How do you look for a job? (after being unemployed so long)

[Dre1990]

I've never needed a job so much like now. I'm 22, not much qualifications, not much experience working. Have two employment gaps that are over a year long with nothing to justify it in an interview. But I really need to have the courage and the humility to get up in the morning and go look for a job (walking).
I know there are people here who went through much worse than I have gone through. Can you share some tips? Like how to dress, how to act in an interview, what jobs to look for and where, etc.

 

[Kerrigan]

Dress smartly, but casually: don't make it seem as though you're wearing a suit you've borrowed.
Wear a tie.
Make sure you've got a nicely typed-up C.V. and try to be as relaxed as possible, ready to answer every question the interviewer will ask you.
Twenty-two is not too old, and it's fine to lack certain years of experience, but what have you been doing in the mean-time, if you don't mind my prying?

If you're sincere and well-qualified, you should have no trouble getting the job, but first you've just got to spread yourself about by applying to everything you can and then hopefully getting to choose something good from those who respond.

Then again, I think there may be a better forum for this and also there're probably going to be others who'll give better advice. Just, smell nice, look clean and smart, stay relaxed, be friendly without forcing a smile and try to engage them on a human level, rather than just talking utter bullshit.
Be the opposite of David Brent from 'The Office'..?
Good luck.

 

[RobotRipping]

i had a similar issue when i was younger. didn't work most of my life, lacked experience so couldnt get any experience. Then between drug addiction and shitty life i had some year+ employment gaps. I just completely lied on my resume and filled in those gaps by extending the timelines that i worked lol. I could not get a job being honest, tried for 6 months straight and nothing. I modify my resume and i start getting job offers.

The reason i modified it was that an employer straight out asked me why i had employment gaps and i realized that this is why i was not getting new jobs. Another good excuse is that you were 'in school' or something, just taking courses. It's hard to prove and sounds legit. I don't want to seem like a scumbag liar but you do what you have to do when you need a job, otherwise i would have just been unemployed the whole time. Not like they were good jobs either, just terrible low wage jobs.

 

[RedLeader]

I can relate, since my addiction has put me in a position where I am over-qualified and under-qualified at the same time. I have a great academic background, but a lot of employment gaps and not a lot of field experience because I screwed my life up with drugs. So for a lot of jobs, I am extremely overqualified for them in therms of my education, but under-qualified in terms of experience. It's not a good place to get stuck in because a lot of employers are aware enough to look at such a resume and know exactly went wrong (drugs).

Strictly for gaps, I'll often exaggerate the times I have spent traveling and working simple jobs under-the-table while traveling. I have no problem talking about my travels in a way that seems to back this up. Another thing you can say is that a sick family member has been paying you to help care for them.

Other times, it might be best to just be honest with the potential employer. Tell them that you've struggled with addiction and mental health, but that you've been getting the help that you need and you are confident that you're ready to take on the responsibilities of the job. Different employers will react in different ways to this (and you can't let the occasional condescending one get you down...). But if you are going to go the honest route, try and get it on your resume or your application, and then send as many honest applications out as possible. Here, you can assume that any interviews you are called to have read over this material and still decided to call you.

 

[choco1ate]

i can relate. a combination of criminal record and lack of experience makes it near impossible to get a job anywhere. after getting rejected from home depot i don't even see the point of applying anymore

 

[RobotRipping]

haha home depot and wendy's both rejected me. I could do a much better job than the current staff at both places. If you have any sort of education an employer like that will just be like 'well they aren't going to put up with this bullshit and stick around for long'. Employers also hate students who abuse them to get a few weeks of easy work then quit and just go back to school, so try not to look like one of those kids. I've often considered (and have been advised) to remove the fact i have a degree from my resume in order to get a job. It's a fucked up world when i have to lie and make myself look like I am uneducated to get a job.

 

[jobe28]

Go to a GOOD job employment agency. Not the government ones (centrelink). That's what I did and I got a job in like a week.

 

[Stevenski]

Tell your employers you went on a backpacking holiday. That can fill huge gaps when you are young enough to getaway with it.

 

[coelophysis]

Strictly for gaps, I'll often exaggerate the times I have spent traveling and working simple jobs under-the-table while traveling. I have no problem talking about my travels in a way that seems to back this up. Another thing you can say is that a sick family member has been paying you to help care for them.

Depending on the employer and the interviewer this doesn't always work. Just a heads up. I've used the excuse of the gaps between jobs being related to helping family members and getting paid under the table. That obviously was not what the Interviewer wanted to hear and I was lectured to about how that is illegal. Which made the interview a bit awkward until we moved along to other subjects.
I'm not saying don't do it, but I'd imagine that excuse can be very hit or miss depending on the company you're looking to work for.

 

[herbavore]

^You don't have to say anything about being paid for it. Just say you were doing it. I also agree with traveling being a good reason for the gaps. You can also say that you were trying to make it as an artist of some sort if you actually are (musician, visual, dancer whatever) and then make some self deprecating comment about how that didn't pay the bills.

I have hired a lot of people with very little experience (managing restaurants) over my lifetime and I always went for the people that looked me in the eye, that seemed honest about their desire to work and learn and who seemed confident. One of the ways to express confidence is to turn the tables on the interviewer and ask questions rather than just waiting to answer their questions. This could be anything from, "How many people work a shift?" to "How far in advance will I know my schedule?"

Go to the library or a bookstore and skim through a self-help book that is aimed at interviewing skills. A lot of them won't apply because they may be mostly geared for more highly skilled jobs but lots will still be relevant.

Good luck and don't get discouraged! Remember that it is NOT personal when you don't get hired. There are so many factors that go into hiring and most of them have nothing to do with you personally. Mostly it is all timing.

 

[coelophysis]

^You don't have to say anything about being paid for it. Just say you were doing it.

Ah, thank you I forgot. The interviewer wound up going over that with me later on telling me that you don't want to say that you were making money under the table, use something more along the lines of - I helped my uncle with his demolition company and in return he let me live at his house in his spare bedroom.

 

[SixStrongLines]

not much qualifications, not much experience working.

you need to get some kind of qualifications mang
the economy is fucked right now education is probably your best bet or try start an apprenticeship
unless you can impress them with a c.v. you might not even get an interview.. just saying try work on your credentials

 

[Captain.Heroin]

Have faith that there is a job out there for you, and there will be one. I know some areas are a lot harder to find jobs in, to the point where many people are forced to consider new options.

A lot of people are starting their own businesses they run out of their homes, or do something like sell a lot of stuff they don't need anymore via e-bay. If you have friends, ask what they are doing for work to ascertain what is going on in the job market.

A lot of jobs you can apply for online - so if you're posting here, you should be able to fill out some online applications.

Just make sure you have a generous amount of time and patience - often online applications are lengthy.

 

[RobotRipping]

an easy job i picked up was to fix people's computers for 3x less than the stores charge. It's insanely easy, most people want virus removal, reformat and backed up files. I've also been purchasing video games off ebay and selling them on local classifieds to great profit as well as taking old shitty guitars, fixing them and reselling them. I've made a fair amount of money from doing this and it's really little work, no taxes either.

 

[TJ5]

I haven't had to look for a job in 8 yrs, thank Chris, so I cant honestly advise diddly fuck all in 2012. Still,
as of 8 yrs ago, I can't lie about the fact that there were a few more times than I care to remember being in
the sort of situation you've spoken about. There had been these frequent, infernal gaps due to my infamous time
warps I kept somehow being singled out and repeatedly victumized by - you know, those pesky TST aka tweaker standard
time zones haha. The other and lesser problem had been when I had been off on temp disability sooo that said,
Ive never been much of a self marketer, which is too bad cause I cant just BS and talk my way right into any job. I
hate job interviews to boot an generally find job seeking about as much fun as getting a lobotomy w/o anesthesia. So, what I did was sign up with different employment temp agencies. They help you get used to new an different types of working environments--a huge help as far as I'm concerned. Also, temp agencies aren't nearly as anal about time gaps in between gigs, as they are more concerned with getting people to work for them so THEY get paid. Then as time goes on, the longer you remain in a certain working situation, the less concerned they are about what you were or werent doing 5+ yrs ago. My most current gig was 7 yrs, still technically employed, as Im on SDI right now. Most companies dont want work history beyond last 10 years, which helps. Id simply list latest job first, then list "various clients as an independent contracter." Its always worked well for me. Under references, "Available upon request." This helps save time and having to list names
unless there is a potential job offer. Keep CV or resume to a single one sided sheet an avoid mentioning children if you have any.

 

[bit_pattern]

I got creative with my resume - use friends as references for fake jobs, fill in gaps with year long "backpacking" stints working with charities etc.

 

[T. Calderone]

I had a phone interview last week with a company selling home alarm systems. It would have been ideal, as I could work from home. The man asked me if I had any experience with phone sales. I was truthful and told him it was cold calling random numbers for kid's music lessons. It sucked making 400+ calls per shift and getting one or two leads, or none at all. He must have thought I sounded hesitant and told me he would call me back later that day. He never did but cold calling sucks anyway.

 

[luckyshot04]

^Ahh jeez, cold calling could be the worst call center job in history...I remember I had to cold call on 9/11 for the Fraternal Order of Police...Jesus, I had to leave work that day and I told them there is no way I'm asking for donations! Shady company.

Face it though, in a tough job market, people will one-up you whenever they can. You have to stay competitive. Confidence is the key. When I trained new hires at my last job (Drawing UE benefits, fired after five good years), the ones that suffered and quit were the ones that lacked confidence. You can do any job.

Even with a bachelor's, this is still a bad economic deal. But keep your head up, submit apps and resumes, and network with friends. This last one can be of vital importance in landing a good job.

 

[maxalfie]

I've been pretty lucky regarding work really as I left school in 1987 & have worked for just about all that time since then.
I suddenly got made redundant from my job earlier this year which came as a huge shock.
At the moment it appears that a lot of local companies are getting rid of workers & hardly any new jobs are available.
So to keep busy in the new year I have a I.T course to do as I know nothing about computers and I am going to do some outside work for a biodiversity team, nothing fancy just cutting grass, trimming hedges and cleaning up scrub land.
It will help keep me busy and more importantly it will stop there being gaps on my CV.
That way I can show I've not just been sat on my bum while looking for full time work.

 

[OriginalCrazyone]

Your youth and lack of experience can be an advantage in job hunting, because it gives the employer a clean canvas to train you... it is more difficult to train someone who has learned a specific way to do a job if you want them to do it a different way than they have in the past. a way you can boost your resume is using volunteer type work. I volunteer at the local animal shelter, walking dogs and giving them baths (when I feel up to it, I have some health issues as discussed in another thread) and am looking inot volunteering with the local political organizations. any down time or gaps in employment can be filled in with odd jobs done as self employment, you helped a friend move, you can include that as day labor services, you did yard work, well, that would be landscaping under self employment, I do computer virus repair and list it as self employment with references from people whose computers I have fixed. these things show a willingness to work and demonstrate experience and skills that may have been gained in other settings outside of work. I have a gap in employment where my step daughter had heart surgery (she was born with a congenital heart defect) and I simply explain it during interviews that I took the time off to take care of the family. Avoid family references if possible, they are not as strong as people outside your family... and as I learned in marketing, it isn't what you know, but who you know... call friends and family who have businesses or work in management positions and ask them if they know anyone looking for help that could utilize your skills and if they will forward your name to that person, then follow through and go to them with a resume.

-OcO-