The Black Hole Of Long-Term Unemployment

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Is your unemployment story overpowering your career story?

Recently, CareerHMO Founder, J.T. O’Donnell wrote an article on three cover letter myths for AOL Jobs, which inspired this episode of “Career Rehab.”

In this episode, J.T. talks about why having a poor resume and cover letter could be the reason for long-term unemployment.

After you’ve been unemployed for several months, or even years, your resume and cover letter may take a beating.

Continually writing new resumes and cover letters for employers that never get back to you can be frustrating, exhausting, and stressful.

When this happens, your resume and cover letter may start to suffer because it’s easy to start focusing on your unemployment rather than your potential employer.

Here are some things you should be thinking about when writing these documents…

Photo Credit: Shutterstock

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9 Comments

1. 

   Tammera

   May 19, 2012 at 12:38 AM

   I have been unemployed for nearly a year now. This is a new career field for me and I have four years of criminal case management. I want to get into clinical case management. No experience, only my MSW, and I’m pushing 50… not the best time to switch careers and load up on debt. It is exhausting. I’m going to apply at places like Walmart and Target while I am looking for a job in social work. How depressing. I went to school so I wouldn’t be living in poverty anymore as a single mom…and here I still am. :-) Keeping my hopes up.

   Reply
2. 

   Theresa

   May 15, 2012 at 8:10 AM

   I found this article on the SimplyHired blog:

   “4 Reasons to Start Looking for a Freelance Job”

   Is there anyone who can offer suggestions and/or advice on this topic?

   As J.T. and others keep writing, traditional full-time jobs are becoming a thing of the past.

   Reply
3. 

   Jeff Sigetich

   May 14, 2012 at 8:34 PM

   What is this “@iseek.org”? My browser doesn’t know what this is.

   Reply
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     Theresa

     May 15, 2012 at 8:04 AM

     I went to the “iseek.org” website. It is the state of Minnesota’s unemployment agency. I even took the quiz; the results are very limited and only relevant to positions available in Minnesota.

     Reply
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       Tammera

       May 19, 2012 at 12:40 AM

       I did all of this through colorado workforce and found it not to be helpful either. I think it is for folks who don’t have a clear career path or well rounded skills to see what they want to do and what skills they need to get there.

       Reply
4. 

   Todd

   May 13, 2012 at 7:00 PM

   If you’ve crossed the dreaded one year line and not had much interest or are not finding any opportunities in your chosen field, it may be time to re-examine where you are going. Re-run a list of your transferrable skills and pop them in @ iseek.org to see what fields of interest pop up that you may be qualified to begin a transition to. It ‘s worth the effort as it keeps you engaged and focused. It also keeps the negativity out of your thought process and your internal and external speak. Just a thought…

   Reply
5. 

   Kay

   May 13, 2012 at 10:39 AM

   Don’t give up, Theresa. That’s the worst mistake you can make – more than any of the mistakes mentioned in this video. I’m in a similar situation. Stay motivated and positive. The job search market makes us feel insecure and unproductive but it’s the system that is wrong (poor ATS, absurd job descriptions, unreasonable expectations, irrelevant statistics). There are good people and good jobs out there. Search heard and your day will come soon. Good luck.

   Reply
6. 

   Jeff Sigetich

   May 13, 2012 at 9:23 AM

   I hear you, Theresa. One thing that may help is to take any job just to have some money coming in. That’s what I did two months ago. It keeps me busy, but it does make interviewing much more difficult.

   Reply
7. 

   Theresa

   May 13, 2012 at 8:40 AM

   I am about to give up. I have revamped my resume and cover letter numerous times and I am still unemployed.

   Reply