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

[Uberfuhrer]

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.

And this doesn't have to be profession, but just a simple job, such as working at fast food or something. What is the longest period of time you've gone through without being unemployed?

If you were unemployed for any length of time, did you start losing motivation for even finding work? Did you begin to lose a sense of self and identity?

[JustDave]

I'll bite.

The longest period I was unemployed for was three months. My internship had just ended and since I was in my senior year of college I decided to focus all my energy on my last semester. Then in January, right after I graduated, I started looking for work.

[Little Linguist]

Well, I did not work before I was 18 because my family thought I should focus on school. I took about one-and-a-half years off before I started studying, during which I did not work. After I started studying, I did various on-campus jobs. After I graduated, I had three months off before I went to Germany. Then I had a one-year contract that was extended another year (it could not be extended any further) and then it took about two months to find another job. After I decided that job wasn't for me, I went directly into the job I had now - so I had about four days off.

So I guess the one-and-a-half year gap was the largest, but I had an internship during that time for three months as well.

[Jae Rae]

I just got a job last week after not working since the end of September, although I had a one-week stint proofreading in October. In December I took a volunteer position at my local library, and I also did a some volunteer jobs for my synagogue.

Yes, applying for jobs and not hearing back is hard and begins to affect one's self-esteem. We're in a downturn, so that kept me from feeling worse than I might have.

[Anonymous]

About 7 months. I quit my previous job because I was starting college, and they were notorious for not caring about how few hours people wanted, giving those who didn't want anymore than 25 or so 40. Then I found a job which I've been working for about a year, but it gives too few hours. Figures, can't really find anything in the middle.

[Modern Nomad]

http://http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/customavatars/avatar53_7.gif

sweet avatar...

longest i been was for a year during the internet bust.

[ZiL]

I'm in college and living off scholarship money, but I did have a job about 9 months ago. I'm familiar with unemployment though - my dad has been unemployed two times since I was born for over a year each time. The second time was due to a previously misdiagnosed bipolar disorder. It sucked both times and I'm deathly afraid of it for myself. He definitely lost motivation in finding work; he was heavily depressed.

[Wyst]

I've been unemployed twice since I was 16.

First time was for about 2 months.
This time, a little over a month.

[Uberfuhrer]

He definitely lost motivation in finding work; he was heavily depressed.

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.

[Jae Rae]

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.


If you have a disability that's kept you from working for awhile, they shouldn't hold that against you. In fact, there are employment programs for people in that situation.

I recommend job counseling. I went a few times and it was very helpful. A professional should be able to help you handle the job gap question.

Volunteering in an area in which I wanted to work, taking courses that could benefit me in future jobs and keeping physically active were all useful for staving off discouragement.

[scantilyclad]

I guess the longest i've been unemployed was about a year, but i was only actively seeking employment for about 3 of those months.

[Falcarius]

Ok Falcarius has a confession, depending on how one defines the word "unemployed" he has been unemployed anything up to three years.:doh:




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

Same here, do they really want Falcarius to tell them how he is academically retarded and keeps dropping out of college? Or how Falcarius spend his average day for the last few years like this? (http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/243542-post47.html) :rolleyes:

[CaptainChick]

I am like Falcarius, too.

:yes:

[Beat]

I've been working since I've been old enough to work.

It's wut I dew.

[CaptainChick]

I've been working since I've been old enough to work.

It's wut I dew.

Awesome for you.

I hate working, and only do it when I absolutely have to.

[Ivy]

Not counting times when I was a full-time student, the longest I've gone without working was a year--the last three months of my first pregnancy, and the first nine months after my daughter was born. But I've not had a lot of traditional employment--I was a nanny for a long time, then a childcare provider in my own home, and most recently a freelance writer-editor, also at home. The last time I had a job like most people define a job, I was 17-18 and worked at Toys R Us for 2 months and then a record store for a year.

[Uberfuhrer]

I've also had a habit of acting bizarre in the workplace in the past (in a goofy way). It's the one place where I was able to entertain others. Unfortunately, I lost jobs for expressing my off-the-wall ideas. But unfortunately, it's in a conforming work setting where I feel energized doing it.

And when I wasn't acting off-the-wall, I was cursing people out or slacking off because the work environment was uncomfortable.

[GZA]

Awesome for you.

I hate working, and only do it when I absolutely have to.
Me too. And I don't have to work, so I've never had a "real" job before :party2:



Uber, I hope you don't put that on your resume :laugh:

[LucrativeSid]

Ever since I've started working, I've never been unemployed.

[Oso Mocoso]

Well, unless you count being unemployed while I was a full-time college student, I've only been unemployed for two months since I was 16. That time *sucked*, and I was full of anxiety. Right now, I'm looking at almost two weeks next month that I'll be unemployed between being a grad student and having a final job interview with a company I really hope to work for.

[sassafrassquatch]

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*

[Jennifer]

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]

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

[proteanmix]

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 (http://www.quintcareers.com/functional_resume.html) 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]

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.

[alcea rosea]

I have never been unemployed during my adult life.

[spirilis]

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).

[booyalab]

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.

[Uberfuhrer]

You can explain your two year gap by using a functional or skill resume (http://www.quintcareers.com/functional_resume.html) 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]

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]

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

[YourLocalJesus]

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