Unemployed Forever? Not On My Brand!

Hello my branded friends!
I discovered an article from the New York Times a few weeks old that uncovers a disturbing trend.  In this buyers market for employers, corporations no longer want to consider you for hire unless you are employed or only recently unemployed! We all know that holes in our resumes make us look less attractive to HR professionals, but periods of unemployment can be unique to an individual.  You may be able to explain periods of unemployment satisfactorily to a recruiter or corporate HR professional, but it looks like you may never get the chance.

In my opinion, this is a very short sighted view by corporate America.  What is the advantage of dismissing a whole class of potential employees? It seems to me to be a shortcut for corporations to weed through plies of resumes, when there are on average 5 applicants for every opening.

So what can we do to shore up our brand in these circumstances?

1.  Get something on your resume:  Volunteering is always good; just be sure your efforts coincide with what you are putting on your resume.  For example, I really wanted to volunteer for Kiva, and applied for a position as a loan reviewer, which I did not get.  Although I did apply for the position, and spent a few hours writing essays, I do not add that to my resume.  Remember that my brand must be authentic. It must reflect who you actually are.

2. Network like a madperson!  You need to be on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, with completed profiles.  Look up anyone you have ever worked with whom you had a relationship.  Tell them you are looking.

3.  Be persistent:  Work your network and keep your on-line profiles updated.

4.  Do not settle (unless you have to) :  All of our circumstances are different. Some may be holding a "dream" job; som may just want a paycheck.  One advantage of taking any job is that you are no longer unemployed, and will therefore no longer be automatically rejected if you continue to search.

You have your ego fully exposed when looking for employment.  It can be a wretched and soul sucking experience.  You can have a bad day every once in a while, but do not have a bad week (or longer).  Stay active and stay positive!

Thanks for reading!
SH