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Below is an interview question which was plaguing one of my readers. .jpg)
I thought this might be helpful to share. Please note, some of the information was changed slightly.
Dear John,
I have a question for you that I have talked to other HR professionals about. I'd like to hear your spin. I have been out of work for and extended period of time (9 months). I never thought in my wildest dreams it would be this long. That thought was in the beginning just before the economy went south. I am in the Credit / Risk field. An interview question that causes me anxiety is "why have you been out of work so long"? Granted, the economy is a generic answer but I want to preserve the integrity of my skill set without compromise given the gap of time. Please advise.
Sam (name changed)
Here is my response:
Dear Sam,
Your position is one that was eliminated early in our recession and the economy has affected us all. The Credit/Risk field is one that has definitely been affected. Although it is a highly specialized field, it is a not a field with a lot of opportunities (at present) due to the country's recession.
You might also want to say you are working diligently to find an opportunity in your field. You are fortunate that you have not had to take a job outside of your field. You are anxious to get back to work and are now looking at opportunities within your field along with other fields where you expertise can be utilized.
As far as preserving your skill set, you could say you remain active with research you are presently doing within your field, industry groups you remain active in, etc. Reinforce this with actual examples!
Although my placement experiences within the compliance risk field are limited, I will take a look in our network to see if there is anything I can do to assist you. I hope this helps!
You might also want to say you are working diligently to find an opportunity in your field. You are fortunate that you have not had to take a job outside of your field. You are anxious to get back to work and are now looking at opportunities within your field along with other fields where you expertise can be utilized.
As far as preserving your skill set, you could say you remain active with research you are presently doing within your field, industry groups you remain active in, etc. Reinforce this with actual examples!
Although my placement experiences within the compliance risk field are limited, I will take a look in our network to see if there is anything I can do to assist you. I hope this helps!
Best, John
If you have an interview or job search question you would like me to answer, please comment below or send me an email. I wish you all much success with your job search!
For additional information on interviewing, read my article on Interviewing Basics.
For additional information on interviewing, read my article on Interviewing Basics.
View John Wavle's Career Coaching website. Find John Wavle's profile on LinkedIn. Have a question about your job search? Let me know what it is and I will post my answer on my FAQ page. Email John Wavle
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