So, today, I finally got around to reading a research paper published by the Boston Federal Reserve bank with the off-putting title "What Can We Learn by Disaggregating the Unemployment-Vacancy Relationship?" found at http://www.bostonfed.org/economic/ppb/2012/ppb123.pdf.
The essence of the paper is that for an unvoiced reason, employers are discriminating against the long-term (more than 6 months) unemployed by shuffling their applications automatically to either the bottom of the pile or discarding them entirely.
The authors speculate on some "plausible" reasonings, but the bottom line is this discrimination or prejudice appears to cross all industries and all job functions.
FIGHT BACK:
Now, as I see it, if a candidate falls in this category of 6 months plus unemployed, he has two choices:
Some examples may start your own creative juices flowing:
Regardless of anything else, please reread the thread entitled
Tips to get past the "gatekeeper" when job hunting and avoid these arrogant sons of yellow dogs if at all possible.
Also consider rereading Contracting/Temping - Viable Alternates in Tough Times
The essence of the paper is that for an unvoiced reason, employers are discriminating against the long-term (more than 6 months) unemployed by shuffling their applications automatically to either the bottom of the pile or discarding them entirely.
The authors speculate on some "plausible" reasonings, but the bottom line is this discrimination or prejudice appears to cross all industries and all job functions.
FIGHT BACK:
Now, as I see it, if a candidate falls in this category of 6 months plus unemployed, he has two choices:
- he can lay down and die
OR - he can fight back (with some legal flim flam on the resume and in the interview.)
Some examples may start your own creative juices flowing:
- Are you a computer whiz, super proficient in databases and spreadsheets? (Surely there is a religious or nonprofit group that needs that expertise to make it more efficient. Approach and offer your service. Then you can truthfully say, "Computer and network administrator for XYZ nonprofit and wax eloquent about all the good things you did for them which will bring value to the next employer.)
- Is there a facility which hires and trains otherwise unemployable people at a "starter wage" to give them a leg up? (I'm thinking particularly of a call center I heard about that hires only visually impaired folks to receive and make calls for a variety of employers. Surely they can use a quality guru to compile statistics which will help them market to more employers?)
- Unless you are a real consultant with clients which can be named and used as references, I wouldn't try to push "consultant" as a gap filler, but "contractor" (especially for a service like Manpower or the like) is a good gap filler. (Just be sure the work is in your field, not something like handing out leaflets door to door.)
Regardless of anything else, please reread the thread entitled
Tips to get past the "gatekeeper" when job hunting and avoid these arrogant sons of yellow dogs if at all possible.
Also consider rereading Contracting/Temping - Viable Alternates in Tough Times
