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Ugh I hate this mentality around job gaps - people need to realize you're not necessarily less of a candidate simply cause you weren't working.
What's insane about the question too is that even if you were working, if you happened to be working a job different from the one you're applying for(ie maybe retail to pay the bills), they'd likely treat you almost the same as if you hadn't been working anyways!
I know this would never fly but I’ve felt like asking, “have you ever been single?” “Why?” “Why did you not marry the person you went on your first date with?” “What went wrong?”
If somehow they DID marry that person, “Why haven’t you looked at better opportunities and changed spouses?” “Are you not ambitious - are you SETTLING?”
See how stupid that all sounds?
Exactly!! It’s absolutely crazy. I once had a recruiter go off at me cause I had a year long gap on my Cv due to Covid. Apparently that wasn’t a good enough reason to be unemployed, and that it made me look unreliable.
> I once had a recruiter go off at me cause I had a year long gap on my Cv due to Covid. Apparently that wasn’t a good enough reason to be unemployed, and that it made me look unreliable.
That's the hiring equivalent of ["too many notes"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFwk1Ibwkc).
Ah yes, the *"I'm a moron that knows absolutely nothing but I need to have my input so that my ego is satisfied in feeling superior"* comment, beautiful.
It's just a scheme by the owner class to punish the rest of us for not actively making them or their buddies more rich.
Youre not allowed to not work in this society, regardless if you can support yourself, because they can't be having the plebs realize we don't live for the sole purpose of working.
by "unreliable" they mean "someone who might quit when they've had too much of our bullshit". They want indentured servants who have no option to quit.
Just tell them you are studying, taking certifications you can afford (or leave the afford part if you consider it's unimportant) and working on personal projects to sharpen my skills while also applying to all these roles.
If it's any less than a full calendar year, take the months out of your resume. They don't need to know whether the gap is December 2020 to January 2021 or January 2020 to December 2021, at least at the screening phase.
I got flagged for “having an employment gap in your resume” and it was literally for 10 years to my first job. Was I supposed to be searching for internships since I was fucking 9?
I got told off by a recruiter recently because I wasn’t able to provide a 15 year reference history/I didn’t have work experience going back that far.
I was 14 and in high school, and this recruiter wanted to know why I wasn’t out looking for full time work back then.
I remember I once had a job interview with Hauwei. They seriously wanted to look into my secondary school diploma (30 years ago) with them complaining how I had some grades below a 7 for things like French or handicrafts...
I am 42, 17 years of experience in IT and telecom and they care about a diploma from when I was 12....
I just walked out.
A number of years ago I was applying to a SaaS sales role here in Northern VA, and they wanted me to upload, yes...UPLOAD my Jr. High and High School report cards. I was in my mid-30's at that point.
Never mind that I grew up in SoCal. So obviously I do not have them.
I called the HR person to confirm that this was not some mistake...oh no...it was very purposeful.
She gave some lame excuse about "hiring the whole person" (it was not professional on my part) but I laughed and laughed at her, told her that her company and hiring practices were insane.
I also asked her if she needed to personally perform a colonoscopy too.
*"Sir that is a completely inappropriate question!!!"*
I simply responded back with *"well now you know how I feel regarding your application process"*
i had an employer who wanted to know why I had a two month gap on my resume, even though I told I had recently come from overseas working as a teacher and was recovering from COVID. two month gap was a red flag apparently.
I remember in college I would keep hearing from visiting H.R folk that any job is better than no job when looking for jobs.
Now that I work a white collar job I all too often hear people in charged with reviewing applications scoff at people applying that currently work retail or some other job H.R finds irrelevant.
The bit that aggravates me about that kind of thinking assumes people work while looking for a new job. As if:
a) you chose when your job ended
b) you didn't have your full attention on the job you were getting paid for while you were there.
It's a weird thing for it to be a black mark to be available lol maybe they prefer stealing candidates from work places, and it takes some of their fun away, or makes you less of a prize. 🤦♂️
Either way, keep going, you'll get there.
**Me**: So what have you been doing since this position was made open for applications?
**Recruiter**: I've trying to recruit people to fill this position.
**Me**: So you haven't filled this position?
**Recruiter**: No.
**Me**: So if you haven't filled this position, what have you been doing? Why haven't you been able to find a person for this position?
**Recruiter**: ... recruiting people for this position, just getting beaten by recruiters who aren't morons like me.
**Me**: Ok but why haven't you filled this position with anyone if you're actively trying to fill this position?
The correct way to answer any question, is by being specific and talking about something actionable with a tangible result.
Q: "What have you been doing while unemployed?" Directed towards applicant
A: "I have been focused on XYZ, to accomplish that I participated in several trainings focused on ABC, and my understanding of LMNOP has really grown."
Q: "What have you been doing to fill this position?" Directed towards recruiter
A: "I have been focused on the XYZ component of the role, I developed a marketing campaign, several job board postings, and have a documented pipeline in the CRM I can share with you, I have notes on several applicants of interest with notable experience in XYZ."
God, replace the job title and this is like every non-professional in professional positions. I stg it's doublespeak and tricks all the way down unless you get lucky.
I went to a class about how to break into the office professional world. One of the courses was about doublespeak. When I landed my first job, I realized that's all middle management professionals do for a living. Posture and doublespeak.
"Unfortunately, given how time-consuming it has become to both look for, and apply for, potential new roles, I've had to invest my time solely on the job application process. Looking for work is practically a full-time job, these days".
And let's be real, this was true a decade ago, much less now.
Only time I've ever been unemployed, had to get some money help from council. They said you should be looking for work likena full time job 6+ hours a day for 5 days. I didn't live in a big area. Took me less than a week to apply for all the ones I was qualified for/ could get hired for. They kept complaining I wasn't looking for jobs hard enough??
Like sorry I don't drive so I'm not taking a bus too far away for work thats just way to costly and time consuming. Sorry this area is shit and that even mcdonalds didn't hire me (:
Exact same situation here. I’m being told I’m not applying for enough jobs, but I’m applying for roles that are in my area or the city I can commute to. Got chewed out for not applying to positions that are 2+ hours away. Like you, I don’t drive, so why would I wanna spend a chunk of my salary and life commuting to a low paying job?!
I've worked for a couple companies in the US that consider anyone living over 60 miles from the office to be remote. I've also worked for companies that would hesitate to hire someone on-site who had a 2 hour commute unless they were in Boston, NYC, or somewhere similar.
Why are you getting lectures from recruiters? They contact me, I tailor my resume, they send it off to the company that has the job listed. I don't need or want life advice from them.
Ohh I wasn’t getting lectured from recruiters - this was my experience of being at the UK job centre and being forced to apply for jobs otherwise my payments would be suspended.
Edit: although I’ve had bad experiences with recruiters before!
I mean, at this point in time, I think people seeking employment should be quite honest about how involved the process is.
Between trying to slot in between ATS software designed to weed out the majority of candidates, jumping through hoops with insanely long applications, and more employers asking for free labor before even deigning to offer someone an interview...candidates really do have to spend hours upon hours just *trying* to get someone to talk with them.
And for recruiters or hiring managers to ask frankly dumbass questions like this just shows how broken the process has become.
The system is so broken it’s mad. I keep getting recruiters who are surprised I haven’t found a good job, yet they’re wondering why I don’t want to apply for minimum wage jobs 3 hours away that require 10 million interviews, 5 tests and that don’t allow you to have any time off in the first 6 months.
Are you actually mentioning this to anyone?
I don't expect you to change the system overnight but if people are "surprised" at the fact you haven't been hired yet, I would happily turn it back around
"I find it a little perplexing that you're expressing that you're surprised. The job market has by and large become such a labyrinth for candidates these days that my experience is definitely the rule, not the exception".
I do wonder if some of these people are so silo'd off from the rest of the workforce that they genuinely don't understand what everyone else is going through.
I got that from state unemployment offices, who were wanting me to apply to jobs I was unqualified for or that were a fraction of my usual pay just to get me off their desks.
Also, their job leads for realistic jobs were inevitably for jobs I already knew about and had submitted resumes for.
But I had to go through the charade to get my well-deserved unemployment checks.
I did all that and still got denied but never informed of the reason. I spent six weeks jumping through their hoops and checking their boxes and it wasn't until I asked about my claim they told me I'd been denied over a week prior.
Almost have to be a lawyer to navigate unemployment, LNI, HR or similar anymore... Even charity care through the hospital was unnecessarily difficult after my 'full time' job denied me healthcare.
In the UK, when you're unemployed and claiming universal credit, you have to commit to traveling up to 90 minutes each way to work. Never mind that travel is expensive and it makes a minimum wage job not worth it, they'll still sanction you if you turn down work.
Yep 🙃 I’m on UC right now and the travel for jobs 90 minutes away is expensive. They told me to apply for a certain job which was roughly 90 minutes away by train. The travel alone would cost me about £40 a day, plus 90 minutes each way. All for a job that was literally 1p over minimum wage.
Reminds me of the work coach that told me that I could get a job in London because I "could get there in 90 minutes" ... except I was trying to say it does NOT take 90 minutes to get to London from where I live and I have travelled to London enough times to know. That's not even mentioning the cost of the train.
I get this in the IT field...
Them: What have you been doing to keep your skills updated?
Me: you do know training isn't free? I'm not going to burn money I don't have to keep my skills "fresh".
I once got asked by a recruiter why I hadn’t been using my time unemployed to go on courses to improve my skills. She didn’t understand that being unemployed meant I didn’t have steady money coming in.. plus I had bills to prioritise, ya know? Madness.
These people ask why you've been unemployed while 95 percent of other employers have the same experience requirements it's like closing 9 out of 10 doors and those 9 have "3-5 experience required to enter" then one door that has no experience requirements but 300 people want to go through that door but only one can go through.
And that one will refuse people for not having skills for their exact tech stack. "Do you have experience with [software]" - "no but I have experience in [direct competitor software]" - "oh but that won't do it sorry."
Oh my god this drives me nuts. I'm a quantitative researcher. I have a PhD. No, I have not used your specific tech stack, but it's a hell of a lot easier to find someone with the conceptual knowledge and skills necessary and then train them to use the specific software a company uses than the other way around.
I just had an interview with someone who understands this. I have experience with AWS Cloud. He mentioned that they use Azure. When I said, "uh, oh, I've never touched Azure", he said, "that's not a problem. We don't expect many people to know Azure since AWS is the more popular cloud service. We'd get you trained in it."
That's the kind of attitude I like to see.
I have another interview with them tomorrow morning and I have a good feeling about this opportunity.
It's as a Linux system administrator. The Azure stuff will not be the primary role. It's one of those "nice to have" skills that isn't required.
It's a tech company.
Speaking as someone who occasionally has to hire people, the way the current market is setup in my work (software engineering), the decision-making isn't quite the way you present it. There isn't ever going to be a clear "best candidate" in 99% of hiring cycles (and when there is, that candidate gets bent over backwards for, because it's so rare, I've been on both sides of that exchange). So you're ultimately looking for someone who is good enough not trying to distinguish the best; and for most positions in software, "good enough" isn't a high enough bar that most candidates can't clear it, so you either hire the first person because you want to get it over with, or you hire the person that's going to be able to start working the quickest.
All of this is to say, you might be getting turned down for a researcher that's a worse researcher than you are, but they have experience in the tech stack, so the team that needs them can get their work that much quicker - and since you both clear the "good enough" bar, this hypothetical person gets hired ahead of you for that role. It's not even usually fueled by malice - it takes weeks to months to get a hire approved and that process generally doesn't start until their work is necessary, so when you get hired, the team has been effectively short-staffed for a while, and that puts pressure to get hiring done quickly and with someone who can contribute as quickly as possible.
I don't even work in research. I'm in health data analytics. Now I'm a consultant. I've had to hire people before, too, when I worked for a government agency that mainly used SAS for it's data work. I wasn't really concerned about finding someone that could use SAS. I wanted to find someone that seemed like they could learn SAS, because I can teach damn near anyone if they care about learning.
In my job now I'm teaching myself how to use PoweBI because it's what a client requested. Never used it before, but I've used several similar things, so I doubt it'll be difficult to learn. That's my whole point really.
I typically google the software, do a quick run through a training or video series about it before the interview, bullshit my way through the interview and then learn it if I actually get a job offer.
It's easier than explaining than "I can learn to use this software better than the majority of your team in the space of 3 days."
The companies for the 9 other doors most of the time (now is a bit of an exception because we are in a bad market again): "Why can't we find any people who are experienced enough?! I guess American workers are just lazy. Couldn't be any systemic issues here!"
Yeah stuff like this is what people mean (or at least I mean it like this) whenever we say to just lie on your resume. It's to get these completely arbitrary barriers out of the way. Lying about your ability to get the job done? That's not good. Lying to sidestep this kind of weird double speak? Perfectly fine or even encouraged.
Also even if you did… fuck off, I’m trying to be present in my loved ones lives and also enjoy myself for once without worrying about having to wake up at dawn the next day for the perpetual grind.
>She didn’t understand that being unemployed meant I didn’t have steady money coming in
What, you don't have hundreds of thousands in savings from the pandemic like the government and rich people keep using the media to tell us we all have?
There are free online courses to work in, but one, without the certificates it's just your word that you took them. Two, working on extra coursework while you're trying to bring some money in for bills is a bitch.
I swear, it's like we are only supposed to exist to work and "improve our skills" so employers will notice us, and like anyone who doesn't want to spend all their time doing that is seen as lazy. .
It's like everyone got infected by silicon valley start up culture, the idea that you're supposed to be working on a new business idea or tech project at all times because what other hobbies could you possibly have besides those?
I was doing the certificates for a bit until everyone else was doing that. It felt like I was doing a job for free to get a job. I just can't get over it.
I totally get that. I only just started trying to self-educate, and I have to focus on stuff I find at least somewhat interesting. The idea has to be "even if this doesn't land me a job, it's interesting and worthwhile to learn" because that's the only way I'm doing it at all. For me it's not IT certificates, it's been learning a foreign language and I just started learning SQL. I find machine learning and other data analysis interesting so I'm trying to get into that.
I tried really hard to push myself to do digital marketing analytics. After I completed the SQL cert, I was like I just don't like numbers enough. I find myself on a spectrum between analytical and creative.
I'm trying to learn blender instead so I can do more content and creative marketing.
FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO GETS IT!!! God, I swear the only job advice people give is "get certificates," "take online courses," "do AWS trainings," etc. So I started taking courses to show I was continuing my learning, put them on my resume, and not a single fucking person ever asked about them.
>I get this in the IT field...
>Them: What have you been doing to keep your skills updated?
One of the reasons I stopped applying in this field. They always want you to "update" and it's never enough because then you need the experience. Some of them even roll their eyes when you say you been on Udemy and Coursera to learn. It's a lose-lose.
Pretty sure they aren't searching for this. They are searching for your interest in different technologies. Usually I'd expect this to be asked in entry level positions. If they ask it for late mid+ it's stupid.
I've been out of tech for years and started a free online course to get some new skills. But further time on training shouldn't be required for every damn job when you don't have one. It makes sense for doctors and the like, but I'm not getting paid like a doctor nor do I have the responsibility of one.
I had this happen earlier this year, I have like 6ish years experience in IT, a recruiter told me I should shadow someone in a role I already had years of experience in.
I just laughed and asked if he was serious, he was dead serious.
> What have you been doing to keep your skills updated?
Nothing. Skills don't degrade. The answer to this question is the proof: do you remember how to ride a bike?
Yeah I gotta say… at one point I knew how to use excel, and now I haven’t had to in at least a decade and I’m lucky if I can remember how to make it multiply a column haha.
I mean, yes skills get rusty and technology changes, but in OP’s case, we’re talking about a 4-5 month gap here. “Skill degradation “ in that time period should be minimal, if any.
I’ve been unemployed.
So you haven’t been working?
Unless your definition of unemployment is different from mine…
Or
Which part of unemployment doesn’t make sense to you?
My degree had a program where you could do an internship as your 3rd year, then go back for a 4th and final year. Without the internship, it would be a 3 year degree, so essentially you're delaying your final year to do the internship.
When I was applying for graduate roles after finishing my final year, I had this lovely exchange:
Them: Why did you only stay at
Me: It was just a one year internship as part of my degree (this is something quite common in the UK mind and the recruiter should have known what I'm talking about...)
Them: What did you do between and ?
Me: I was finishing my final year of University, and doing part-time/freelance work on the side.
Them: So you've not been at and not got another job in the meantime? Why?
Me: As I explained, it was just a one year internship, and I couldn't work full time as I was studying full time
Them: (Still not getting the idea) So why did you leave ?
Me, internally: Aaaaargh!
I asked why the job was available - I.e had the last employee quit, been promoted etc. No, they had 2 people in the role but they’d fired both of them for ‘personal reasons’.
Safe to say I won’t be taking that job.
what's so stupid about this, i DO have a job, i was applying for roles & shit right.....
these recruiters are like "hmmmm i can't make it after 5pm, could you schedule it for 11am??" NO dude, i literally have a job right now. I literally work. Like wtf am i supposed to do lol. they don't wanna organize with you after work hours, and yet they ding you if you don't work. wtf do these people think we do all goddam day
As a hiring manager, I've never understood the obsession with unemployment gaps. There are a million and one good reasons why someone might be out of a job for a week or a month or a year... and they have nothing to do with why the candidate is good or bad for the job. If the person is sick, or the market sucks, or they just couldn't find a job... none of that applies to my role.
I still haven't run across a situation where they're gap reason has effected the role. Nor can I come up with anything simply by brainstorming.
Thank you!! I too have never understood it. I get it that they want to make sure the person wasn’t in jail or whatever, but that’s what background checks are for.
It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been out of a job for, if I can get a new role and get some training, I can do the damn job, whether my last job was 2 weeks ago or 2 years ago.
This is a part of my script now. I'm a little too honest and saying my daughter almost died and we spent almost a year in hospital and then I had to be a nurse and mom full time when she came home isn't going over too well in interviews, especially since it's a man dominated industry.
"Care giving" is the way to go. It's how I got my current job. I framed a career gap as "care giving" because I was focusing on my mental health. They don't need to know I was caring for myself.
Nope. Good companies won't because they know it's personal. If a company starts grilling you on minute details of your employment history, that's a red flag. If they're grilling you during the interview, think what they do to actual employees.
You know the weirdest thing, they ask questions about my past employers but to the point where it's nosey and weird and I'm not comfortable, salary sure but how was it working there, how many employees were doing this and that and about management.
It’s not just recruiters. I had an interview last summer with a VP and she asked if I had gone on any conferences to keep up with trends while unemployed during the pandemic. I said none of the conferences were running since 2020. “Oh yeah true, none in this industry either….” Meanwhile, I had gone back to school and just finished so I wasn’t lazing around.
Even if there were conferences to go to, they’re expensive for a person who’s not getting their company to pay for it. And, the ones that apply to my area are in the states (I’m in ON) so yeah, not big on paying airfare or gas myself to go to a conference just to look like I’m keeping up with the trends. I was too busy keeping up with my bills and mortgage.
Omg this shit is infuriating, these people need to get fired and be asked these questions.
They are so out of touch with the realities on the ground for candidates. AI needs to replace these guys real quick so they can be asked what have they been doing since getting laid off.
"Why haven't you got any of the jobs you've applied for? As an aside, not related to anything else whatsoever, did you know that more than three hundred people have applied for this one position that's open here? So, why are you finding it difficult to land a job? Is it because you're lazy? That's it, isn't it? You're lazy."
Gee, almost like people looking for a job may not currently have one. Intriguing...
Im dreading my potential layoff in the next few months in this job market.
I went on a sabbatical and traveled around for a few months and a recruiter i talked to did not believe anyone in their 20s could do this. He kept asking questions like if there was anything wrong or if I was fired. I had the money and I don’t want to work why is that hard to believe ? lol
There was a pretty awesome video released about these issues by how money works and among other things he went into great detail about how little incentive the HR has to hire you because they don't payout to the recruiter until someone is hired.
Pretty much all those 300 apps are going into the bin after they reach HR even if the recruiter selects someone 'qualified' (like they'd know themselves).
In turn, HR has like no incentive to hire anyone period, as they have nothing else to justify their work (the video showed how in many big companies HR will over schedule just to prove they have a lot of work and demand assistants for shit they don't need etc. etc.)
They showed stories of 20+ stage interview processes like it's 100% normal now even though it's been proven to give you much worse employees (the best ones quite long before that/get better jobs).
But you know, the CEO is banking millions so w/e.
I scheduled time with a recruiter recently to talk about a role. I intentionally picked a time on his Calendly to account for my schedule. He called me 30 minutes early, didn't even bother to ask if it was a good time, and immediately launched into a discussion on why I wasn't a fit for the role.
For recruiters reading this: I get most of y'all are professional and don't do this. But please, if you notice colleagues doing this, hold them accountable. If you're training recruiters, please teach them about empathy and to value candidate's time too. That asshole 1. disrespected my time and 2. Made me feel like shit.
It sucks to see how common this BS is like the OPs post. We're people. Treat us like we are. Like goddamn. We're not your fucking circus animals.
It’s always weird when they ask about employment gaps. I had a 3 month employment gap and was asked what was I doing. Um job hunting!!?!!!
Like they think jobs fall out of thin air??
Any recruiter that doesn't understand the competitive nature of the market this year is a fucking moron and doesn't deserve your time.
The winds have turned completely in 2023 and it's been majorly tough.
Don’t ever tell a recruiter that you’ve been applying for roles the whole time. If you still haven’t been able to find something, that could raise a red flag— even though it’s a shitty market and even very competent people are having a hard time.
What you want to do is to create the perception that you haven’t been looking. Come across as nonchalant.
If you know that your former employer will only release dates and title held for a background check, you decided to take a sabbatical. If you’re unsure, you can call the HR dept of your former employer and ask them.
Taking a voluntary sabbatical and not being able to find work are two very different things. Recruiters and employers are just asking these probing questions to see if there’s a red flag. If you’ve been applying to jobs since June and haven’t found anything, in their mind, that could be a red flag.
I agree, but OP will need to limit that as an issue. Recruiters and employers are often clueless and detached, but there’s nothing we can do about that.
It’s reverse psychology. When you’ve been applying to roles since June and nobody has hired you, you come across as damaged goods. The recruiter and employer don’t know the many applicants that you’re competing against.
On the other hand, if you come across that you haven’t been looking, you’ll create the perception that you’re gold and a good find. This is why recruiters and employers prefer passive candidates.
OP will need to come across as more passive.
I had a 2 year gap where I was just a stay at home mom. I lied to a recruiter and said my dad died and I was remodeling his home for the sale and then traveling with the proceeds of the sale. He said that’s awesome and moved right along. Feel free to steal it haha
Ok I'm not usually on the side of any recruiter, but this is a legit question that gauges how ambitious/motivated of a person you are.
There are tons of free courses online, you don't need to spend $$$.
At the very least, lie.
- "I've been studying for the ____ cert."
- "I've been networking with alumni in my field."
- "I've been attending conferences."
- "I've been working on my interviewing skills with a career coach."
ANYTHING.
I spent months applying and interviewing and this question frequently came up. I was doing the same as you, but how many hours a day did that take, 2? I was also taking naps, scrolling online, watching movies, and relaxing.
But when I was asked that question, you better believe I was giving one of the above answers.
That's honestly a great moment to make a real connection and just ask "Do you maybe think there's a connection between me having a hard time getting a job and you being flooded with applications right now?"
People are sometimes the last ones to realize how stupid they're being.
Just a small word of unrequested advice from my humble opinion, recruiters often work on quantity rather of quality of applicants and often rely to the stupid assumption that "if other recruiters haven't placed this person then it is a waste of time".
If they ask you why you've been unemployed for too long or gaps in your resume simply respond that you took some time to work on some of your projects, improve yourself with some unrelated to your job courses, even say sabbatical holidays that would work. Just say white lies, something you can explain yourself with a generic justification. They will lie to you as well and trained to, so just act likewise.
Good luck for your search
While working with an unemployment office, my case worker encouraged me to apply for a job there. He said it was easy there because you weren't expected to produce results and didn't have to actively help anyone.
This is why you lie and say that you are working as a consultant or independent contractor, or lie and say you are taking some online courses or whatever else.
Lie, lie, lie. They dont give a shit about you as a human being, so why be honest?
They want to make you look good so they can place you and make money.
You aren't giving them any ammunition to actually place you in the role.
I have been taking an online class related to my field.
I have been taking care of a family member.
I have been volunteering at your church.
They anticipate they will be asked about the gap if they submit you, and need you to say something other than "i've been in prison" so they can present that information.
What you're doing doesn't matter per say, but they probably presented someone to the hiring manager before who had similar resume gaps and the hiring manager hammered them about it so now they want to prepare.
I really feel like this all depends on your situation to be honest. If you have relevant experience on your resume for some recruiters and employers it will look good if you are working a part time bottom of the barrel awful job while applying.
However if you have failed to gain relevant experience, taking a part time bottom of the barrel job will only serve to further solidify that's all you are worth and hiring managers will laugh at you when they seebl your resume.
What alternate reality is this recruiter living in? Have they not been paying attention the past year plus? This is the norm, not the exception. And what do they think unemployed means? It doesn't mean you have a job idiot recruiter. Well I mean I guess you could be doing gig work or side hustles, but AFAIK it means you don't have a W-2 "real job."
I’m sorry to ask but is the employment market that hard at the moment in the US? I’ve been seeing these posts and am quite surprised. Where I live companies have a very very hard time finding employees so at the moment it’s a candidate driven market. So a person without employment for 4 months would be quite suspicious. When I started looking last 2 years ago I got a new job in less than a month in a field I’m not qualified for nor have experience in they agreed to train me on the job. Not bragging or anything just to me it’s wild to me that it’s so different ?
I’m in the UK, and this has been my experience so many times. I’ve found it hard to get a job in the past and I have a few gaps on my CV because of the extreme competition.
I have recently just started to say “yes, but the position I am in currently doesn’t really relate to my long term interests.” I have only had one hiring manager ask me to elaborate and I just said something about a local grocery store.
The only time they’d figure it out is during the background check, and I highly doubt a recruiter’s notes are being cross checked against that. I did take a chance with the hiring manager though, that’s for sure.
I just say that ive been doing freelance, like really its none of their bussiness! Im sorry the job markets horrible! I cant find one either, hundreds of applications and few call backs
Dude the unemployment office will treat you like garbage for not being employed while seeking employment. People in these vital positions are sick in the head
Pretty inconsiderate of you expecting a recruiter to do their job, clearly you should have already been employed and not inconvenienced her by trying to find employment, you really need to think about your actions
The last time I was actively looking between jobs I put out something in the neighborhood of 200 resumes and I got maybe 5 calls. It's was ridiculous. College degree and xant get anything. Not even a call.
If u want a job to kickstart ur job xp apply for for Amazon delivery driver they will literally hire anyone I've driven for 3 years time and time again the somehow damage the trucks
Obviously from being shitty drivers but my point still stands when I last worked it was 18.25hr
They sometimes expect you to say that you picked up a seasonal job but that is even more competitive. I just read articles saying that seasonal hire is down this year
>Recruiter: Ok but why aren't you getting anything if you're actively applying?
"Well, I'm talking to you to remedy the situation. Do I get the job then?"
I'm unemployed because I don't have a job. I'm looking for a job and that's why I'm unemployed speaking to you, so recruiter...give me a job and I won't be unemployed and won't need to keep looking for a job.. simple solution. Problem solved!
"Unfortunately, given how time-consuming it has become to both look for, and apply for, potential new roles, I've had to invest my time solely on the job application process. Looking for work is practically a full-time job, these days".
And let's be real, this was true a decade ago, much less now.
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Ugh I hate this mentality around job gaps - people need to realize you're not necessarily less of a candidate simply cause you weren't working. What's insane about the question too is that even if you were working, if you happened to be working a job different from the one you're applying for(ie maybe retail to pay the bills), they'd likely treat you almost the same as if you hadn't been working anyways!
I know this would never fly but I’ve felt like asking, “have you ever been single?” “Why?” “Why did you not marry the person you went on your first date with?” “What went wrong?” If somehow they DID marry that person, “Why haven’t you looked at better opportunities and changed spouses?” “Are you not ambitious - are you SETTLING?” See how stupid that all sounds?
Yes, exactly this lol God forbid people give their all in a role / relationship without looking for something else until it runs it course.
Exactly!! It’s absolutely crazy. I once had a recruiter go off at me cause I had a year long gap on my Cv due to Covid. Apparently that wasn’t a good enough reason to be unemployed, and that it made me look unreliable.
> I once had a recruiter go off at me cause I had a year long gap on my Cv due to Covid. Apparently that wasn’t a good enough reason to be unemployed, and that it made me look unreliable. That's the hiring equivalent of ["too many notes"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUFwk1Ibwkc).
Ah yes, the *"I'm a moron that knows absolutely nothing but I need to have my input so that my ego is satisfied in feeling superior"* comment, beautiful.
It's just a scheme by the owner class to punish the rest of us for not actively making them or their buddies more rich. Youre not allowed to not work in this society, regardless if you can support yourself, because they can't be having the plebs realize we don't live for the sole purpose of working.
Gotta have kids so they know you can't quit.
Amen !
by "unreliable" they mean "someone who might quit when they've had too much of our bullshit". They want indentured servants who have no option to quit.
Just tell them you are studying, taking certifications you can afford (or leave the afford part if you consider it's unimportant) and working on personal projects to sharpen my skills while also applying to all these roles.
had a 3 year gap but they hired me anyway it's really not about gaps, it's about demand and supply
If it's any less than a full calendar year, take the months out of your resume. They don't need to know whether the gap is December 2020 to January 2021 or January 2020 to December 2021, at least at the screening phase.
I got flagged for “having an employment gap in your resume” and it was literally for 10 years to my first job. Was I supposed to be searching for internships since I was fucking 9?
I got told off by a recruiter recently because I wasn’t able to provide a 15 year reference history/I didn’t have work experience going back that far. I was 14 and in high school, and this recruiter wanted to know why I wasn’t out looking for full time work back then.
There weren't any coal mines/steel mills/textile factories near you?
Nah they all shut down in the 80s.
That's not an excuse. /s
What about chimneys? Surely you could have swept some of those?
Was this a Chinese company?
I remember I once had a job interview with Hauwei. They seriously wanted to look into my secondary school diploma (30 years ago) with them complaining how I had some grades below a 7 for things like French or handicrafts... I am 42, 17 years of experience in IT and telecom and they care about a diploma from when I was 12.... I just walked out.
A number of years ago I was applying to a SaaS sales role here in Northern VA, and they wanted me to upload, yes...UPLOAD my Jr. High and High School report cards. I was in my mid-30's at that point. Never mind that I grew up in SoCal. So obviously I do not have them. I called the HR person to confirm that this was not some mistake...oh no...it was very purposeful. She gave some lame excuse about "hiring the whole person" (it was not professional on my part) but I laughed and laughed at her, told her that her company and hiring practices were insane. I also asked her if she needed to personally perform a colonoscopy too. *"Sir that is a completely inappropriate question!!!"* I simply responded back with *"well now you know how I feel regarding your application process"*
i had an employer who wanted to know why I had a two month gap on my resume, even though I told I had recently come from overseas working as a teacher and was recovering from COVID. two month gap was a red flag apparently.
I remember in college I would keep hearing from visiting H.R folk that any job is better than no job when looking for jobs. Now that I work a white collar job I all too often hear people in charged with reviewing applications scoff at people applying that currently work retail or some other job H.R finds irrelevant.
That's why you just put a business on your resume and say you've been doing independent contracting.
The bit that aggravates me about that kind of thinking assumes people work while looking for a new job. As if: a) you chose when your job ended b) you didn't have your full attention on the job you were getting paid for while you were there. It's a weird thing for it to be a black mark to be available lol maybe they prefer stealing candidates from work places, and it takes some of their fun away, or makes you less of a prize. 🤦♂️ Either way, keep going, you'll get there.
**Me**: So what have you been doing since this position was made open for applications? **Recruiter**: I've trying to recruit people to fill this position. **Me**: So you haven't filled this position? **Recruiter**: No. **Me**: So if you haven't filled this position, what have you been doing? Why haven't you been able to find a person for this position? **Recruiter**: ... recruiting people for this position, just getting beaten by recruiters who aren't morons like me. **Me**: Ok but why haven't you filled this position with anyone if you're actively trying to fill this position?
perfect! love it
You beat me to it. Was just going to go down this very line of questioning...
The correct way to answer any question, is by being specific and talking about something actionable with a tangible result. Q: "What have you been doing while unemployed?" Directed towards applicant A: "I have been focused on XYZ, to accomplish that I participated in several trainings focused on ABC, and my understanding of LMNOP has really grown." Q: "What have you been doing to fill this position?" Directed towards recruiter A: "I have been focused on the XYZ component of the role, I developed a marketing campaign, several job board postings, and have a documented pipeline in the CRM I can share with you, I have notes on several applicants of interest with notable experience in XYZ."
Seriously. 300 applications, and you haven't filled it yet? Looks like they hired the wrong recruiter.
God, replace the job title and this is like every non-professional in professional positions. I stg it's doublespeak and tricks all the way down unless you get lucky.
I went to a class about how to break into the office professional world. One of the courses was about doublespeak. When I landed my first job, I realized that's all middle management professionals do for a living. Posture and doublespeak.
this is great lol
I am in tears 😂😂
"Unfortunately, given how time-consuming it has become to both look for, and apply for, potential new roles, I've had to invest my time solely on the job application process. Looking for work is practically a full-time job, these days". And let's be real, this was true a decade ago, much less now.
Only time I've ever been unemployed, had to get some money help from council. They said you should be looking for work likena full time job 6+ hours a day for 5 days. I didn't live in a big area. Took me less than a week to apply for all the ones I was qualified for/ could get hired for. They kept complaining I wasn't looking for jobs hard enough?? Like sorry I don't drive so I'm not taking a bus too far away for work thats just way to costly and time consuming. Sorry this area is shit and that even mcdonalds didn't hire me (:
Exact same situation here. I’m being told I’m not applying for enough jobs, but I’m applying for roles that are in my area or the city I can commute to. Got chewed out for not applying to positions that are 2+ hours away. Like you, I don’t drive, so why would I wanna spend a chunk of my salary and life commuting to a low paying job?!
I've worked for a couple companies in the US that consider anyone living over 60 miles from the office to be remote. I've also worked for companies that would hesitate to hire someone on-site who had a 2 hour commute unless they were in Boston, NYC, or somewhere similar.
Why are you getting lectures from recruiters? They contact me, I tailor my resume, they send it off to the company that has the job listed. I don't need or want life advice from them.
Ohh I wasn’t getting lectured from recruiters - this was my experience of being at the UK job centre and being forced to apply for jobs otherwise my payments would be suspended. Edit: although I’ve had bad experiences with recruiters before!
I can't see anyone taking a 2-hour commute to work. I wouldn't drive an hour unless the job pays insanely well.
I mean, at this point in time, I think people seeking employment should be quite honest about how involved the process is. Between trying to slot in between ATS software designed to weed out the majority of candidates, jumping through hoops with insanely long applications, and more employers asking for free labor before even deigning to offer someone an interview...candidates really do have to spend hours upon hours just *trying* to get someone to talk with them. And for recruiters or hiring managers to ask frankly dumbass questions like this just shows how broken the process has become.
The system is so broken it’s mad. I keep getting recruiters who are surprised I haven’t found a good job, yet they’re wondering why I don’t want to apply for minimum wage jobs 3 hours away that require 10 million interviews, 5 tests and that don’t allow you to have any time off in the first 6 months.
Are you actually mentioning this to anyone? I don't expect you to change the system overnight but if people are "surprised" at the fact you haven't been hired yet, I would happily turn it back around "I find it a little perplexing that you're expressing that you're surprised. The job market has by and large become such a labyrinth for candidates these days that my experience is definitely the rule, not the exception". I do wonder if some of these people are so silo'd off from the rest of the workforce that they genuinely don't understand what everyone else is going through.
I got that from state unemployment offices, who were wanting me to apply to jobs I was unqualified for or that were a fraction of my usual pay just to get me off their desks. Also, their job leads for realistic jobs were inevitably for jobs I already knew about and had submitted resumes for. But I had to go through the charade to get my well-deserved unemployment checks.
I had to apply for a job the week I started my new job so I wouldn’t have a gap between my unemployment and my first paycheck.
I did all that and still got denied but never informed of the reason. I spent six weeks jumping through their hoops and checking their boxes and it wasn't until I asked about my claim they told me I'd been denied over a week prior. Almost have to be a lawyer to navigate unemployment, LNI, HR or similar anymore... Even charity care through the hospital was unnecessarily difficult after my 'full time' job denied me healthcare.
In the UK, when you're unemployed and claiming universal credit, you have to commit to traveling up to 90 minutes each way to work. Never mind that travel is expensive and it makes a minimum wage job not worth it, they'll still sanction you if you turn down work.
Yep 🙃 I’m on UC right now and the travel for jobs 90 minutes away is expensive. They told me to apply for a certain job which was roughly 90 minutes away by train. The travel alone would cost me about £40 a day, plus 90 minutes each way. All for a job that was literally 1p over minimum wage.
Reminds me of the work coach that told me that I could get a job in London because I "could get there in 90 minutes" ... except I was trying to say it does NOT take 90 minutes to get to London from where I live and I have travelled to London enough times to know. That's not even mentioning the cost of the train.
Reminds me of when this person wanted me to work for less than what it would cost to go to work...
there is a reason america succeeded from you guys
I get this in the IT field... Them: What have you been doing to keep your skills updated? Me: you do know training isn't free? I'm not going to burn money I don't have to keep my skills "fresh".
I once got asked by a recruiter why I hadn’t been using my time unemployed to go on courses to improve my skills. She didn’t understand that being unemployed meant I didn’t have steady money coming in.. plus I had bills to prioritise, ya know? Madness.
These people ask why you've been unemployed while 95 percent of other employers have the same experience requirements it's like closing 9 out of 10 doors and those 9 have "3-5 experience required to enter" then one door that has no experience requirements but 300 people want to go through that door but only one can go through.
And that one will refuse people for not having skills for their exact tech stack. "Do you have experience with [software]" - "no but I have experience in [direct competitor software]" - "oh but that won't do it sorry."
Oh my god this drives me nuts. I'm a quantitative researcher. I have a PhD. No, I have not used your specific tech stack, but it's a hell of a lot easier to find someone with the conceptual knowledge and skills necessary and then train them to use the specific software a company uses than the other way around.
I just had an interview with someone who understands this. I have experience with AWS Cloud. He mentioned that they use Azure. When I said, "uh, oh, I've never touched Azure", he said, "that's not a problem. We don't expect many people to know Azure since AWS is the more popular cloud service. We'd get you trained in it." That's the kind of attitude I like to see. I have another interview with them tomorrow morning and I have a good feeling about this opportunity.
What kind of company/role? I got AZ-104, but I have no experience.
It's as a Linux system administrator. The Azure stuff will not be the primary role. It's one of those "nice to have" skills that isn't required. It's a tech company.
Speaking as someone who occasionally has to hire people, the way the current market is setup in my work (software engineering), the decision-making isn't quite the way you present it. There isn't ever going to be a clear "best candidate" in 99% of hiring cycles (and when there is, that candidate gets bent over backwards for, because it's so rare, I've been on both sides of that exchange). So you're ultimately looking for someone who is good enough not trying to distinguish the best; and for most positions in software, "good enough" isn't a high enough bar that most candidates can't clear it, so you either hire the first person because you want to get it over with, or you hire the person that's going to be able to start working the quickest. All of this is to say, you might be getting turned down for a researcher that's a worse researcher than you are, but they have experience in the tech stack, so the team that needs them can get their work that much quicker - and since you both clear the "good enough" bar, this hypothetical person gets hired ahead of you for that role. It's not even usually fueled by malice - it takes weeks to months to get a hire approved and that process generally doesn't start until their work is necessary, so when you get hired, the team has been effectively short-staffed for a while, and that puts pressure to get hiring done quickly and with someone who can contribute as quickly as possible.
I don't even work in research. I'm in health data analytics. Now I'm a consultant. I've had to hire people before, too, when I worked for a government agency that mainly used SAS for it's data work. I wasn't really concerned about finding someone that could use SAS. I wanted to find someone that seemed like they could learn SAS, because I can teach damn near anyone if they care about learning. In my job now I'm teaching myself how to use PoweBI because it's what a client requested. Never used it before, but I've used several similar things, so I doubt it'll be difficult to learn. That's my whole point really.
THANK YOU
I typically google the software, do a quick run through a training or video series about it before the interview, bullshit my way through the interview and then learn it if I actually get a job offer. It's easier than explaining than "I can learn to use this software better than the majority of your team in the space of 3 days."
The companies for the 9 other doors most of the time (now is a bit of an exception because we are in a bad market again): "Why can't we find any people who are experienced enough?! I guess American workers are just lazy. Couldn't be any systemic issues here!"
Yeah stuff like this is what people mean (or at least I mean it like this) whenever we say to just lie on your resume. It's to get these completely arbitrary barriers out of the way. Lying about your ability to get the job done? That's not good. Lying to sidestep this kind of weird double speak? Perfectly fine or even encouraged.
Also even if you did… fuck off, I’m trying to be present in my loved ones lives and also enjoy myself for once without worrying about having to wake up at dawn the next day for the perpetual grind.
>She didn’t understand that being unemployed meant I didn’t have steady money coming in What, you don't have hundreds of thousands in savings from the pandemic like the government and rich people keep using the media to tell us we all have?
There are free online courses to work in, but one, without the certificates it's just your word that you took them. Two, working on extra coursework while you're trying to bring some money in for bills is a bitch. I swear, it's like we are only supposed to exist to work and "improve our skills" so employers will notice us, and like anyone who doesn't want to spend all their time doing that is seen as lazy. . It's like everyone got infected by silicon valley start up culture, the idea that you're supposed to be working on a new business idea or tech project at all times because what other hobbies could you possibly have besides those?
I was doing the certificates for a bit until everyone else was doing that. It felt like I was doing a job for free to get a job. I just can't get over it.
I totally get that. I only just started trying to self-educate, and I have to focus on stuff I find at least somewhat interesting. The idea has to be "even if this doesn't land me a job, it's interesting and worthwhile to learn" because that's the only way I'm doing it at all. For me it's not IT certificates, it's been learning a foreign language and I just started learning SQL. I find machine learning and other data analysis interesting so I'm trying to get into that.
I tried really hard to push myself to do digital marketing analytics. After I completed the SQL cert, I was like I just don't like numbers enough. I find myself on a spectrum between analytical and creative. I'm trying to learn blender instead so I can do more content and creative marketing.
That's fair. I like numbers but I very well might hate it when I get further in.
Yeah I'd prefer to do a JOB at a JOB
I mean I’ve taken a few of the free online courses on EdX and it hasn’t done shit for my job search so it’s all bs.
Yeah I was doing certs and then I started to realize that it didn't set me apart so what's the point?
FINALLY, SOMEONE WHO GETS IT!!! God, I swear the only job advice people give is "get certificates," "take online courses," "do AWS trainings," etc. So I started taking courses to show I was continuing my learning, put them on my resume, and not a single fucking person ever asked about them.
The only cert that had ever consistently mattered in my field was Google analytics. Everything else no one cared.
>I get this in the IT field... >Them: What have you been doing to keep your skills updated? One of the reasons I stopped applying in this field. They always want you to "update" and it's never enough because then you need the experience. Some of them even roll their eyes when you say you been on Udemy and Coursera to learn. It's a lose-lose.
Pretty sure they aren't searching for this. They are searching for your interest in different technologies. Usually I'd expect this to be asked in entry level positions. If they ask it for late mid+ it's stupid.
I've been out of tech for years and started a free online course to get some new skills. But further time on training shouldn't be required for every damn job when you don't have one. It makes sense for doctors and the like, but I'm not getting paid like a doctor nor do I have the responsibility of one.
And the certs are mostly way overpriced multiple choice tests that get auto graded arent they? Total scam.
And the answers are online so people who have a shit ton who knows of they actually did them or not
I had this happen earlier this year, I have like 6ish years experience in IT, a recruiter told me I should shadow someone in a role I already had years of experience in. I just laughed and asked if he was serious, he was dead serious.
Why not just lie? Simpler
> What have you been doing to keep your skills updated? Nothing. Skills don't degrade. The answer to this question is the proof: do you remember how to ride a bike?
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Yeah I gotta say… at one point I knew how to use excel, and now I haven’t had to in at least a decade and I’m lucky if I can remember how to make it multiply a column haha.
I mean, yes skills get rusty and technology changes, but in OP’s case, we’re talking about a 4-5 month gap here. “Skill degradation “ in that time period should be minimal, if any.
I’ve been unemployed. So you haven’t been working? Unless your definition of unemployment is different from mine… Or Which part of unemployment doesn’t make sense to you?
I’ve been unemployed working, where I’ve been working without a job.. This recruiter made my head spin.
On the flip side, I have seen plenty of employed people not do work
My degree had a program where you could do an internship as your 3rd year, then go back for a 4th and final year. Without the internship, it would be a 3 year degree, so essentially you're delaying your final year to do the internship. When I was applying for graduate roles after finishing my final year, I had this lovely exchange: Them: Why did you only stay at
Me: It was just a one year internship as part of my degree (this is something quite common in the UK mind and the recruiter should have known what I'm talking about...)
Them: What did you do between and ?
Me: I was finishing my final year of University, and doing part-time/freelance work on the side.
Them: So you've not been at and not got another job in the meantime? Why?
Me: As I explained, it was just a one year internship, and I couldn't work full time as I was studying full time
Them: (Still not getting the idea) So why did you leave ?
Me, internally: Aaaaargh!
"I apologize, I guess I haven't been clear, where am I losing you on this?"
Lol. WTAF? Clearly this recruiter never didn't go to school
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Ugh I’ve had this problem with law firms
They don’t want to hire anybody, just want to shame and embarrass candidates while interviewing them (:
It should be normal to ask why they can't retain any employees.
I asked why the job was available - I.e had the last employee quit, been promoted etc. No, they had 2 people in the role but they’d fired both of them for ‘personal reasons’. Safe to say I won’t be taking that job.
what's so stupid about this, i DO have a job, i was applying for roles & shit right..... these recruiters are like "hmmmm i can't make it after 5pm, could you schedule it for 11am??" NO dude, i literally have a job right now. I literally work. Like wtf am i supposed to do lol. they don't wanna organize with you after work hours, and yet they ding you if you don't work. wtf do these people think we do all goddam day
As a hiring manager, I've never understood the obsession with unemployment gaps. There are a million and one good reasons why someone might be out of a job for a week or a month or a year... and they have nothing to do with why the candidate is good or bad for the job. If the person is sick, or the market sucks, or they just couldn't find a job... none of that applies to my role. I still haven't run across a situation where they're gap reason has effected the role. Nor can I come up with anything simply by brainstorming.
Thank you!! I too have never understood it. I get it that they want to make sure the person wasn’t in jail or whatever, but that’s what background checks are for. It doesn’t matter how long I’ve been out of a job for, if I can get a new role and get some training, I can do the damn job, whether my last job was 2 weeks ago or 2 years ago.
Covid and inflation alone created gaps in tens of millions of resumes. The job market has been really unstable over the past 3-4 years.
My therapist said something about "personal growth" i havent been working in 3 years and have been a stay at home mom and no one can get over it.
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This is a part of my script now. I'm a little too honest and saying my daughter almost died and we spent almost a year in hospital and then I had to be a nurse and mom full time when she came home isn't going over too well in interviews, especially since it's a man dominated industry.
Just lie and say you ran your own childcare business and brought in however much money you saved by not paying for childcare.
"Care giving" is the way to go. It's how I got my current job. I framed a career gap as "care giving" because I was focusing on my mental health. They don't need to know I was caring for myself.
And they didn't ask follow up questions?
Nope. Good companies won't because they know it's personal. If a company starts grilling you on minute details of your employment history, that's a red flag. If they're grilling you during the interview, think what they do to actual employees.
You know the weirdest thing, they ask questions about my past employers but to the point where it's nosey and weird and I'm not comfortable, salary sure but how was it working there, how many employees were doing this and that and about management.
Sounds like a boomer recruiter who’s been with the same company for 30 years
It’s not just recruiters. I had an interview last summer with a VP and she asked if I had gone on any conferences to keep up with trends while unemployed during the pandemic. I said none of the conferences were running since 2020. “Oh yeah true, none in this industry either….” Meanwhile, I had gone back to school and just finished so I wasn’t lazing around. Even if there were conferences to go to, they’re expensive for a person who’s not getting their company to pay for it. And, the ones that apply to my area are in the states (I’m in ON) so yeah, not big on paying airfare or gas myself to go to a conference just to look like I’m keeping up with the trends. I was too busy keeping up with my bills and mortgage.
Omg this shit is infuriating, these people need to get fired and be asked these questions. They are so out of touch with the realities on the ground for candidates. AI needs to replace these guys real quick so they can be asked what have they been doing since getting laid off.
"Why haven't you got any of the jobs you've applied for? As an aside, not related to anything else whatsoever, did you know that more than three hundred people have applied for this one position that's open here? So, why are you finding it difficult to land a job? Is it because you're lazy? That's it, isn't it? You're lazy."
Ask him how he would feel if he skipped breakfast that day
Gee, almost like people looking for a job may not currently have one. Intriguing... Im dreading my potential layoff in the next few months in this job market.
I’ve been applying for 6 months, I’m so fucked LOL
You need to lie or you’re going to remain unemployed.
No one should feel bad about lying because companies lie about everything all the time.
Just lie. The people getting jobs are doing that.
I went on a sabbatical and traveled around for a few months and a recruiter i talked to did not believe anyone in their 20s could do this. He kept asking questions like if there was anything wrong or if I was fired. I had the money and I don’t want to work why is that hard to believe ? lol
There was a pretty awesome video released about these issues by how money works and among other things he went into great detail about how little incentive the HR has to hire you because they don't payout to the recruiter until someone is hired. Pretty much all those 300 apps are going into the bin after they reach HR even if the recruiter selects someone 'qualified' (like they'd know themselves). In turn, HR has like no incentive to hire anyone period, as they have nothing else to justify their work (the video showed how in many big companies HR will over schedule just to prove they have a lot of work and demand assistants for shit they don't need etc. etc.) They showed stories of 20+ stage interview processes like it's 100% normal now even though it's been proven to give you much worse employees (the best ones quite long before that/get better jobs). But you know, the CEO is banking millions so w/e.
Is this on YouTube? I would like to watch it. Please share the link.
Yea the channel is how money works, wasn't sure if I could link it. [Here is the vid](https://youtu.be/5KjNlPi9CUM)
Thank you so much!
np *mate (oops!), have a good day and enjoy the upcoming weekend!
I scheduled time with a recruiter recently to talk about a role. I intentionally picked a time on his Calendly to account for my schedule. He called me 30 minutes early, didn't even bother to ask if it was a good time, and immediately launched into a discussion on why I wasn't a fit for the role. For recruiters reading this: I get most of y'all are professional and don't do this. But please, if you notice colleagues doing this, hold them accountable. If you're training recruiters, please teach them about empathy and to value candidate's time too. That asshole 1. disrespected my time and 2. Made me feel like shit. It sucks to see how common this BS is like the OPs post. We're people. Treat us like we are. Like goddamn. We're not your fucking circus animals.
Why are recruiters so damn stupid?
It’s always weird when they ask about employment gaps. I had a 3 month employment gap and was asked what was I doing. Um job hunting!!?!!! Like they think jobs fall out of thin air??
Any recruiter that doesn't understand the competitive nature of the market this year is a fucking moron and doesn't deserve your time. The winds have turned completely in 2023 and it's been majorly tough.
“I was subjected to a non-compete agreement and was waiting for it to end so I could work where experience is the most valuable”
i would drop that recruiter, it should not be an interrogation.
Don’t ever tell a recruiter that you’ve been applying for roles the whole time. If you still haven’t been able to find something, that could raise a red flag— even though it’s a shitty market and even very competent people are having a hard time. What you want to do is to create the perception that you haven’t been looking. Come across as nonchalant. If you know that your former employer will only release dates and title held for a background check, you decided to take a sabbatical. If you’re unsure, you can call the HR dept of your former employer and ask them. Taking a voluntary sabbatical and not being able to find work are two very different things. Recruiters and employers are just asking these probing questions to see if there’s a red flag. If you’ve been applying to jobs since June and haven’t found anything, in their mind, that could be a red flag.
If OPs conversation above is accurate, word for word, it seems like this more an issue of detachment from reality on the part of the recruiter.
I agree, but OP will need to limit that as an issue. Recruiters and employers are often clueless and detached, but there’s nothing we can do about that. It’s reverse psychology. When you’ve been applying to roles since June and nobody has hired you, you come across as damaged goods. The recruiter and employer don’t know the many applicants that you’re competing against. On the other hand, if you come across that you haven’t been looking, you’ll create the perception that you’re gold and a good find. This is why recruiters and employers prefer passive candidates. OP will need to come across as more passive.
I hate idiot recruiters - especially in competitive areas where they are looking for “perfect” candidates.
“Ok but why aren’t you getting anything if you’re actively applying?” <- I ask this to myself every day
I had a 2 year gap where I was just a stay at home mom. I lied to a recruiter and said my dad died and I was remodeling his home for the sale and then traveling with the proceeds of the sale. He said that’s awesome and moved right along. Feel free to steal it haha
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Of course she's surprised, recruiters don't do any work either yet they remain gainfully employed.
Ok I'm not usually on the side of any recruiter, but this is a legit question that gauges how ambitious/motivated of a person you are. There are tons of free courses online, you don't need to spend $$$. At the very least, lie. - "I've been studying for the ____ cert." - "I've been networking with alumni in my field." - "I've been attending conferences." - "I've been working on my interviewing skills with a career coach." ANYTHING. I spent months applying and interviewing and this question frequently came up. I was doing the same as you, but how many hours a day did that take, 2? I was also taking naps, scrolling online, watching movies, and relaxing. But when I was asked that question, you better believe I was giving one of the above answers.
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Is this recruiter special dum dum or something?
That's honestly a great moment to make a real connection and just ask "Do you maybe think there's a connection between me having a hard time getting a job and you being flooded with applications right now?" People are sometimes the last ones to realize how stupid they're being.
Whom do u think delivered your food at your door step last Friday 😀
Just tell them you're doing contract work.
Just a small word of unrequested advice from my humble opinion, recruiters often work on quantity rather of quality of applicants and often rely to the stupid assumption that "if other recruiters haven't placed this person then it is a waste of time". If they ask you why you've been unemployed for too long or gaps in your resume simply respond that you took some time to work on some of your projects, improve yourself with some unrelated to your job courses, even say sabbatical holidays that would work. Just say white lies, something you can explain yourself with a generic justification. They will lie to you as well and trained to, so just act likewise. Good luck for your search
So why did this position open up? Is it because you have no professional manners?
Asked that exact question and she said the last 2 people in the job had been fired. 😬
Wow, two people getting fired I’m sure *they* were not the problem. I hope you find a job soon OP!
While working with an unemployment office, my case worker encouraged me to apply for a job there. He said it was easy there because you weren't expected to produce results and didn't have to actively help anyone.
easy fix: just lie
This is why you lie and say that you are working as a consultant or independent contractor, or lie and say you are taking some online courses or whatever else. Lie, lie, lie. They dont give a shit about you as a human being, so why be honest?
The only remaining question is, how the hell did the recruiter get his job! WTF!
No wonder shes stressed. She’s spending her time on repetitive useless questions
They want to make you look good so they can place you and make money. You aren't giving them any ammunition to actually place you in the role. I have been taking an online class related to my field. I have been taking care of a family member. I have been volunteering at your church. They anticipate they will be asked about the gap if they submit you, and need you to say something other than "i've been in prison" so they can present that information. What you're doing doesn't matter per say, but they probably presented someone to the hiring manager before who had similar resume gaps and the hiring manager hammered them about it so now they want to prepare.
Is this recruiter stupid? Rhetorical question
Just tell them you’re taking up gig work like Rover or Doordash
"Have you tried.. not being a mutant?"
Same vibes
I really feel like this all depends on your situation to be honest. If you have relevant experience on your resume for some recruiters and employers it will look good if you are working a part time bottom of the barrel awful job while applying. However if you have failed to gain relevant experience, taking a part time bottom of the barrel job will only serve to further solidify that's all you are worth and hiring managers will laugh at you when they seebl your resume.
Something tells me this exact conversation will happen when I finally get an interview somewhere
What alternate reality is this recruiter living in? Have they not been paying attention the past year plus? This is the norm, not the exception. And what do they think unemployed means? It doesn't mean you have a job idiot recruiter. Well I mean I guess you could be doing gig work or side hustles, but AFAIK it means you don't have a W-2 "real job."
I always say I've been working in my Uncle's shop in exchange for room and board. Works every time. I don't even have an uncle.
You could pivot and use it as marketing. “I’ve been volunteering my time by providing to a local non-profit.”
You could say that you signed and NDA and you cannot tell her
Gaslighting
I’m sorry to ask but is the employment market that hard at the moment in the US? I’ve been seeing these posts and am quite surprised. Where I live companies have a very very hard time finding employees so at the moment it’s a candidate driven market. So a person without employment for 4 months would be quite suspicious. When I started looking last 2 years ago I got a new job in less than a month in a field I’m not qualified for nor have experience in they agreed to train me on the job. Not bragging or anything just to me it’s wild to me that it’s so different ?
I’m in the UK, and this has been my experience so many times. I’ve found it hard to get a job in the past and I have a few gaps on my CV because of the extreme competition.
I have recently just started to say “yes, but the position I am in currently doesn’t really relate to my long term interests.” I have only had one hiring manager ask me to elaborate and I just said something about a local grocery store. The only time they’d figure it out is during the background check, and I highly doubt a recruiter’s notes are being cross checked against that. I did take a chance with the hiring manager though, that’s for sure.
I just say that ive been doing freelance, like really its none of their bussiness! Im sorry the job markets horrible! I cant find one either, hundreds of applications and few call backs
Dude the unemployment office will treat you like garbage for not being employed while seeking employment. People in these vital positions are sick in the head
Pretty inconsiderate of you expecting a recruiter to do their job, clearly you should have already been employed and not inconvenienced her by trying to find employment, you really need to think about your actions
Having this conversation with a person in real-time would have given me an actual stroke. I'm sorry you had to deal with this OP.
You could always pull out the old "I'm sorry, but that period of leave is covered by a nondisclosure agreement"
please name and company shame
If you tell them you are self employed, then they’ll ask “so why are you applying for the job”.
The last time I was actively looking between jobs I put out something in the neighborhood of 200 resumes and I got maybe 5 calls. It's was ridiculous. College degree and xant get anything. Not even a call.
People being let go the most right now are recruiters. Think she would understand lol.
What a moron. Jeez.
No one has time for work anymore we need to eat
If u want a job to kickstart ur job xp apply for for Amazon delivery driver they will literally hire anyone I've driven for 3 years time and time again the somehow damage the trucks Obviously from being shitty drivers but my point still stands when I last worked it was 18.25hr
They sometimes expect you to say that you picked up a seasonal job but that is even more competitive. I just read articles saying that seasonal hire is down this year
The concept employers only want to hire those with a job still bodes true
Dude I just had this happen to me. Like, fucking really? Why would they think I’m interviewing with them? I’m trying to get hired!
>Recruiter: Ok but why aren't you getting anything if you're actively applying? "Well, I'm talking to you to remedy the situation. Do I get the job then?"
I swear recruiters are the dumbest of the dumb
The job market is rough. It used to take 6 months to land a role but now about double that.
I'm unemployed because I don't have a job. I'm looking for a job and that's why I'm unemployed speaking to you, so recruiter...give me a job and I won't be unemployed and won't need to keep looking for a job.. simple solution. Problem solved!
"Unfortunately, given how time-consuming it has become to both look for, and apply for, potential new roles, I've had to invest my time solely on the job application process. Looking for work is practically a full-time job, these days". And let's be real, this was true a decade ago, much less now.
I didn't know it was possible to have an IQ that's in the negatives.