How do I explain my short employment and long gaps due to mental health?

LostDuck

I'm 31f, I've suffered with mental health problems since I was a child, gone through all different types of help, and had lots of temporary ups and massive lows. I managed to get through university with a first-class honours degree nearly a decade ago, but in a creative course that focuses on television. It's kind of a nothing degree for me at this point that unsurprisingly doesn't open any doors.

Since uni, I've never been able to keep a job for long. The longest I've ever stayed at a job before having a complete breakdown is a year and a half (this was my last job). Other than that, the average is about 6 months or less. Whereas the gaps in between jobs have been between about 6 months to a year or so, with the worst case exception of the current gap I'm in now, a year and 8 months. I left my last job because my manager drove me out and preyed on my mental health issues (I'd never told a company before, and never will again after that). I've come from a lot of horrible work environments, but I honestly can say that my mental health was a key factor in why I left every job that was meant to be permanent.

With so many gaps, such short stays at companies, and my current huge gap in employment, I feel like I've been blacklisted. I mostly go for work from home roles and part-time roles as I'm still always dealing with my health to some degree and feel far more capable of coping and doing a good job in those roles. But 99% of jobs that I apply for don't respond to me, and the incredibly rare 1% that I get to speak to don't want to know anything about me other than the gaps and short-term employment. And "personal reasons", "health reasons" and "temporary employment" don't seem to cut it. I can tell as soon as I try to explain why I left a role or why I've been out of work for so long so many times, my application is straight in the bin.

It doesn't help that I'm someone with very low self-esteem, social anxiety and introverted. Being constantly ignored or rejected is not helping my confidence in finding work. I can't change my past and can only hope and try to for my mental health and time in work to improve, but not if I can never even get to an interview stage. So my question is, how do I spin the negatives on my CV to actually get employers interested and not write me off? Do I lie about the reasons? Do I just make up or delete a bunch of my history? I'm at a loss.

Please no mental health judgement, I just need advice on how to come across better when applying for jobs.

elsien

The honest answer is that with such short term employment and job hopping, if you don’t give a proper reason, then you come across as not being reliable. No one wants to employ someone who is going to be leaving pretty much as soon as they finish their training and probation (going on past history.)

That is not a judgement, that is how an employer will look at your application if there is no context.
I did employ someone who had done a lot of job hopping and they turned out to be very good, but they managed to convince me that it was because they we’re trying to work out they really wanted to do and this time they were sure. If i’d had a larger pool of applicants they probably wouldn’t have had that chance.
Personally  I wouldn’t be lying on an application about previous jobs -  you might get away with it but if you don’t, you’ll be straight out on your ear.

You haven’t really said what type of work you are looking for, other than working from home or part-time.  What  about agency work? They tend to be shorter term contracts, but it could help you build it more of a job history again.

Also don’t take it personally if you don’t get a response from most job. That unfortunately is normal nowadays - the thanks but no thanks letter/email doesn’t really happen anymore.

LostDuck

I think that's exactly the problem, that I don't get a chance for anyone to get to know me or how much I want the job and strongly believe I can do it and stay there, because I look too unreliable on paper.

"if you don’t give a proper reason, then you come across as not being reliable"

But what is a "proper reason"? Because I can't say mental health based on the unreliable thing, and 'personal reasons/health reasons' has always proven to not be a good enough answer and looks the same. So I feel that all I can do at this point is lie?

I used to work in digital marketing, on the creative side like social media and basic graphic design but very low level, like assistant level. I've been applying for those kinds of jobs and administration jobs. I don't know how to do much else. This is also where I can't really say I was "trying to work out what I wanted to do and this time I'm sure", because I'm applying for the same roles I've previously been in and not making a career change. I also don't feel comfortable with customer service or anything, especially in person. Plus I already feel very isolated so working weekends would take away the only finite social interaction I have.

Unfortunately agency jobs are no different for me in terms of being ignored and rejected. Agencies don't get back to me, or they do, get my hopes up and say they'll get in touch if something comes up, but I never hear from them again after discussing the gaps and short employment, even if I reach out to them first.

Thank you for responding, I appreciate any more insight and advice that you have.

Mee

HI,

Sorry to hear about your situation - I was in a similar situation once upon a time. 

May I ask what help the local job centre/jobcentre plus has offered regarding applying for jobs and help with CVs that showcase your skills and explains gaps in your paid employment? Have they assigned you a mental health coach?

I don't know what websites you've looked at, but these are useful in how to handle and not to handle gaps in your employment history:

Easy Ways to Explain Gaps in Employment [Expert Advice] – CV Pilots
https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/explain-gaps-in-work-history/
https://cipdtrust.org/latest-updates/jobseeker-webinar-mind-the-gap/ (webinar)

My town has a number of charities that provide employment help and advice as well as also looking for people with digital skills - your town/city may do too?

Don't forget your local college or university either - they often have their own job agency or use a local one. Increasingly they need people with experience and skills like your's to provide practical support to students with mental health or specific learning difficulties, either directly, or indirectly by developing/designing digital content.

Often when looking for work some overlook areas or sectors that need the same skills as well known employers or sectors, for example, football clubs need help with digital marketing too.

I remember one employer saying that they want to see what creatives have done or produced. Do you have a portfolio or social media presence that showcases what you've done even at 'assistant level' - a role that often does more than the title suggests?

My mistake was struggling in a full-time job for too long when a part-time role would have allowed me explore my options at a much earlier stage.

I hope this helps and my apologies if I've misunderstood your question(s)

MyRealNameToo

LostDuck said:

I'm 31f, I've suffered with mental health problems since I was a child, gone through all different types of help, and had lots of temporary ups and massive lows. I managed to get through university with a first-class honours degree nearly a decade ago, but in a creative course that focuses on television. It's kind of a nothing degree for me at this point that unsurprisingly doesn't open any doors.

Since uni, I've never been able to keep a job for long. The longest I've ever stayed at a job before having a complete breakdown is a year and a half (this was my last job). Other than that, the average is about 6 months or less. Whereas the gaps in between jobs have been between about 6 months to a year or so, with the worst case exception of the current gap I'm in now, a year and 8 months. I left my last job because my manager drove me out and preyed on my mental health issues (I'd never told a company before, and never will again after that). I've come from a lot of horrible work environments, but I honestly can say that my mental health was a key factor in why I left every job that was meant to be permanent.

With so many gaps, such short stays at companies, and my current huge gap in employment, I feel like I've been blacklisted. I mostly go for work from home roles and part-time roles as I'm still always dealing with my health to some degree and feel far more capable of coping and doing a good job in those roles. But 99% of jobs that I apply for don't respond to me, and the incredibly rare 1% that I get to speak to don't want to know anything about me other than the gaps and short-term employment. And "personal reasons", "health reasons" and "temporary employment" don't seem to cut it. I can tell as soon as I try to explain why I left a role or why I've been out of work for so long so many times, my application is straight in the bin.

It doesn't help that I'm someone with very low self-esteem, social anxiety and introverted. Being constantly ignored or rejected is not helping my confidence in finding work. I can't change my past and can only hope and try to for my mental health and time in work to improve, but not if I can never even get to an interview stage. So my question is, how do I spin the negatives on my CV to actually get employers interested and not write me off? Do I lie about the reasons? Do I just make up or delete a bunch of my history? I'm at a loss.

Please no mental health judgement, I just need advice on how to come across better when applying for jobs.

Let's be honest, there will be some that won't consider your application due to breaks and/or short engagements but some may be more open. 

Were the causes something related to work, unrelated to work or a mix? You mention the last role it was partly the job but not others. 

We ultimately can't change history but we can talk about what we have done/are doing to avoid history repeating itself. It's up to you how open you want to be about the causes and the fixes but that ultimately would be my tac for trying to get back into employment. 

sheenas

I think you should look at agency work and try and build up from there. Further I wonder if working from home is the right thing for you. I suspect social interaction would help you with your mental health. 

elsien

Don’t  rule out voluntary work if you want to show something more recent- there must be people out there looking for admin staff or some help with design.
It shows willing  as well as giving more recent experience and an up-to-date reference. Part of the reason I am in my current role (which was a change from my previous one following redundancy) was because I had already shown an interest through volunteering .

p_anotherguy

elsien said:

Don’t  rule out voluntary work if you want to show something more recent- there must be people out there looking for admin staff or some help with design.
It shows willing  as well as giving more recent experience and an up-to-date reference. Part of the reason I am in my current role (which was a change from my previous one following redundancy) was because I had already shown an interest through volunteering .

That's exactly what I was thinking about. I'd add some voluntary work. Even better if it lasted a couple of years and if you can provide references or a portfolio.

lincroft1710

It seems short term contracting may be more suitable for you if you have difficulty staying a job beyond 18 months.

One other aspect stands out for me. You are now 31 and have a FCH degree but would seem to be aiming far too low. This also throws up caution for an employer as they believe you will be moving on as soon as you find something better. 

Ksw3

When I was trying to get back into work I used this charity: 

https://www.waythrough.org.uk/ways-we-support-people/support-with-employment-and-training/

I had a designated contact throught the process who met with me regularly as I settled into the job and it made a huge difference. 

Perhaps they might have support in your area?

Marcon

How difficult do you find it to cope with change? It's a serious question, not some sort of snide remark or veiled criticism.