Should You Tell A Recruiter You’re Unemployed?

One of the most stressful things is the problem of how to discuss being unemployed.

If you’re someone who graduated college and has been working in a professional context, then it can be quite humiliating to have to tell people you are out of work.

Even if you’re not working in a professional environment, it can still be embarrassing to discuss being unemployed.

One of the issues that people who are unemployed need to deal with is how to discuss the problem. This is especially true if you are interacting with a recruiter.

When you work with a recruiter, it’s often a good idea to let them know your availability. Recruiters are more likely to deal with people who are either not working or are on a temporary or contact assignment.

As a rule, recruiters only spend time working with people who already have a job if the recruiter is head hunting for a specific role.

However, rightfully so, many people are concerned about letting a recruiter know that they are not working. Let’s take a look at this tricky situation and how you can navigate it.

Unemployed and the Negative Stigma

There is a stigma among working people about being unemployed. Many people never work, but those people tend not to interact with recruiters or headhunters.

The fact is that employers and recruiters tend to stay clear of people who have large career gaps or who are unemployed for large periods of time.

There are certain exceptions (women who took time of to have children, or others who have family issues) but people who simply are out of work for periods of time are going to face a lot of difficulty when looking for work.

The truth is simple. Employers who see that someone has been out of work for long periods of time wonder how that person has paid rent, paid for food, and all other things that are expensive.

In large cities with huge social service programs such as New York, L.A., San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston, public assistance is very strong. The social service safety net allows people to have housing (either in government created housing or through housing vouchers) as well as food vouchers (EBT cards) and Medicaid.

Employers have a tendency to be suspicious of people who have these benefits as it means that they would not be reliant upon their employer for work.

This is not true of all employers, though. Most major cities hospitals are staffed by people who are often enrolled in city benefit programs. And non-profits are often staffed by case managers and social workers who themselves are intimately familiar with public assistance programs either from their own use or their family and social circle.

In certain industries, being unemployed has less of a stigma. So, people who work in the medical field (nurses, LPNs, CNAs, Techs) and social services (Case Workers, Case Managers, Social Workers) do not have the same stigma. In those fields of work, it’s not uncommon for people to quit jobs and take months off for vacations.

However, in the corporate world, or in blue collar fields such as trucking, factory, warehouse, and other manual labor work, it’s less common and therefore less acceptable.

Can You Lie about Being Unemployed?

It’s not a good idea to lie about being unemployed. If you get caught up by the recruiter or your employer, then it is embarrassing, but more than that it will show that you’re an untrustworthy person.

As a general rule, it’s not advisable to lie on your resume. The reason is that if caught, your certain to raise a red flag.

And the problem with lying about being employed is that should your recruiter or employer might want to contact someone as a reference. Or, more likely, the employer might reach out and have an employment verification done.

This is where most of the issues come out. There are major companies out there such as HireRite and a whole hose of other firms, many of them located overseas in India and South Asia.

In addition to employement verificatations, many employers and temp agencies will use background checks. When you combine the backgroudn check with the employement verificaiton checks, then you’ll understand why it’s not wise to be deceptive.

The way in which those employment verification companies work is that they will contact the employer listed on your resume and ask for proof of employment. This is legal and is handled through the companies payroll or human resource department.

In addition to being caught in a lie, which is embarrassing, there is another problem. And that’s your reputation.

While many employers might have a negative view of someone who is out of work, they would have an even worse view of someone who was lying about not working.

So, the best approach is to be upfront about your work status. A more important question is how to handle it. If you’re someone who has been unemployed for a long time, then that’s a serious hurdle to overcome. If, however, you’ve only been unemployed for a few weeks, or even a month or two, it’s not an issue.

How Do You Say You Are Unemployed?

It’s important to know that you never have to volunteer that information unless asked. If asked, you should, however, be clear that you are not working full time if you aren’t.

Many recrutiers and most employers will not want to hire or work with someone who is already employed. The exception being a C-Level role.

For regular administrative work, or basic office skills, and even in blue collar professions such as nursing and other work, potential employers are always suspect if someone has a full time job.

The worry being that the person is just looking to negotiate with their boss after getting an offer from you.

Ideally, most recruiters and employers want someone who has just left a role within a month or less or is in the middle of resigning.

People who have been unemployed for long periods of time often have a negative air surrounding their application.

There are some subtle differences between professionals. As discussed, a nurse can be out of work for years, and they can reenter the workforce with little trouble.

Sadly, the same cannot be said for professionals in Sales, Administrative Support, Marketing, IT or even warehouse or physical labor type roles.

If you are unemployed, it’s best to be upfront about it and list an end date on your resume. Don’t leave an open ended date on your resume because that can be misleading, and worse, when people see it they might think that you are currently still working and are not available for full time work.