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What is the longest period of time you've been unemployed?

sassafrassquatch

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I've only had a job for one day two years ago when I tried working in a Japanese restaurant. Going into it I thought it was just food prep cutting up meat a veggies in the back. Turned out I had been misinformed and actually signed on to be a short order cook. And the two four hour shifts I was told I'd be working became four and seven. So I panicked and quit the next day.

Getting a job is not something I want to do. I have what I assume is social anxiety, the thought of having to go to work every day for the rest of my life makes me feel claustrophobic. No job interests me at all. I haven't succumbed to the nesting instinct, I don't want to get married, have kids and a house then really have to work to support that whole mess. I don't even want a car. Just give me cable internet and whole bean coffee and I

Edit: Crud, it didn't post everything.

Damn you vBulletin! Damn you!!! *shakes tiny fist of rage*
 

Totenkindly

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This is a pure information gathering thread. I'm just curious about how long most people have gone a period of time without being able to find employment.

The longest period of time I was completely unemployed was five months.

My company shut down the facility.
I lived in the middle of nowhere.
I had trouble finding anything that fit my skills.

(I am also not the greatest job hunter; the act of having to just chase down lead after lead and somehow impress people at the other end is both frustrating and boring to me. ESPECIALLY if I'm not sure what sort of job I am looking for.)

Eventually I did find a job, through an online employment agency. That job sucked (for me) and only lasted a year before I got terminated, but it gave me more credentials as well as an income over the year, and I was only unemployed two months after losing that job and had a few offers the same day.
 

Eileen

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I think I was unemployed my first semester of college, but other than that, I've had a job since I was 16.
 

proteanmix

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Yeah, that's me, too. I lost motivation. I've been unemployed for almost two years and I've been turned down employment at several places since then. And I've been turned down countless more interviews.

The trouble I'm having is how do I explain to an employer the two-year gap in between jobs?

It used to be a one-year gap, and the interviews I did score in the past asked me about that. I'm thinking that was what hurt my chances for employment.

You can explain your two year gap by using a functional or skill resume instead of a chronological resume. That covers up gaps. Also if you were in school at any time during that period use your education as a filler as well. The main problem with the functional resume is if you don't have any skills to fill it with. Back to step one. If you're having trouble staying employed for lack of experience a good way to build skills is volunteering. You can mostly set your own schedule and afford to be picky. A lot of volunteer opportunities screen. You're going to have to put a cap on your bizarre behavior long enough to build experience. I'm not sure how to help you with that.

My friend got enough experience doing that to land an associate producer position at a local TV station and networked with people in the field he wanted which helped a lot. If you've lost your motivation to look for a job or your confidence in keeping one is low volunteering may alleviate your performance anxiety. The problem is how to get motivated enough to start looking. My sister had the same problem when she wasn't working for a few months. The longer she was jobless the less desire she had to look for a job.

RE OP: I've been working since I was 15 (summer jobs, internships, traditional 9-5) even during spring breaks. Burnout is imminent.
 

prplchknz

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I've never worked. Unless I can figure a way not to, but that seems unlikely, I know I will one day work, but I'm lucky to have parents who are willing and able to support me through undergrad. I get two choices in the summer get a job or take classes I always choose to take classes.
 

spirilis

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Started working around age 17, most I've been "out of work" is a month when I was between jobs (but had the new job lined up already).
 
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I've been underemployed off and on for the past year and a half. After I finished my taxes, I was shocked and confused as to how I survived. My thing is I'm going as long as I can without working full-time.
 

The Ü™

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You can explain your two year gap by using a functional or skill resume instead of a chronological resume. That covers up gaps. Also if you were in school at any time during that period use your education as a filler as well. The main problem with the functional resume is if you don't have any skills to fill it with. Back to step one. If you're having trouble staying employed for lack of experience a good way to build skills is volunteering. You can mostly set your own schedule and afford to be picky. A lot of volunteer opportunities screen. You're going to have to put a cap on your bizarre behavior long enough to build experience. I'm not sure how to help you with that.

My friend got enough experience doing that to land an associate producer position at a local TV station and networked with people in the field he wanted which helped a lot. If you've lost your motivation to look for a job or your confidence in keeping one is low volunteering may alleviate your performance anxiety. The problem is how to get motivated enough to start looking. My sister had the same problem when she wasn't working for a few months. The longer she was jobless the less desire she had to look for a job.

RE OP: I've been working since I was 15 (summer jobs, internships, traditional 9-5) even during spring breaks. Burnout is imminent.

That's a great suggestion. I'll look into that.

Really, I think I'd enjoy freelance work or self-employment in some form, but I'm not entirely sure how to get into that.
 

Usehername

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I've never worked. Unless I can figure a way not to, but that seems unlikely, I know I will one day work, but I'm lucky to have parents who are willing and able to support me through undergrad. I get two choices in the summer get a job or take classes I always choose to take classes.

I've taken summer classes (last year) but do you really think that's a good idea? Surely job experience is something to weigh into your life experience and future REAL job applications?
 

prplchknz

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I've taken summer classes (last year) but do you really think that's a good idea? Surely job experience is something to weigh into your life experience and future REAL job applications?

most likely and I think about this time to time, but I really don't want to get a job. I hate responsibility. I will do anything short of going on welfare to not get a job
 

Valiant

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I was unemployed for nine or ten months after my military service. But I was tired as hell, it was good for me to just rest for a while at my parents house. :D
 
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