BilduEnjoyer

Ah, I recommend keeping it succinct and answering more questions should they ask. Caregiving + death of a close family member is a very good reason for a gap and, in my experience hiring and being hired- good employers will be understanding.

I can relate to wanting to explain everything, I was always (and still can be) afraid of being misunderstood, but the more I’ve practiced interviews the more I’ve learned to respond succinctly. Honestly, a job interview is more to see confidence and if you’ll get along with your co-workers.

Just talk casually, like “Yeah, I had to spend time caring for a sick family member and I lost a parent. It was a full time job.”

Anyone who is sane will be empathetic, if they aren’t, fuck that job, run.

Also my favorite job seeking tip is at the end of the interview ask this question: “If you were to hire me, what strengths do you see me in that position? What would my day to day look Iike at your company?”

By asking this question you get the employer thinking about you already working there and that will stick with them.

I also recommend that prior to the interview you have a good meal, exercise, and do some breathing exercises to relax. It is tough when you are desperate for work, but the reality is the more that you relax the better your chances. Focus on what you know you’re good at and be kind to yourself.

No problem, good luck with your job hunt!

OK so, I’ve dealt with long job gaps before. IMO, 2 years isn’t that bad. It’s pretty easy to skirt the issue around this. (I’ve also helped with hiring employees so i know the drill)

I recommend being honest and saying “My father passed away, and I took some time to process this. Then I worked on myself did odd jobs, and now that I’m feeling better I feel I can better commit to your company.” Keep in mind- odd jobs can include hobbies, learning skills like languages, or even learning ways to improve yourself emotionally. When we were looking for employees we wanted to see people who just used that time to better themselves. (Tho I worked for a nonprofit that helped students so ymmv)

A good workplace will be sympathetic. I recommend going to a job center and doing some mock-interviews to help build your confidence up.

lol my mental health was thriving during lockdown. I was doing so many hobbies. My friends held discord movie watch parties and I reconnected with a lot of people.

I’m also an introverted nerd tho.

Understood, the court has spoken.

This violates volcel protocol! Volcel police!

Oh yeah. It’s bad. I’ve never been but I have a friend who just escaped and they have nothing but horror stories. I hesitate to call it third world because I don’t think that’s the best terminology, but for lack of better phrasing- Louisiana is 3rd world. It has been compared to regions of Africa in terms of corruption/lack of sanitation/services. New Orleans did not recover from Hurricane Katrina.

The more I learn about Louisiana the more I hope for a revolution.

Not only do they have literally collapsing infrastructure (like freeway on-ramps), poison in their air and tap water, and “forbidden zones” in the country side, a cancer epidemic, there is this shit. Such a wonderful culture and people who are being tortured by big oil/capitalism.

Regarding Edit: You’re good! It’s interesting to learn about your culture and other European experiences.

Yeah I’m really curious about anti-communism in the Balkans, was anti-communism funded by USAid?

I was curious about Balkan states so I started watching some YouTube videos and the hosts would often complain about their bad infrastructure, or that “boomers don’t know what they’re talking about, the Soviet Union was terrible!” Even though “boomers” lived in the soviet state and have lived experience. Like, I know generations can disagree on things, but the disconnect is so bizarre to me.

The Soviet Union built so much, and it’s only falling apart because the current capitalist government refuses to update/maintain/restore these buildings.

I read cultural osmosis and thought “cultural osmosis jones” and then I imagined a chud choking on an Ebola egg.

OH YEAH, that reminds me of a story-

So a few days ago I went out with classmates to Casco Viejo/Zazpikaleak/old town. It is a Basque enclave and is filled with anti-fa organizations and it’s full of Basque punks wearing. “FCK NZS” logos.

And one of my classmates is an American CHUD who listens to Louder with Crowder and Andrew Tate garbage. He was in my student apartment for a hot minute but got mad and left when my roommate didn’t humor his trash.

So this guy starts lecturing another student about how “Basque traditions aren’t even that old, they only started 28 years ago.” (This is a popular anti-Basque talking point in Spain) And he’s saying this just as we enter old town and there are punks on every corner giving him the eye and the rest of us who knew better just quietly abandoned him.

The reality is that these traditions were eradicated through -genocide- and were brought back to help rebuild community and foster appreciation for the culture. They are real traditions, but for some mysterious reason these traditions were not practiced for decades. Y’know, while families were murdered or forced to hide in graveyard crypts/hollow walls. Not that this CHUD could appreciate that, his brain pan is not formed for curiosity it seems.