I AM SO STRESSED
Just need to get some stuff out and any help would be GREAT!!!
1.) I quit my last job May 31 and have been searching for a job ever since..with NO luck. How do I explain the gap? Its been 5 months...and I feel horrible about not being able to find a job...frustrated..stressed..and a whole bunch of other things as well. I just don't want to get penalized due to the gap in my employment. I was a manager for a Fortune 100 retail company and I have a pretty impressive resume for someone in my age range but I just hate the dreaded inevitable explanation of the gap...
2.) I was filling out a job application online today and it stated to list my last 3 employers...I only have two..I was at my last job for 5 years..and the one before that for 5 years. And it would't let me go past that page of the application without filling that in...I'm so annoyed...I started working when I was 16..I am now 26 and I feel like I am getting penalized for only having 2 jobs. I always thought that it looked good that I had such long term employment. This is not the first time it has happened to me either. WTF!!!!
3.) I left my old company on good terms...It was a very difficult decision for me to leave but ultimately I knew I wanted to leave retail. It was a very emotional time for me but I knew I had to leave to better my life. So...I need a better way of saying why I quit...I want to put a positive spin on it...I am not positive but I think this is what it hindering me.
I am so frustrated.....after 5 months of dozens of interviews and no jobs offers I am at the end of my rope....in reference to my sanity and as well as money . (thank god I saved up 6 months of living expenses to help see me through)
I had one job offer and I the day before I was to start she called and took back the offer due to reasons that she explained by saying that she was going in a different direction. That crushed me...it really did. At my old job I got promoted 5 times in 5 years and I was rejected for my most recent position 2x before they thought I was ready so I know how to handle rejection...but this is ridiculous. I really don't know what to do. I am stressed beyond belief and I am filled with anxiety.
I WANT TO SCREAM and CRY at the same time!!!
LIP.
Trust me and a lot of others in here who have been going through the same thing, more or less, and for many differing reasons.
This is a good place to come to try and figure it out., vent and seek some kind of guidance. Being without work is something that manifests additional not needed emotions, reactions and frustrations that are not normally part of daily life's, the first thing I would suggest is breathe.....know that you are not alone...
There have been various topics of late on these board about "quitting" and "gaps". You should read them to see what advice or solace you can find. It isn't easy and know that there are some in a more dire straits( I know,"as if that helps"), and I know that even saying that phrase may bring not exactly what you were wanting to hear, it is entirely true, just knowing you are not alone should bring some sort of relief,
In your huge favor you are 26, so there is a lot of time ahead to look forward too. Just think if you were 40+ and in this position trying to compete for a position and lost out out because of it. See what I mean? So the age factor is still on your side.
The gap issue can be explained, and is subject to a lot of interpretations in here from a lot of different people. It's just my thoughts on the subject that whomever asks that question, has 1) Hasn't been out of work and knows how hard it is or 2) is really clueless( Please. Just don't tell the next interviewer they are if they ask that question.
It's a chess game: Resume tweaking, timing, competition, nepotism, networking, the list is endless but never give up hope. Not only is it a "chess game" but a fight: You have to fight, dig, scratch, pound, dodge, and its the pavement, attitudes, distances and perceptions and competition as well
Trust me I have spent up to 18hrs a day looking, networking, and the such. My first advice is to read the "Vent" section on these boards and read "I walked away today".....and start there.......
Princess,
I understand your frustration - however, let me offer the other side's point of view. As a hiring manager, I am going look at that gap and ask about it. I am trying to judge why you felt it necessary to leave a job without having another one lined up. You say you had to leave 'retail' in order to better your life. It would seem to me that a life without a paycheck could not be better than one with a paycheck. Are you trying to make a transition onto a new career path? If so what steps have you taken (training, education, etc) to make that happen? You are going to have to come up with an effective way to frame that employment gap in order to convince an employer that you are worthy of consideration. Your strength is those two jobs with good tenure and I would imagine that you have sterling job references to match. Job hunting is salesmanship, you have market, advertise, persuade and ultimately close the deal.
Good luck to you.
Most, if not all, employers want to know what you have been up to for a significant period of time more than the number of jobs you have held.
We have been made aware just last week of several new hiring policies for the firm I work for. Some positions are requiring more years doing that particular job and two of the support positions are requiring a specific number of years in the legal industry. Another is that applicants need to account for their employment history going back 10 years instead of five years. Sometimes this is hard, especially if you are still young and have only held one or two jobs which don't span 10 years. When I review applications and resumes for my support staff, I will need to look for a complete history going back 10 years. .
For applicants who are applying for entry-level jobs in the file room the previous jobs are probably only a year or two in duration and probably don't even come close to ten years previous history. In which case, my answer would be to call the company and ask how to circumvent this. Since this is an on-line application, you are already in the company's website and just need to go to the "contact us" section. There is almost always an address and phone number that is listed. Ask for the person who is most likely able to assist you the most in your question. If you can't find the address or phone number, go to yellowpages.com and enter the company's name and location. Not all companies are listed in yellowpages.com (the company has to pay extra for that service) and you may be able to just go to your phone bood and look in the white or yellow pages.
If that doesn't work, then there are a couple of different ways to handle on-line applications that won't go to the next section after employment if you do not fill out all parts.
- When you are filling out your on-line application and it calls for your past three jobs, fill in the first two sections with the positions you had and the third section fill out with your unemployed status. For employer put your name, to and from dates should show the day after you quit until present day, supervisor can be your name, for salary list 0.00, for duties you could put actively seeking employment. When that section calls for reason for leaving, state that you are actively seeking employment.
- When you are filling out the application, put your unemployed status first and your two jobs in their following sections.
Not sure if this will help but...
1) You left this job so that you could pursue another type of career. You knew that you wanted to make a career change, and you didn't feel that it was right to look for another job while you were employed... or something along those lines.
2) If you only have had two employers, don't worry about it. Just fill in something like looking for employment, or in school.