Are you concerned about long-term unemployment? Research indicates that if you have been unemployed six months or longer you’re at a severe disadvantage in your job search. While applying online and sending out resumes is largely ineffective for most job-seekers, it is especially unproductive for the long-term unemployed.

In his article,  The Terrifying Reality of Long-Term Unemployment, Matthew O’Brien cites the work of Dickens and Ghayad which demonstrates that employers discriminate against long-term unemployment more than they do against age, lack of experience, or lack of education. Especially when unemployment reaches the six-month mark.

When faced with the challenge of long-term unemployment most people will continue to tweak their resume ad nauseam, but this fails to address the issue. What is necessary is to get face-to-face with someone who can see you as a real person; a real, talented, person that has something to offer their organization.

When Carol decided it was time to go back to work after taking 14 years to raise her family, she knew the giant gap was going to be an issue. Who is going to take seriously a resume with a 14 year blank spot? To Carol’s credit, she never complained about the challenge. Instead she was purposeful and strategic. We worked with Carol on a targeted contact development strategy that got her talking with people who could see her as a motivated, talented, person. The result was her landing a job with a fast-growing healthcare company.

The best way to tackle the challenge of long-term unemployment, as with most job-search issues, is going to be found in conversations rather than applications.