How to Find a Job after Being Unemployed for a Long Time

Today’s post is specifically for those that want to know how to find a job after being unemployed for a long time.

Here you’ll learn:

• Why all your job applications have been denied
• How to get direct contact with your employers to boost your chances of getting employed
• How to get hired by a company that once rejected you
• And lots more…

This is not your average “How to find a job in 2020” predictions post. I’ll be covering the most recent job recruitment trends you’ve missed out on.

So, how about we get started?

How to Find a Job after Being Unemployed for a Long Time

Getting a job for many is tagged–VERY DIFFICULT!

According to Trading Economics:

As of last month of November, the rate of long-term unemployed in the United States accounted for 20.8% of the total unemployed.

Does this mean once you miss out on a job opportunity, the chances of you actually getting a job are slim?

There are so many reasons why the long-term unemployed find it really difficult to get a job.

Reasons Why Job Applications are Rejected

So, you actually have the skillset, passion, personality, and appearance for that job opening. The following could still lead to your job application getting rejected:

1. Sloppy Applications, Resumes or Cover Letters

A sloppy job application is the fastest way to get rejected in a job placement opportunity. 5-page bulky resumes, spelling errors, formatting issues, and generic cover letters are all solid grounds to get your job application rejected.

You may actually be really qualified for the job opening, but because your resume is quite not understandable by the hiring manager, you will not be accepted.

2. System Error

This is a major challenge, especially in online job applications.

There may be a problem with the keyword-searching algorithm reviewing resumes, making it difficult to tell which applicant is qualified and who isn’t.

There’s also the case where there are so many applicants for a job opening that the email inbox for the job application gets filled up, and hiring managers won’t be able to receive emails from other applicants.

3. Unsteady Hiring Managers

A candidate could be qualified for a job opening, and then all of a sudden, the hiring manager decides to change the spec dramatically.

The job ad could say the company needs someone with 5 years of experience in XYZ career, but then, the hiring manager changes the requirement to 10 years of experience.

4. Unapproval from Co-workers

Your co-workers are the people you will work with once hired.

Some hiring managers ask for the opinion of co-workers in job hiring… And most times, if they don’t approve going ahead with the hire, you won’t get hired.

5. No Recommendations

Some job positions require a form of a recommendation from a superior in the industry.

6. Over Qualification

This could make an applicant look unaffordable.

In every job application, the debate on salary is where the rubber hits the road. A hiring manager may actually like you, but due to your very high level of qualification, they reject you without even asking the–WHAT IS YOUR SALARY TARGET question.

Or, a hiring manager could actually be looking out for a highly-qualified applicant, but one that’s also willing to work for a below-market salary.

7. Irrelevant Factors

These factors may include your age, educational background, race, gender-type, and so many others.

8. Long-term Unemployment

Some hiring managers won’t hire you just because you’ve been unemployed for way too long.

Just think of it… If other openings didn’t hire a job candidate, why should you?

Also, hiring managers may feel that since an applicant has been unemployed for a long time, they won’t be up to date to the latest trends in the industry.

A recent study by The Atlantic shows that:

All these are the major reasons why long-term unemployed applicants still find it difficult to get a job. An employer may even choose to hire his old college buddy instead of you, even when they know you’re well qualified for the position.

The question now for frustrated job-seekers is: what can a frustrated long-term job-seeker do?

How to Secure a Job after Being Jobless for Long

The fact that you’ve been unemployed for a long time doesn’t mean you’ll never get a job.

This is exactly how to find a job after being unemployed for a long time…

1. Find an accountability partner

The first thing to tackle when you’re unemployed for a long time is FRUSTRATION!

Frustration can make you let your days go by unstructured. Days can turn into weeks, and weeks into months without moving forward. And the best way to tackle this is by finding someone in your network that will be checking up on you each week to keep you on track.

Your accountability partner must not necessarily have to be a member of your family or close friend. Sometimes, family and friends don’t fully understand the stress we go through in getting a job.

If you decide to pick a family member or friend as an accountability partner, I’d suggest going for one that either just got laid off from work, or is as unemployed as you.

The both of you can spend the day in coffee shops applying for different job-openings, looking over each other’s resumes and keeping each other updated on interviews.

Having someone in your corner who knows exactly what you are going through will make the isolating time in your career a little less lonely.

2. Tailor your business development manager resume and practice interview skills

The fact that you keep getting close to being hired but keep missing it only shows that you are not showing employers your true value.

Crafting out a really good business development resume and brushing up on your interview skills helps you show people how capable you are.

3. Connecting with your employers and co-workers

This helps to increase your chances of getting hired.

You can connect with your employers and co-workers using professional sites like LinkedIn. There’s really not much to it – the first step involves defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

Why this is incredibly important when it comes to LinkedIn is because, when you are developing strategies to help you find a job on LinkedIn, you have to get a better understanding of who your employers and co-workers really are.

If you do not know who they are, you will not know where to start or how to begin in getting them to employ you.

Now you may be thinking – I don’t know the name of my HR manager or employer, how do I get to see them.

Well, LinkedIn’s incredible search feature makes it really easy to find anyone according to their job position, as long as the company is listed on the platform.

You can also connect with your employers and co-workers on other social media platforms asides LinkedIn and get to know them more. This will help you to understand them better, know their hobbies and many others.

All these will also be helpful when you face them in an interview.

4. Keep up with your industry

You need to prove to your employers that even though you have been unemployed for a very long time, you are still current as to what is going on in your industry.

You can take-up online courses and even go back to school, just to keep developing yourself in the industry you are.

The best thing most professionals will advise you to do is getting involved in voluntary services related to your industry. Even employers have a special interest in applicants that have taken up voluntary positions in the past.

All these will help you explain your absence from the labor market to employers with new skills you’ve acquired.

5. Be flexible

You must be willing to look outside your current city and outside your network in the search for jobs. Even though it means switching career fields or taking a lower-level position.

While searching to find a job after being unemployed for a long time, it’s important to think of necessity. First, go for where the jobs really are, and once you’re able to secure a position, you can strategize your next step from there.

If you’re holding out for the perfect position, it may keep you unemployed longer than you think.

Wrapping Up

Now I’d love to hear from you:

Have you finally learned how to find a job after being unemployed for a long time?

What mistakes have you been making that has kept you unemployed this long? Or are you going to consider being flexible to take-up lower-level positions and scaling from there?

Either way, let me know your next step to fighting long-term unemployment by leaving a comment below right now.