The recession has hit many people very hard, especially those of us who live in the Inland Empire. With unemployment still at a very high rate – 13.3 percent in October, according to a December 7 article in the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin – many residents of Riverside and San Bernardino counties may have some lengthy holes in their employment history.

Here are some tips on how to “fix” that spotty history in the eyes of a potential employer.

1. First, never lie about your work history. Just don’t do it. For one thing, it’s relatively easy for an employer to check on your record today and you could quickly lose a great opportunity because of this one not-so-little lie.
2. Believe it or not, employers tend to accept gaps in employment histories. Parents stay home to take care of children. Adult children take time off to care for an elderly parent. People go back to school full-time.
3. And people get laid off from jobs. If you’ve been downsized due to the recession, even if you’ve been laid off one or more times in the last few years, employers will understand, so long as you’re upfront about it. When asked about the gaps in your work history, let the hiring manager or recruiter know that your former employer(s) had to cut back on the number of employees or otherwise restructure their workforces.
4. If, by chance, you were fired from your previous employer, you need to be very above board. Let the hiring manager know that you’ve fixed whatever it was that got you in hot water at your former employer (for example, you were constantly tardy but you’ve seen the error of your ways and you can assure the new company that tardiness will not be an issue).

The point we’re trying to make is that you should be honest with a potential employer about the reason(s) you have holes in your employment history. If you’ve been unemployed for several months, it’s a good idea to start doing some volunteer work – listing volunteer efforts is perfectly legitimate and shows an employer that you’re aiming to keep yourself engaged and active in the “real world” while you look for employment.

Working as a temporary with Arrow Staffing – or any other staffing firm – is a great way to stay employed (and keep those gaps in employment short) while you look for more “permanent” work. In fact, many of our temporary employees find regular, full-time work through temporary and temporary-to-hire assignments with us.

If you’re looking for work in the Inland Empire, contact one of our recruiters today – you might be working tomorrow!