In this current economic climate, having job is no longer something that you can rely on. Redundancies are occurring left and right, as companies and organizations struggle to survive in the choppy waters of the global recession.
Being unemployed is a hard thing to come to terms with. There is the financial side of the position which can be an enormous strain on an individual or family. But in addition to this there is the emotional and psychological side of unemployment to try and come to terms with; where once you were earning your place in society, suddenly you are not bringing in an income. This is multiplied if you are the breadwinner for a family.
This is the commonly held view about unemployment and how it affects people. There is, however, another way that unemployment can affect you. Unemployment has the potential to seriously harm your ability to get a new job. This may seem more than a little counter-intuitive, but it certainly is the case, as the old saying goes its easier to get a job, when you have a job.
The trouble with unemployment, regardless of the reason for it, is that it creates gaps in your resume. There may well be a perfectly acceptable reason for the gap in your employment, but that reason does not change the bottom line it just looks bad.
Remember that your resume is more than likely the first point of contact that your perspective employer will have with you. It is the tool which they will use to decide if they even want to see you in person. Gaps in your employment can cause significant issues with your ability to take part in the recruitment process.
There is hope however, as there are steps you can take to minimize the problem, or even potentially turn the negative into a positive.
The danger with employment gaps is that it can appear that you have been unproductive, and no one wants to hire someone who is unproductive. So the key in dealing with employment gaps is to make yourself seem highly productive during those times.
Of course the best way to appear productive is to actually be productive. If you are in a period of unemployment at the moment, to improve your chances of being employed in the future you need to be as productive as possible.
There are a few really great options for productivity during a spell of unemployment. Education is a great option. If you can enrol yourself with a distance learning course, or a local college course even one day a week it will show that you have taken advantage of your current position and are remaining productive.
Another option is to volunteer. There are thousands of charitable organisations who are crying out for volunteers every day. You dont need to go far to become a volunteer as local papers and the like will have all the information you will need to get you involved in the world of volunteering.
The benefits of volunteering are far reaching; firstly it shows you to be a productive and motivated person. In addition to this is that volunteering shows that you have a heart. It will make you seem like a good person. Also, your volunteer line manager will be able to give you a reference for the work that you have undertaken with the charitable organization. The final benefit is that it just feels good to be spending your time helping other people. It is a great way to spend your time while seeking employment.
Of course this is all well and good, but if you are not even going to get an interview because of the employment gaps on your resume, then all of this productivity is not going to help you at all.
The secret, therefore, is to make your time between employment show on your resume as being as productive as your time at work. When you list your employment chronologically, include your volunteer work within that chronology.
If you are filling your time with studies, make sure you include the studies within you education section.
If your employment gap is due to long term illness or something that prohibits you from being productive in this way, then note the reasons for this at the end of your resume. There is no harm or shame in noting that you were unable to work for a year or so because you were battling cancer or raising your family.
The important thing is to ensure that you are giving you perspective employer all the information they need to understand your particular situation. And if you do find yourself without employment, make sure that you stay productive!
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