved and you will be able to move on. So I think that not putting dates on your resume would be a larger red flag than having employment gaps. All the best to you on your search!

Nancy, thank you for your insightful feedback. You suggested not to include the lost time on my resume. I am unsure how not to because of the relevant and direct experience of fourteen years. I've read somewhere that you don't necessarily have to put the timeline (dates) of employment on your resume. If that's the case then that would solve my problem! What's your thought on it?

Thank you so much for your advice. I will certainly try that. I have been networking a little also. I have some money saved so hopefully I can find something soon. I am trying to get a scholarship or additional loans now. I don't want to go too far in debt.

@Judy thanks for your comment. I sure do wish that I had an answer for you. No rhyme nor reason sometimes with the way the retailers make their hiring decisions. Yes they know that the teenager is going to start back to school. They know that the college-bound student will be returning to school also. Most folks who take a retail position are not in it for a career but just for the short term. Maybe it would help if you could narrow it down to certain retailers and then go talk to them in person. Sometimes that's much quicker than trying to find a position through a job poster. Sure would hate to see you go bankrupt or starve! Also make sure that you are asking around and telling family and friends what you are looking for. Sometimes word of mouth is the best kind of advertising. Best of luck in your schooling as well as in finding a position.

I'm actually making a slight career change and will be attending school for a little less than a year. I am searching for a retail position to supplement my income for awhile. I actually enjoy retail to a point. I have worked a full time job in addition to retail for extra income for two years or more in the past. Now I can't find a retail job at all. I'm being flexible with pay and have experience. There are many younger people who work retail and food service jobs while in college and I'm sure they are not planning a long term career out of it unless they are going into business. So what am I suppose to do? I need some income. I feel I am being discriminated against for my age and past work experience. I have tried finding full time work in my field with no luck so far. So I'm trying to increase my employability with more education. I guess I will starve and go bankrupt in the meantime. I think these hiring managers are being close minded in not hiring older more seasoned workers. They are more reliable and have the experience. So what if they may need short term work so does the teenager they just hired.

@Sene thanks for your comment. It is tough when you feel that you have been wrongly terminated. You are blessed to have the union to back you up and get satisfaction - whether a new job or compensation. I would suggest that you not include the time on your resume. If you feel that you must, you could include a quick sentence on your cover letter but I wouldn't go into depth. As for the additional training and certifications, include them on the bottom of your resume under Education. It's great that you continued to improve yourself while recovering from surgery. That shows great initiative and companies love that. Since you are working through your union, you could just let them know that you are ready for a new assignment and see how things go. Best of luck

Don't know if this qualifies but I've been unemployed going on a year in 9/15. I was wrongly terminated which I am fighting through my union. In addition, I was injured on the job at the time and now I am on Worker's comp since 2/15. Ironically, while waiting for authorization for surgery I was offered three different positions but could not take them because of the impending recovery time. At this time,, I am getting stronger and feel like I could take on some type of employment providing my doctor agrees. I am interested in a different career path, whereby I can transfer some skills. While in recovery I have managed to acquire some needed certifications and additional training. How do I account for the missing time frame on my resume? And, how do I list the additional training, diploma, and certifications on my resume? Any and all suggestions and advice is welcome.

@Judy things are changing - albeit slowly - but they are changing. More jobs are being posted on a daily basis now. But keep in mind that companies want to hire the right person the first time - an employee who is going to stay with them. If you worked in a non-retail job prior to this, you probably won't get hired even for a scrappy retail job. The reason? Because employers figure that you are just marking time until THE job becomes available. They would rather find someone who really wants to work in retail and who is willing to stay for the long-term. One thing you might want to try is a career assessment. You can find tons of them for free on the Internet. Take one and see what it tells you that you are most suited to and then check out some open positions along those lines. You might be surprised and it might open up new doors and new paths of opportunity that you never considered before.

I am in a the same boat as many of you. The age thing being to experienced or not having enough. It's all so depressing and unfair. It's sad when you can't even get a scrappy retail job to get by until you find a betterr job. I have missed the memo on that. Didn't know they were that many people in line for those jobs. Jeez.

Thank you I realize that if I had stuck true to my beliefs I would be far better off. For me Learning to exercise eating healthy foods and networking is a good start. I got lost in a sea of despair and got so forgetful I now know that persistence and your own mindset is crucial to your overall well being.

@Beatriz thanks for that and for your positive upbeat attitude. That is number one when dealing with long-term unemployment. You are absolutely right that giving up is not an option. Keep your attitude and keep searching. Don't forget to network. Check your area for local networking events and start attending. Never know who you might meet at one. We wish you all the best.

Unemployed for over 6 months now. It is the second time e it happened for such an extended period and because of the good experience I have at recognized co. In my industry I thought it wpuld be easier. Wrong! It is tougher and the age factor make it worse. But giving up is not an option. These articles and exchanges help to revise your methods, your depression and keep going. During this time I did a certification as Project Manager, online. There are a myriad of courses at that site of very good level and if maybe is not considered by hr's and recruiters they keep alive your skills, refresh knowledge and keep you with new tools. Good luck and good energy my peers!!!!

To Mr. Villa
Work that you did whether menial or combination can be applied to other positions. Problem is figuring out what connections you have to other jobs. Example if you had to figure out how many 2 by 4s someone needed to do a rafting you can get into doing replacement cost and/or estimator based on the math figure out square footage, linear measurement for a cabinet etc.

The big warehouse lumber places replaced many of the lumber yards do have need for customer support to load for contractors as well as assist customers. Then again, working in a warehouse, you understand inventory and possibly the inventory software used.

There are online tests that can assess and give you ideas as to what careers/jobs are out here for your skills. Some of them we already know but we all can get pleasantly surprised at jobs we may never even heard about. That's why I recommend doing that type of assessment. It not only does what you know based on experience, additionally takes into consideration your interests and where you tend to align yourself without you realizing it.

Why? If you feel what you have done isn't marketable anyone, or you want to increase your marketability you may because you are displaced get training/education to transition into another field. For example, if you were always interested in becoming a nurse, this is your chance to get training to become one! Depending on the state, there is money in form of grants for educational purposes for displaced workers (terminated due to layoffs, closing of plants etc.). You may be able to enhance your existing skills or transition into another field you may like or feel more competitive in.

@Michael so sorry to hear about your plight. Not sure what you did at the lumber yard but is there anyway to parlay what you did there into another career? Are there no other lumber yards around for you to seek work? Even places likes Lowes or HomeDepot? I don't know a lot about the lumber industry but, in 33 years, did you do management? Could you seek a management position in another industry? We wish you all the best.

Thank you @Yvonne. Good points. The best thing to do when unemployed is get on a schedule. Treat the job search the same as you would a regular job. Put in the hours on your search. Do your research. Cold call recruiters or even companies that interest you. You never know. It could be that the company just posted the perfect position and you call at the right time. Always keep track of where you applied and always do your best to follow. Network, network, network. Many people think this is crazy but I have met a lot of interesting folks just be networking. Even networking on online sites like Beyond.com or LinkedIn.com will help. Take breaks during the day - same as you would on a regular job. Don't job search in your pjs but, again, treat your job search like a regular job. Get up and get dressed as if you were going to work. It's amazing the difference it makes in your job search. We wish you all the best.

I have been in the throes of unemployment unable to find work for a year and on/off now because of being contract temp. It's been a feast/famine existence since a few years ago. It seemed nothing could go wrong for many years, then suddenly the worked didn't flood in as expected. So yes, been through it in the past and going through it now.

Depression will creep up unnoticed if you allow it. I have gained weight but it is due primarily to inactivity because of an injury. I'm not stating I don't do emotional eating but can't easily walk it off or exercise. Now where am I going with this?

I need to create a structure for me when not working. Depression robs one of energy, determination and effort. So I need to ensure I'm trying to keep some sort of schedule and not be totally here, there & random doing everything. First tendency which needs to be monitored is doing everything all at once (staying up 18 hrs/day to review all classified jobs filling out everything right then & there). That will burn you out, cause impatience/frustration. Do a search once or every 2 days & try to find new search engines.

Structure won't stop the pain & feelings of helplessness, but it does give one organization. Keep a schedule, a list of job search engines, who contacted & list of recruiters. Do follow-up once every 2-3 weeks. That aids in keeping one focused. A week is one thing, doing it for a year is another. I have those lists to go back to and review. I cold call recruiters to see if can pull up leads as well as companies. One never knows unless they try. As stated in other postings, the first thing is the resume. Check to ensure it's working for you be willing to change & modify. Get out of the house or where you are staying at least once in the week if it means walking around the block, going to church, synagogue and/or mosque do it.

Everyone needs fresh air, if have a car, can afford to drive down a highway for a little bit, scream out the frustrations. No one wants to hire a desperate looking or angry applicant. Check your attitude and smile when in interviews. Negative attitudes are pervasive so be aware it's hard to smile when down, but force yourself to find something to smile about at least once or twice in the day otherwise you will forget to smile in an interview.

Thank you If you are not technical there is a wide array of knowledge that can hone certain skills.

@Helen if I were hiring, I would weigh experience over education. Anyone can read a textbook but putting the textbook knowledge to the test in real life is what I would be looking for. Unfortunately, in today's world, if you don't have that "education" listed on your resume, it gets passed over. Sometimes it is true that it's not what you know but who but that's not always the case. Don't give up hope. Keep applying. It will happen.

While educational credentials were once important to potential employers, experience far outweigh them now. After I became certified as an NA, it was nearly impossible to find a position that didn't expect experience. Unfortunately, the health field is more difficult to keep in practice while not employed. I can keep up my studies, but doing the actual job is more difficult. I can't exactly practice phlebotomy or EKG while looking for a job, but we still have to be patient in the mean time. As with any career, it's not what you know, but who.

@George you are right and this has always been the case where a company will hire a contractor based upon a project. But you know going in that, when the project is over, you are gone. The difference is that it's more prevalent today and it has garnered more attention. I think temping is great. It's a great way to gain more skills and it helps to build your network even more so that when the times comes for you to search for another job, you have more people to contact for assistance. Great attitude! Thanks for that.

There is nothing wrong with temping or job shopping, as known in the engineering industries. It helps expand your network of contacts and references as well as provides experiences you may not have obtained at one employer. The diversity and flexibility are very much in demand.

As shown by the downturn in oil and gas jobs, the pattern of hire and fire by the project should be evident. Companies hire for the duration of their work. Once it is complete or slows down, they lay off. Most industries like aerospace, construction, mining, and engineering follow a five to seven year cycle of peaks and valleys, with their staffing needs following accordingly.

Yes you can check out recruiters and/or agencies to find work. In this article we were more concerned with your mental and physical health when being unemployed for a longer length of time. We do have many articles on our site that discuss working with recruiters and agencies as well as other helpful tips and suggestions. @Ian is right. Try some short-term employment if you can. It is unfortunate that once you are out of work for about 6 months, it's harder to get those doors to open for you but it's not impossible. The economy does seem to be turning around regardless of the political parties in charge. Keep looking and keep sending out those resumes.

Get a contract job to cover the short term, rather than waiting for something more ideal.

While much of this may appear to be true, the main reason we are having trouble finding work is "The Economy"! This Administration and the Mainstream Media continue to lie about how well the economy is doing. I am a guru in what I do and have 35 plus years of experience in two specialized industries and can not find work in either one of them. "Age" is the second factor and may I say that I am in pretty darn good shape, have most all of my hair and one heck of a sense of humor. All I have to say is may the company owners learn the hard way by hiring the younger inexperienced people as they try to cut corners in order to line their pockets! I have pretty much dropped out of this so called workforce as have millions of others. I am starting my own business in both of my specialties which is helping save my sanity. Best of luck to all!