What to Say When a Potential Employer Asks You Why You Were Out of Work
If you have seen the recent news, you will probably know that the unemployment rate has reduced. Sounds good? Yes it is, but it is bad as well. Considering the good first, the employers are indeed hiring in more numbers, but not to such an extent that a full recovery can be made. Despite this the rate has reduced. Why? Because people are retiring early or starting their own business. Both these numbers are not considered when evaluating the unemployment rate.
What if you are among the unemployed people? Whether this has just been for a few weeks or is the story of the past many months, there is one question you will definitely have to face in any interview without a doubt. The certainty of this question being asked is high so why not prepare an answer right now and prevent yourself from looking dumb in front of the employer. The question can be asked in multiple ways, but it all means one thing: what were you doing during the time you were unemployed?
Generally, all hiring mangers assume that people out of work have rusted skills and are never a great addition to the team. How do you convince them this is not the case where you are concerned? Maintain a high energy level, show them that you learned a lot during the time, and contributed to the growth of other people.
Here is a look at some of the things that you can say to the interviewer, and hopefully he will consider you.
Continuing your growth
Every employer likes people who continue to learn, no matter what qualifications they have attained. Let your employer know that during the time you were out of work, you were a part of a professional organization and learned a lot of skills through conferences and seminars that were held. Also keep yourself updated about the latest researches in your industry, and make sure you actually provide the employer with the reference of the journal in which it is published. That is sure to impress him; at least it will demonstrate that you are eager to learn new things.
You can also take some online courses and obtain a certification.
Giving back to others
No one likes self centered people. Show your interviewer you are not. Share your skills with others and work for a non-profit organization or something shows your efforts to help others.
Source: www.money.usnews.com