Unemployed: Didn't Get That Job? Sue!

Remove all ads!

What about somebody who was laid off in 2007 and tried for over a year to get a new job. He took some temp jobs which he put on the resume, but those jobs by their nature were short-term. He took a loan from his mother to go back to school and finish his bachelor's degree in 2009 (he already had an associates degree). Thus, he is a long-term unemployed person, with a bunch of short-term jobs on his resume.
Would he be unattractive because of those temp jobs? They are clearly marked as temporary.

Yes, that person is VERY frustrated at the job market.

 

Sorry about your situation. Temporary positions are just that - temporary. So long as you make it clear in your resume and during the interview that they were temp positions, and you left them at the expiration of the work period and you weren't just let go because you weren't a good fit for the company, then I think that's a much smaller deal. Unexplained short term employments would be more problematic for a prospective employer.

That said, it certainly doesn't help any. Employers have the luxury of being picky right now, and anything that has to potential to weaken you case for employment can make a difference. Although I'd much prefer to hire someone who was at least working temp jobs than not working at all.

 

It's quite normal around here. If you give someone a positive reference the employer can sue you if he relies on it and the employee isn't up to scratch. If you give a negative reference you can be sued for defamation by the employee. So any sensible company just gives the bare facts of your position and how long you worked for them. Very little notice is given to them. My current employer took months to follow up my references and came back to me a while later to say one of them hadn't responded. I rang my old employer to get them to send it in but I don't think they ever bothered and my current employer hasn't bothered asking again. Both companies are major multinationals who should be getting these things right.

I don't really know the guy myself, just through friends. He doesn't seem to be the full shilling so I wouldn't rule out it just being the excuse they used to fire him. He said he was getting on fine though and given the stories he'll freely tell people about himself I can't imagine he'd have any trouble admitting if he was in trouble there.

 

We have a similar problem at my firm. Company policy is that only the director of personnel is allowed to give references and all he will ever do is confirm length of employment and salary (as they are both objective as opposed to subjective). However, what normally happens is that potential employers call the direct supervisors and many of them will give the subjective evaluations that they really want.

 

Thank you for the advice, and I apologize for the ranting nature of my post. I'm just a bit frustrated since I'm broke. I'm interviewing for a temp-to-hire position today, but the pay is a joke. They want somebody A+ certified, but are only paying $11.50 an hour, yet I'm desperate enough to take it. Maybe if I'm working this 8-month contract, it'll make me more attractive for a decent job with real pay, but I fear it will just put a signal to potential employers "hey, he accepted 11.50 an hour, we can pay him less! He's willing to accept being underpaid." since about 3/4 of them make me fill out an application with previous employment history and salary.

Cynical and jaded? Sure, constantly being broke and unable to land a permanent job in four years have done that to me.

UPDATE. I got the job I interviewed for. I have 8 months guaranteed employment at low pay. Better than nothing, and it means I will continue to look for a job without worrying about going bankrupt and losing my car and internet. I just won't be able to give up my shoestring budget or move back out until I get a better paying job.

 

Chronic unemployment is the root problem. The ecnonmy just plain sucks, atm, and some are looking for solutions. The American consumer is the real "job creator" and the more unemployed, the fewer job creators there are. Added to the problem is the plain fact that more and more jobs are being sent overseas, which only causes the economy to suffer even more. We are cuaght in a downward spiral, but hey, who cares? Just as long as a business can do whatever it pleases.