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It's more than just the semantics:
Too many don't seem to distinguish between those fulfilling and challenging career positions that you may have done in the past or went to school to be qualified for... and "employment" (aka the J.O.B.)
The folks who can and do, by and large, will have a one.
Having one, even a crappy low pay degrading one, is better than having none at all.
Better even than collecting UI and praying as the resumes for the other sort are posted.
What I noticed is that employers (especially these young 'HR Professionals who seem to be on a power trip') are critical of anything that isn't a full time job in ones career. Going back to school full time (if you aren't of traditional college age for example), temping, studying for a licensing exam in ones field full time such as CPA or LSAT is looked upon very critically. I described my experience with that awful six month gap and how completing grad school with an MS degree in Finance was something that couldn't be comprehended and I got more questions starting with 'Why' & 'How Come You'..... Much of it I think is paranoia. Everyone is paranoid & Suspicious that someone is 'hiding' some sinister information either about the job that they got fired from and left off their Resume or the job that they have very bad references from
Nick, Some of it is H/R fearing for their own jobs. Many corps with multiple facilities/subsidiaries of say, 125-250 employees each have axed H/R above a clerk at the subs, only kept a professional H/R staff at corp, and saved megabucks, while not losing any valuable emps at subsidiaries.
Says much about how much value added the fired H/R managers brought to their positions, huh?
It depends on what you do. Do you work in a field where you could freelance or volunteer for free? I have been freelancing (literally) my graphic design work here and there this year since I haven't been able to land a full-time gig in Graphic Design since graduating in the depths of economic downturn in December 2009.
It is hard out there. This question of "what have you been doing all this time?" has definitely killed at least one of my job interviews for a good position this year. Unfortunately, it is an employer's market today. They can be as picky as they want. This is the reason why most entry level jobs have all but ceased to exist. Everyone wants five plus years experience, immaculate credit and a Master's degree in Computer Science to work for $12 an hour. Anyone searching for a "real job" in this economy has seen these want ads that demand an expensive education, years of work experience and a credit history report for a part-time position with pay barely over minimum wage.
But back to my original point. If you can volunteer your career services for free or a nominal fee to a business, I would do it to fill that gap in your resume. Good luck, we all need it.
Unfortunately, it is an employer's market today. They can be as picky as they want. This is the reason why most entry level jobs have all but ceased to exist. Everyone wants five plus years experience, immaculate credit and a Master's degree in Computer Science to work for $12 an hour. Anyone searching for a "real job" in this economy has seen these want ads that demand an expensive education, years of work experience and a credit history report for a part-time position with pay barely over minimum wage.
I can't believe how true and horribly sad this statement is. goldenchild08 nailed it! Just this week I applied for a job with just "ok" benefits, BUT they start you out at $9/hr!!! I'm knee deep in the application process which literally took HOURS to complete, when I find out that the first thing they look for is a BA in accounting!!!!!!! Who in their right mind with a BA would CHOOSE to work in a call center for $9.00 an hour part time????!!!!!
My family saw what this company puts people through just to apply for their crappy little part time job. And they even said that I should've been paid at least minimum wage for all of the hours I spent going through their on-line courses, writing a 500 word essay, a computer test, jumping through hoops of fire and bringing peace to the middle East. It is ridiculous! Not only is this position beneath someone with a college degree, but it is completely outrageous of them to make applicants crawl through broken glass just to have the honor and privilege to apply for their company.
How about saying these possible reasons for the gap question. Now I don't see why you can't say the following even if you only have 1 customer currently...it's not lying:
- being a freelance writer, artist, etc.
- doing lawn & garden work...(I doubt the interviewer will ask how many customers you have)
- doing housework for people
- tutoring kids
Last edited by Forever Blue; 09-04-2011 at 12:19 PM..
Not only is this position beneath someone with a college degree, but it is completely outrageous of them to make applicants crawl through broken glass just to have the honor and privilege to apply for their company.
They do it cause they can and BA's in accounting are a dime a dozen. Remember all those yahoo articles about recession proof degrees? Yea, so did everyone else.
How about saying these possible reasons for the gap question. Now I don't see why you can't say the following even if you only have 1 customer currently...it's not lying:
- being a freelance writer, artist, etc.
- doing lawn & garden work...(I doubt the interviewer will ask how many customers you have)
- doing housework for people
- tutoring kids
Or.... you were recruited temporarily by the CIA.......If they require any details.. you will have to kill them.......
I've heard that you shouldn't say you were caring for a sick family member because they'll think you're going to have to be off a lot for family reasons. I actually did help care for a family member earlier this year, but have been unsure about whether I should mention it. He has since passed away so it would not be an issue now, but I don't know how to bring that up without either sounding like I'm asking for sympathy or just putting a downer on the tone of the interview as a whole.
I get the same question about an employment gap while I attended school full-time. My school did not cater to working adults and I often had morning, afternoon, and evening classes all in a single week, so it was very difficult to find employers who would accommodate that when they could just hire someone who wasn't going to school. That was over four years ago and I'm still having to answer questions about it, in addition to my current gap in employment.
Not sure what we're supposed to do---I'm in a field where I can say that I'm maintaining my skills through continuing professional education, but that has not seemed to be that good of an answer either. I guess I could say I was temping....but I haven't been. I've answered tax questions for friends and family, could I say I was a consultant? ;-)
What you should do is list this as a job:
In-Home caregiver, January 2010- August 2011
Coordinated household operations, administered medication, and liaised with ten healthcare providers, for terminally ill patient.
Elaborate on your multitasking skills and ability to work in stressful positions blah, blah, blah.
Or something like that.
Back to OP, when I was looking for work in 2009/10, my answers varied, depending on the vibe of the interviewer. It wasn't that hard to produce an answer on the fly, because I didn't have to make one up. I was productive during my time off.
I can't speak for other fields but in my industry, employers were really pleased to hear that I had spent part of my time taking training courses in the latest software programs. Such courses run upwards of $2k and can take an employee out of work for a week. That I could come into a job with that already out of the way was a bonus to a potential employer.
For the job I ended up getting, I sensed the interviewer had a dry sense of humor. I mentioned some of the things I'd been doing (keeping up with my software skills was just one of them), and then summed it up by saying that preferred to think of my time off as an extended staycation. It got a laugh out of the interviewer and at the same time let her know a little bit about me: when life, and my job, give me lemons, I make lemonade. That was the kind of spirit they were looking for: someone who was a roll-up-their-sleeves kind of person who would get the job done and not whine about having to deal with problems or be a prima donna.
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Not only is this position beneath someone with a college degree, but it is completely outrageous of them to make applicants crawl through broken glass just to have the honor and privilege to apply for their company.
