Is It Harder For The Unemployed To Get Job Interviews?
Unemployed Need Not Apply?
Need A Job?
Well, we have all had a feeling that it was much easier to get a new job when you have a current job. But I’m not sure we realized just how much easier it is. Now we are seeing more and more job postings that actually have a notice posting telling the unemployed that they need not apply. And even if this notice is not posted, many hiring managers already have this condition in their minds. They really only want to hire a person who already has a job!
They may have a feeling that a person got let go because they did not perform their last job well. But in these tight economic times, when we have seen so much overseas outsourcing, shut-downs, and massive layoffs, I am pretty sure this is an unfair judgement. I assume that a majority of the unemployed people would still have a job if their previous employee was doing better themselves. The layofff may have had more to do with the employer’s performance than the employee’s performance.
How can you make up for an employment gap?
Freelance
One effective strategy would be to freelance on your own. There are still a lot of freelancing work opportunities out there. Instead of being unemployed, you can be self employed. This is much different. This can give you some extra income, plus it can give you something to fill in your resume with!
Underemployment
Another strategy may be to accept under-employment. I know it is not ideal, but sometimes the best way to get a job is from the inside.
I knew an unemployed corporate credit manager who accepted a job selling furniture. That company saw his potential and recruited him to store manager in a short time. From there, he moved up, within a year, into their company offices. It took awhile, but it really did not take that long until he moved up to a job that was almost the same as his old career.