how to write a cover letter when you are unemployed

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Unemployed cover letter example 1

Not sure what to say to an employer? Don’t worry you’ve come to the right place. This page is full of tips and examples for jobseekers who have career gaps or have been unemployed for a while.

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Unemployed cover letter example

Christine Graham Hiring Manager Dayjob Ltd 120 Vyse Street Birmingham B18 6NF

16 th July 2021

Dear Ms Graham,

I am writing to express my interest and enthusiasm for your …………… vacancy which was advertised on the Dayjob.com website today.

Although I come to you as candidate who is unemployed, I hope you will consider my application just as much as they would consider someone who’s employed.

I have spent much of my career in the ………….. industry. However, my last employer had to cut back on its staffing levels and I was laid off. Even though I have been unemployed for three years, I am extremely keen to get back to work as soon as possible.

Whilst not working, I have not been idle but have remained active by gaining relevant qualifications, refreshing my skills and keeping up-to-date with the latest industry developments. Based on this and on my previous experience and knowledge of ………………… I believe that I would be a perfect fit to your current position. Furthermore, after reading your job description, I am confident that I have everything you are looking for in an applicant and more.

I would also like to say that I share all of the values and goals you have on your company website.

On a personal level, I am a sociable individual who gets along with people from all social and cultural backgrounds. In addition to this I am ambitious, determined and very loyal to those I work for.

Further details of my past career, skills and academic achievements can be found in the attached copy of my CV. I hope that you will find this cover letter in combination with the attached CV enticing enough to invite me to an interview.

Thank you very much for your time and hopefully forthcoming positive response.

Yours sincerely,

Name Address 1 Address 2 Tel: 0044 123 456 7890 Email: [email protected]

More Unemployed cover letter examples

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Template: Currently Unemployed Cover Letter

If you’ve been unemployed for a period of time, a cover letter is your prime opportunity to explain any gaps on your CV that a hiring manager might be questioning.

It’s an unfortunate situation to be in, but it happens! It’s important to not let your confidence take a knock - get right back out there and apply for new opportunities. Writing a top-notch cover letter will help your application stand out from the crowd and help you get your career back on track.

Don’t try and hide the fact that you have been unemployed - even if it has only been for a short period of time. Describe the reason why you’re currently unemployed, before moving onto an explanation of why you’re ready to return to work. You can use our article on finding a job after being made redundant as a guide.

Always mention how you’ve been spending your time in this period of unemployment. Any volunteering or upskilling is great to showcase to potential future employers.

If you are looking for more guidance on how to write the best cover letter , we can help!

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How to Address Unemployment in a Cover Letter

Unemployment can raise red flags with employers if work gaps on your resume are not effectively addressed in a cover letter. A hiring manager with an active imagination might worry that you have trouble finding and keeping a job due to chronic alcoholism, laziness or an attitude problem.

Briefly explaining the reasons for being unemployed in a cover letter brings the focus back to your unique skill set and impressive qualifications. Hiring managers may have experienced periods of unemployment in their own career trajectories, so don't assume they won't understand or care about difficult life circumstances.

Provide Context for Unemployment

Millions of Americans have experienced periods of unemployment so that fact alone shouldn't be a barrier to landing a good job. Economic downturns often result in unforeseen layoffs and hiring freezes followed by a slow recovery. For example, 10 million workers were still jobless one year after the beginning of the pandemic, reported CNBC on May 7, 2021.

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When addressing unemployment, a letter of explanation should offer context that helps explains what caused your unemployment. For example, you might mention that you were one of many workers who were let go due to budgetary reasons rather than poor performance. Other understandable reasons for joblessness include quitting to care for a family member or to attend school full time.

Offer Familiar Explanation

Cite the typical reasons that candidates give for being unemployed assuming they pertain to you. Forbes suggests that hiring managers are accustomed to seeing a gap in work history and will likely look past it if the applicant lists familiar reasons for being unemployed in a cover letter. Common explanations include unemployment due to company-wide layoffs, organizational restructuring, declining revenue or budget constraints.

Personal reasons frequently given for being out of work include parenting responsibilities or relocating with a spouse. In most cases, a one- to two-sentence explanation in a cover letter will suffice. Volunteering more information than necessary can be a distraction and raise suspicions.

Emphasize Newly Acquired Skills

You can use periods of unemployment to your advantage by showing how you grew personally and professionally during that time. If you quit a job to travel, you can talk about how the experience deepened your understanding of other cultures, increased your language skills and exposed you to new perspectives that will be helpful in your role as a business leader, educator or social worker, for instance. Indeed Career Guide suggests that personal gaps can be listed separately as a job.

​Example:​ Full-time caregiver, 2020 to present | Stepped away from professional position to care for terminally ill family member

If you were out of work or underemployed for several months or years, you should mention what you've done in the interim to stay current in your occupational field. Your cover letter might mention contributing to professional organizations, earning industry certificates, refreshing technical skills, launching a startup, writing a blog or completing continuing education courses. The key is to relate recent professional development activities to the skills needed to excel in the job you're seeking.

Be Honest and Upfront

Omitting a few months of unemployment on a resume is an acceptable practice that doesn't require explanation in a cover letter if you were only out of work for three months or less. However, longer gaps will likely pique the curiosity of an employer. Career Sidekick cautions that misrepresenting dates of employment or fabricating reasons for being out of work could backfire and disqualify you from further consideration. Dishonesty is likely to be discovered when references are checked.

Candid disclosure is advisable even if you were terminated from your last job. In the case of being fired or resigning, your unemployed cover letter sample might state: "My last position was not the best fit for my skill set. I realized that I'm better suited to working with people in sales and customer service than entering data on spreadsheets day after day even though I had a high accuracy rate."

• CNBC: 29% of Unemployed Americans Have Been Jobless Over a Year
• Forbes: Five Tips for Explaining Gaps in Your Employment History
• Indeed Career Guide: How to Explain Gaps in Employment
• Career Sidekick: How to Explain Gaps in Employment (With Examples)
• If you were unemployed for a period of time by choice, such as taking a leave of absence, raising a family or changing career focus, describe this in your cover letter. Emphasize your commitment to re-entering the workforce.
• If your unemployment was related to a messy divorce, home foreclosure or some other traumatic event you don't wish to share with potential employers,
• note the reason for your absence as, "attending to private matters of a personal nature."
• If you were terminated from a job under less-than-ideal circumstances or were unemployed because of incarceration, consider leaving that explanation for a face-to-face interview. Sensitive issues are best explained in person, and if you have a criminal record, you may be precluded from holding some types of jobs.

Mary Dowd holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master's degree in counseling and student personnel from Minnesota State University, Mankato. In her 20 years of higher education experience, she has taught classes, served as interim dean of students, and worked in many areas of student affairs, including student discipline, career advising, orientation and violence prevention.

How to Address Unemployment on a Resume & Cover Letter

• Written by Editorial Team
• Updated September 9, 2022

It’s no secret that unemployment is at an all-time high. So, if you’re one of the unlucky ones currently unemployed, how do you address it on your resume and cover letter?

While it may be tempting to avoid mentioning your unemployment status on your resume and cover letter, doing so can actually hurt your chances of getting hired.

In this blog post, we’ll teach you how to address unemployment on a resume and cover letter in a way that will make potential employers take notice.

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How to address job unemployment on a cover letter

Unemployment on a CV without a cover letter can raise red flags for employers . Employers search for competent applicants with proven career histories, so eliminating resume gaps is crucial.

Employment history isn’t everything, though. Your cover letter is a chance to show your employer how well you communicate and present yourself.

Demonstrate your professional skills and personality with anecdotes demonstrating your ability to solve problems and make others feel comfortable around you.

Explain why you want to work for this particular employer. Showcase your relevant skills and experience. Don’t just list your responsibilities and accomplishments—explain how you achieved those goals.

Here are some more tips to help you with this matter:

Provide Context for Unemployment

While some employers may be reluctant to hire someone whose previous employer laid off employees, others may be willing to consider applicants based on their qualifications and experience.

When addressing unemployment, a letter explaining why you left your former position could help you land a better job. You might explain that you were laid off due to budget cuts or that you had to take a lower-paying job to support yourself and your family.

You might also mention that you chose to resign to focus on education or care for a sick relative. This type of information provides context that helps explain what caused your unemployment.

Employers want to understand how applicants fit into their organization and what makes them unique.

Offer Familiar Explanation

The job market is tough. Job seekers often struggle to find employment , especially during economic downturns. To help applicants stand out, many companies ask about previous jobs, including those held outside the field of study. However, there’s no reason to go into too much detail unless the position requires a specific skill set or experience.

For example, if someone is applying for a sales role, mentioning that they worked at a nonprofit organization could be helpful. But don’t list a lengthy resume. Instead, focus on what you learned from each job and why you left. If you’re looking for a marketing manager position, mention how you improved your skills over time.

Focus on the Positive

If your most recent position was only temporary or you were laid off due to COVID, don’t downplay your achievements; highlight them on your resume.

While it might seem negative to highlight your previous employer, highlighting accomplishments will show how well you performed during your tenure there. Include those items on your resume if you received recognition, such as a promotion or commendation.

Highlighting results using metrics (numerical data speaks volumes) and keeping things positive will help you stand out among candidates. When writing about your work experience, don’t just list dates and tasks completed. Instead, use numbers to describe your performance. Emphasize Newly Acquired Skills

Another way to address unemployment on your resume and cover letter is to emphasize any newly acquired skills. If you took the time to learn new skills while you were unemployed, be sure to highlight these on your application.

This will show employers that you are committed to professional development and willing to invest in your career. In addition, emphasizing your newly acquired skills will help to offset any dates on your resume that may raise red flags for employers. By showing that you are always learning and growing, you can prove that you are the best candidate for the job.

Be Honest and Upfront

In today’s competitive hiring environment , you must present yourself honestly and openly about what happened during your career.

Don’t try to hide behind excuses if you were let go because you didn’t meet expectations or weren’t performing well enough. Be honest and upfront about why you left your previous job.

You never know when someone else is checking up on you and will find out about your history of poor performance. Include that information in your cover letter if you were fired or resigned.

Your goal is to ensure that potential employers understand how you performed in your last role and that you possess transferable skills to their organization.

Job gaps on a resume: what are they?

Employment gaps were periods during your career when you didn’t have formal employment. They can happen for many reasons, such as being out of work due to illness or injury, taking some time off to raise children, pursuing education, traveling abroad, volunteering, or working part-time.

While there’s no set number of years, you must wait between jobs. Avoiding gaps longer than three years is best.

An employment gap on a resume can make employers question whether you’re reliable, dedicated, and trustworthy. If you want to show potential employers that you’ve been able to bounce back quickly from previous challenges, you might consider explaining what you learned during your employment gap.

How to explain job gaps on your resume

How do you explain gaps in employment on your resume? If you want to get hired, you must ensure you don’t miss out on opportunities because of gaps in your work history. But how do you explain those gaps without making yourself look, like a slacker?

Here are some tips to help you explain (or hide) your gaps in employment on your resumes:

List Years Instead Of Months For Previous Positions. (e.g., “2014–2016”)

You could look unprofessional if you list the number of months you worked for each job. You might even come off as lazy. So try listing the total amount of time you spent working at each job.

I’ve Used This Method When I Had A Couple Of Small Gaps Between Jobs.

Another way to handle gaps in employment is to list the total amount of time spent at each position. However, this doesn’t always work well. Sometimes, multiple jobs are listed under one employer, and you only worked at one of those jobs during a given period.

In this case, you’ll likely have to break down the total time into smaller chunks. For example, you might write something like “2006–2007,” “2008–2009,” etc.

If you’re currently out of work, it can be tough to know how to address the issue on your resume and cover letter. But don’t worry. Our expert team is here to help.

We can guide you through what information to include and how to frame your unemployment in a positive light.

Plus, we can help ensure your resume and cover letter are polished and ready for potential employers. Contact us today for a free consultation, and let us help you take the following steps towards finding your dream job.

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