With so many people being unemployed for an extended period (4+ months) employers are paying very close attention to specifically what have you been doing that is productive. Unfortunately they are not looking for... job search related activities, "recharging my batteries", "learning how to get healthy", "Learning to discover myself", "learned to cook" etc....etc...This can all be important and probably contributes to our growth as healthy human beings but unfortunately our future employer has not had the opportunity to learn to take such a holistic view. Our next employer is viewing downtime productivity under a different light.
What employers are now seeking out comes in two categories; what we are doing to constructively provide for society preferably in a leadership role and what we are doing to improve our ability to contribute to our next employer by advancing our career related skills and abilities.
The societal component comes from any leadership activities in your favorite charity or community organization. Financial contribution and joining are fine but leading takes more time and contributes more. It also transfers to your next employer through improved skills in this area. It demonstrates leadership, organizational skills, creativity, communication skills, values and work ethic.
The self improvement component comes through taking courses in your career field, internships and pursuing certifications. You can combine both by teaching courses at the local community business or technical college either compensated or pro-bono.
Protracted periods of unemployment have traditionally always been hard to explain and are viewed very negatively. Activities reviewed in this discussion can move a period of unemployment from the negative to the positive side of the decision making balance sheet.
I have provided a great deal of information to help you successfully navigate the job search process on my blog and site. I also try to provide helpful answers whenever possible. Good luck and much success to all.
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