I thought So Many People Where Looking For Work

Perhaps the prospective employees frequent the Warpath lol....

We tried to hire a administrative assistant about a year ago. The one we really wanted turned the offer down because she would only "earn" slightly more by working and paying to send her kids (2) to daycare then she would by staying home and collecting unemployment. What parent would turn down a opportunity to spend more time with their young kids? When her unemployment drys up shell go back to work and her excuse wont be that she couldnt find a job and thats why she hasnt worked in 2 years, it will be that she decided to spend time with her children while they were still little.

I don’t want to give too much away….. but im younger, not married and I don’t have kids. If I were to get laid off I would collect the highest amount possible (around 22k). Since I am younger I don’t have much in the way of qualified retirement savings so I would also be eligible for some food stamp assistance in VA (means tested). I don’t have a lot of fixed expenses, a lot of my current income is used for purely discretionary spending. Like the mother who decided to stay home with her children for 2 years while getting paid, I too would have a very difficult time forcing myself to accept a job when given the opportunity to do soooo much more. Who would pass up a sabbatical in their 20’s? Or what parent would pass up time to spend with their children? There are a lot of people who truly need unemployment, but there are also a lot of people who just like options it gives them.

It greatly depends on the job and where you're advertising it. When I had an entry level financial analyst job open back in the winter, I advertised it on tons of college boards and my inbox filled up because of resume submissions.

Putting a help wanted ad in the local paper, for example, is a horribly inefficient way to advertise for a job. Not saying that's what you did, but you have to consider how many qualified eyes your job ad is reaching.

Administrative assistants, insurance agents etc. should all hit sites like career builder, and most importantly, LinkedIn.com. Leverage your own personal networks. If you're not on LinkedIn, get on it pronto.

How did anyone stand out. I mean thats crazy. A virtually full inbox from one job.

How did anyone stand out. I mean thats crazy. A virtually full inbox from one job.

That just goes to show how the young recent college grads have been the ones who've suffered most from the downturn in the job market. So many of them are out of work.

With that many it was easy to find one whose academic record stood out. The winner had a BS in Finance from Wharton, Summa Cum Laude.

I also had a Georgetown, a Carnegie Mellon, and a Chicago grad to choose from. Good market for employers looking for young talent, bad for the kids.

We tried to hire a administrative assistant about a year ago. The one we really wanted turned the offer down because she would only "earn" slightly more by working and paying to send her kids (2) to daycare then she would by staying home and collecting unemployment. What parent would turn down a opportunity to spend more time with their young kids? When her unemployment drys up shell go back to work and her excuse wont be that she couldnt find a job and thats why she hasnt worked in 2 years, it will be that she decided to spend time with her children while they were still little.

I don’t want to give too much away….. but im younger, not married and I don’t have kids. If I were to get laid off I would collect the highest amount possible (around 22k). Since I am younger I don’t have much in the way of qualified retirement savings so I would also be eligible for some food stamp assistance in VA (means tested). I don’t have a lot of fixed expenses, a lot of my current income is used for purely discretionary spending. Like the mother who decided to stay home with her children for 2 years while getting paid, I too would have a very difficult time forcing myself to accept a job when given the opportunity to do soooo much more. Who would pass up a sabbatical in their 20’s? Or what parent would pass up time to spend with their children? There are a lot of people who truly need unemployment, but there are also a lot of people who just like options it gives them.

If you're interested in building anything resembling a meaningful career, the worst thing you can do is stay out of work for an extended period of time.

To prospective employers, the longer you're out of work the worse you're regarded. It says that you either haven't been able to beat out others for available jobs (you're not that good) or that you haven't been looking very hard (that you don't care).

If you're interested in building anything resembling a meaningful career, the worst thing you can do is stay out of work for an extended period of time.

To prospective employers, the longer you're out of work the worse you're regarded. It says that you either haven't been able to beat out others for available jobs (you're not that good) or that you haven't been looking very hard (that you don't care).


I absolutely agree however I place a greater value on a paid sabbatical during the most unrestricted years of my life then I do on a red flag that can be creatively explained away and that will be diminished exponential over time. Plus I think a work history gap vs. temporary job or taking a job that youre overqualified for can create just as much confusion or questions regarding your worth to prospective employers.

I wouldn’t squander the “opportunity” to sit out of the job market for 2 years either. I would search for a dream job in a dream location, work towards professional credentials, do what it takes to make a career switch, give that business idea you have a shot, do a cross country road trip, get in extremely good shape, go on a epic bender, post more on thewarpath, ect.

If youre the type of person that adds value and creates revenue 2 years of soul searching aint gonna derail anything.

I absolutely agree however I place a greater value on a paid sabbatical during the most unrestricted years of my life then I do on a red flag that can be creatively explained away and that will be diminished exponential over time. Plus I think a work history gap vs. temporary job or taking a job that youre overqualified for can create just as much confusion or questions regarding your worth to prospective employers.

I wouldn’t squander the “opportunity” to sit out of the job market for 2 years either. I would search for a dream job in a dream location, work towards professional credentials, do what it takes to make a career switch, give that business idea you have a shot, do a cross country road trip, get in extremely good shape, go on a epic bender, post more on thewarpath, ect.

If youre the type of person that adds value and creates revenue 2 years of soul searching aint gonna derail anything.

No it wouldn't derail anything, it would just reveal that you don't have your priorities aligned well enough. Is that judgmental? Hell yes, but that's what the interview/hiring process is all about.

Just my 2 cents.

How can you collect unemployment for 2 years? Doesnt it have a cut off after 6 months or something? Based on how much you put in? taken out of your SS contributions?

How can you collect unemployment for 2 years? Doesnt it have a cut off after 6 months or something? Based on how much you put in? taken out of your SS contributions?

You can get unemployment up to 99 weeks depending on what state you live in. I think in VA it works out to where you can "only" get a year and a half or so, it depends on how bad you states problems are. Its tricky though, i think the first 6 months are techniqely on the state's unemployment resources and then additional amounts are purely subsidized by the federal gov.

Theres a movement brewing called “the 99ers”. Theres a bunch of people who are coming up on the end of their 99 weeks of unemployment and are still out of work (think Cal., Arizona, Detroit areas) who want/need continuation of benefits. I think they have or are attempting to create a union of unemployed people and people who support them in order to lobby to get more entitlements and stuff.

No it wouldn't derail anything, it would just reveal that you don't have your priorities aligned well enough. Is that judgmental? Hell yes, but that's what the interview/hiring process is all about.

Just my 2 cents.


I guess it depends on what your priorities are.....