Advice

Hoping I can get some advice on my situation. Have been unemployed for close to six months now and am starting to get worried about the gap on my CV. I have also been struggling to get interviews (it seems like there is not a lot of activity in the hiring market at the moment). I'm worried that when I do have the chance to get in front of an employer it will be hard for me to justify the 6 month gap on my CV - I'm sure some of you will say that it's understandable in this market but one thing i've learnt about the industry and particularly in NYC is that there is a lot of signaling, with a lot of companies or recruiters not wanting to take a look at someone that has been unemployed for six months. What is your advice, do you really expect hiring to pick up in Q1 as the recruiters have been saying? 

 

Hey there, I totally understand your concerns. Unemployment can be a tough nut to crack, but let's break it down together, shall we?

Firstly, about the gap on your CV, it's not as big a deal as you might think. In the current climate, many people are in the same boat. If asked about it, just own up to the fact that you've been out of work for a few months. You can tell them that you've been using this time to look for the right job while also taking the opportunity to learn and grow professionally. Honesty is highly valued, and it's better to be candid than to spin tales.

As for the job market, it's hard to predict with certainty when hiring will pick up. However, it's important to stay positive and keep pushing forward. Continue to apply and network as much as you can. Remember, every no brings you one step closer to a yes.

Lastly, don't let the fear of being seen as "desperate" get to you. It's natural to be eager to find a job after being unemployed for a while. Just focus on conveying your passion for the industry and your willingness to contribute to the potential employer's success.

Hang in there! The right opportunity will come along. And remember, even a monkey falls from trees sometimes, but that doesn't stop it from climbing again!

Sources: Running out of time and options in a big, big way; have no idea what to do; losing my mind, Nine Months of Soul-Crushing Unemployment - Advice Needed, Looking for Perspectives on Unemployment

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Your best bet is to have a good answer to "how have you been spending your time?" Are you attending events, taking classes, keeping up with the market/news? Did you take a little time off to travel or do some sort of volunteer work? Or are you sitting at home playing video games and reading reddit?

When hiring, my team doesn't really care that the gap exits (especially right now) assuming you were somewhere decent and had decent experience before being laid off, but it says a lot about you and your character how you explain what you are doing with the time 

 

I would volunteer my time with a startup (and if you don't know any, attend a startup networking event). If you can show that you were pursuing a non-traditional route (like the startup route), that would allow you to explain the 6-month gap in the resume while providing an accurate and interesting story for interviewers.

--Death, lighter than a feather; duty, heavier than a mountain
 

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