More Job Hunting Crap

[Rageaholic]

Oh lovely, something else to worry about. I read an article the other day that said that certain companies are refusing to hire anyone who doesn't already have a job. They actually say in their job ads that the unemployed will not even be considered, don't bother to apply. They want people who are still working and are happy where they are! WTF?! They believe that people without a job now were let go because they were inferior performers. They wouldn't give names of specific companies, and I want to find out which ones they are so I can boycott them!

Wow just when I thought corporate logic couldn't get any more twisted. It's bad enough with the catch 22 of not being able to be hired without prior work experience. Now the only people they will consider are those who are already hired and don't need a job? WTF ARE THESE BOZOS SMOKING?!

This job market sucks, and anyone who wants to judge me for not being hired can eat a bag of hell.

[Rantsylvania 6-5000]

I've just thought of another thing that bugs me. They want you to explain any gaps in between jobs, such as taking time off to raise kids, care for a sick family member, etc. Apparently they're worried that you'd spent that time sitting around on your butt. So what? What fucking business is it of theirs why you weren't working for a time? You're looking for a job now, that's all that should matter. Some people don't have to work all the time, maybe their spouse makes enough money so they can take time off if they want.

[insertNameHere]

I've just thought of another thing that bugs me. They want you to explain any gaps in between jobs, such as taking time off to raise kids, care for a sick family member, etc. Apparently they're worried that you'd spent that time sitting around on your butt. So what? What fucking business is it of theirs why you weren't working for a time? You're looking for a job now, that's all that should matter. Some people don't have to work all the time, maybe their spouse makes enough money so they can take time off if they want.

Because, they have the delusion that you will forever work for them. I mean really I can see not wanting to hire someone who can't hold a job for more than a month, but that is just because by the time they are trained they will quit. A year later I'm still learning things on my job, except they have made back what they spent on training me and it is time to move on, that and I fucking hate the way I'm treated, only took a year to get a uniform.

[Boozy]

Some people don't have to work all the time, maybe their spouse makes enough money so they can take time off if they want.

Energetic and intellectually-curious people always have something going on in their lives. It doesn't have to be a paid job, but there should be something on your resume to explain gaps longer than several months.

I don't like to see gaps longer than that on resumes without some sort of explanation, at least in the cover letter. A lot of people don't realize that they can put volunteer work or casual babysitting on their resumes, for example.

If the gap is due to illness, you might want to explain that in the cover letter as well. Something along the lines of "After taking some time to deal with an illness, I am now healthy and eager to take on new challenges" should do it. It doesn't need to be specific.

I was a stay-at-home wife for a while shortly after getting married. I didn't need to work, but that doesn't mean I didn't have other things going on. I volunteered for a few fundraisers, ran errands for my grandparents, started doing some bookkeeping for the family business, and took a class at the community college. These are all things I have worked into my resume even though I wasn't paid.

[Stormraven]

But what if we didn't do any of that because we wanted to keep our calendars free for interviews? (That never came, I might add.) Or because we're not interested in volunteering, or just spent most of our days trying to find a freaking job?

The only thing, other than searching for a job, that I've done is write, and with nothing published, I doubt any HR person would consider that any better than a blank space.