reddaj Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 Does anyone have any experience applying to grad school after a long period of unemployment? Basically, I graduated in 2007, taught abroad for a few months but couldn't handle the isolation in the town of 3000 where I was working. I got back to the US in February 2008, and have been job hunting like crazy ever since--to absolutely no avail. Will grad schools just classify me as a loser and reject me? I was an older undergrad and really can't sit around and wait until I have work experience to apply. Is there any chance grad schools would cut me some slack because of the job market? Actually, I don't just mean will might they cut me slack. I mean will my unemployment have any negative effect of my application, because I am in unmanageable debt from my undergrad years and can't go anywhere without an excellent financial aid package. Should I explain that my family lives in the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country and that I had to spend almost a year "working" and getting paid out of my dad's pocket before I could afford to get out and start looking for jobs anywhere else? Or will that look like I'm making excuses? Any advice? Thanks in advance. I'm completely freaking out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepoorstockinger Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 How on earth are they going to know you were unemployed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddaj Posted August 16, 2009 Author Share Posted August 16, 2009 Really? They're not going to know? I thought I had to put my employment history/tout all my non-academic "experience"? No? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
socialcomm Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 While you were looking for jobs, were you volunteering? Gaining any other experience? It sounds like you were working for your dad? For the schools you're applying to, do you need to submit a resume/CV? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepoorstockinger Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 reddaj said: Really? They're not going to know? I thought I had to put my employment history/tout all my non-academic "experience"? No? No. No one cares if you answered phones for angry Verizon users who had a miscalculated bill, slung chicken from a street cart or day traded stocks on Wallstreet unless it's directly related to your field of study. If you are asked to submit a CV or resume and you do include stuff like lifeguard, bus boy or whatever then you're not doing it right. You only have to list academic/related employment. No one need ever know that you were unemployed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reddaj Posted August 16, 2009 Author Share Posted August 16, 2009 That's a relief! Thanks for the info!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
was1984 Posted August 16, 2009 Share Posted August 16, 2009 I did have one application that requested that I account for every year of my life since I graduated high school, but that was the exception, not the rule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahlan_amnell Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 thepoorstockinger said: No. No one cares if you answered phones for angry Verizon users who had a miscalculated bill, slung chicken from a street cart or day traded stocks on Wallstreet unless it's directly related to your field of study. If you are asked to submit a CV or resume and you do include stuff like lifeguard, bus boy or whatever then you're not doing it right. You only have to list academic/related employment. No one need ever know that you were unemployed. That isn't always the case, some of my applications asked me to list all employment as a separate question from related work experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasses Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Does anyone have any experience applying to grad school after a long period of unemployment? Basically, I graduated in 2007, taught abroad for a few months but couldn't handle the isolation in the town of 3000 where I was working. I got back to the US in February 2008, and have been job hunting like crazy ever since--to absolutely no avail. Will grad schools just classify me as a loser and reject me? I was an older undergrad and really can't sit around and wait until I have work experience to apply. Is there any chance grad schools would cut me some slack because of the job market? Actually, I don't just mean will might they cut me slack. I mean will my unemployment have any negative effect of my application, because I am in unmanageable debt from my undergrad years and can't go anywhere without an excellent financial aid package. Should I explain that my family lives in the state with the highest unemployment rate in the country and that I had to spend almost a year "working" and getting paid out of my dad's pocket before I could afford to get out and start looking for jobs anywhere else? Or will that look like I'm making excuses? Any advice? Thanks in advance. I'm completely freaking out. Seconding the statements of the folks who said "it's not gonna matter." I wouldn't mention it. As a result, you won't run the risk of sounding as though you're going to grad school because you're unemployed. That, I think, would be a problem. Just the fact that you're unemployed, as a solitary thing in your life, is irrelevant, and probably won't need to be explained or even discussed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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