how long have you been unemployed?

to those workers out there, how long have you been unemployed from not having a job? 
 
i'm just asking because i am done with college and i can't find a job. i've been without a job for about a year now. when i was in college i only worked during the summer. the company let college students work there. i already went to three places put in my resume that I worked on. the places weren't hiring so i just left them my resume. i am also looking for a job because i'm getting pretty bored just posting here and playing video games all day.

The longest for me  when I was actually looking for a job was probably a month. Someone in your town is hiring, you just have to find them before someone else does.  
Don't be picky about your jobs. Taking a job at McDonald's is better than not having a job at all. 
 
Plus you're more likely to get a good job when you've worked recently, even if it's at McDonald's or Gamestop. I mean nobody wants to hire a guy that has been unemployed for a year. It tells them you're lazy.

Yeah I have to agree... if you only put in 3 resumes over the course of a year.... you're not going to have much luck.  You need to hit A LOT of places.  And don't worry if they say they're not currently hiring.  The job I have now wasn't hiring when I cold-emailed my resume, but a month or two later I got a call from them.

I just recently finished college and moved out of state to New Jersey 2 months ago. I've been putting out my resume left and right looking for just about anything with no luck.  

The longest for me  when I was actually looking for a job was probably a month. Someone in your town is hiring, you just have to find them before someone else does.  Don't be picky about your jobs. Taking a job at McDonald's is better than not having a job at all.  Plus you're more likely to get a job when you've worked recently. I mean nobody wants to hire a guy that has been unemployed for a year. It tells them you're lazy.

Dude, three or four months ago I was you. I sat around unemployed for a year and barely applied anywhere because everywhere I applied didn't even respond back and I was getting fucking depressed. But I started applying to at least one job every day and looking for jobs on lots of different sites (just googling is shockingly effective also) and pretty soon I was getting interviews. You just gotta apply for a lot of stuff and if you hear back, get back to them right away. Get up early and look for new jobs every morning.

my whole life! looking now though (19)

I'd definitely advise you to put out more resumes.

17 years

@Commando said:

The longest for me  when I was actually looking for a job was probably a month. Someone in your town is hiring, you just have to find them before someone else does.  Don't be picky about your jobs. Taking a job at McDonald's is better than not having a job at all.  Plus you're more likely to get a job when you've worked recently. I mean nobody wants to hire a guy that has been unemployed for a year. It tells them you're lazy.

Since he finished college I'm assuming he is looking for a job in his respective field, not just at some random retail store or fast food place...

Yeah, you need to respond.

I haven't ever been employed. 

Since last summer....I have a summer job.

About three weeks, because my job I normally have during the school year ends with the school year.  I'll be in another job in about two or three more weeks for my summer job.

A few years. though being a student has replaced that. No real jobs in this post industrial town i live in.

I've been looking for a few weeks.  I'm almost out of money now too.  Though I just had an interview and was promised a second interview.  I'm waiting for the call back. 

Send out more resumes dude. And make sure you capitalized your I's on it.

I've only ever been unemployed when i was taking summer jobs. When i was 15 i got a summer job and had to quit when school started. Same when i was 16. Both jobs combined to save money for my first car which i paid cash for. When I actually got my license I worked continuously until now. I've only been without work for at most a few days while i looked for a job and during those points i just canvased the area and took anything.
 
I hate to troll on the OP but why couldnt you work in college? I worked and paid my way through college including books, 3 cars purchased with cash (e.g. no loans), gas and insurance all while in high school and college and had a career job lined up in November a month before I graduated in a related field of my degree. I pisses me off to see that you are bored of sitting around and playing games, but not bored enough to print more than 3 copies of your resume and goto 3 businesses.
 Lets do you a favor and find you some work:
Beyond.com
Careerbuilder.com
http://www.execu-search.com/
http://www.hound.com/
http://www.indeed.com/
http://www.jobcentral.com/
http://www.jobserve.us/
http://www.jobster.com/
http://www.monster.com/
http://www.oodle.com/job/
http://www.ontargetjobs.com/
http://www.simplyhired.com/
http://www.snagajob.com/
http://www.theladders.com/
http://www.trovix.com/
http://www.tweetmyjobs.com/
http://www.usajobs.com/
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/
 
Now get a fucking job and quit being lazy.

Longest for me was around 2 years.  Didn't really try to find one during those years.  Then I got a call back and was shocked.  Now I have one and I'm glad I have one.  Having money is nice.

Only a few months. I was unemployed for a year in 2008 and 2009, hence my fucking ridiculous post count when I don't even like video games.

I have had several jobs in the last few years but it has been over five years since my last proper full time job.
 
I used to work as a lab tech at a aluminium smelter(Alcan, people in Canada may know it as Rio Tinto, or something like that) I was paid off job due to job cuts and being the youngest/newest in the lab, since then it's been very bad especially since the economic crash, I live in the North East of England in an old mining town, Since the pit closures back in the 80's work has been sparse here for awhile, I have been getting by through working for my dad on and off, I moved to London in an attempt to find more work while working as a painter with my uncle, I moved from there to Maidstone,Kent to search for something else(well and because of some chick) nothing good their including the chick, Moved back home to my mothers back in 2010(embarrasing for a 27yr old) started at college doing I.T in the hope more education would improve my chances, I then got a part time job to go along with the college course and all was going well and to plan then in Dec 2010 some guy stabbed me in the legs 5 times for my blackberry, He got seven months in prison(2 years was the sentance but he will do 7 months) and i lost my job and had to stop college to start the painstaking journey of rehabilitation, Six months later i am all good and have started the long journey to employment once more.
 
It's a difficult thing being unemployed, I spent my younger adult years employed from 16-22 i always had a job, But in the past five years its been difficult, I have probably spent at least one year of that doing nothing as lack of motivation can set in real easy, After months of searching and interviews it can get to the point where i decided to take a break and do nothing for a few weeks which turned into a few months and to get back into the groove can be difficult, My advice for anyone who is younger or even my age would be to get as much education as possible, I am back at college now and plan to spend the next  year or two at college then another 3 year at university by then i will be around 33 but hey i still have around 40 more years to work and its much easier to get up in the morning if you are doing something you enjoy, Major persistence is needed as sometimes the jobs come easy but mainly they dont, Also location is a big thing, Some are luckier than others but its really about making the best of what you have and working hard.
 
Good luck to all as our hobby of gaming is an expensive one and it's nice to be able to spend some of that hard earned cash on games and systems.

@iam3green: LOL. You only put out 3 resumes? gj dude

You guys are some under-performing mother-fuckers.  No networks
built, no willingness to relocate, 3 resume submissions per year, no 
backup plan.  I've never been out of work longer than two months & 
that was way back in the ripe old year of 1995.  I can't even imagine 
being out of work for a year!
 
My advice: try harder.

Started work the week after I turned 15 (legal working age in MA). Soo... One week total my entire life?

@NickL: lololololololol

I was laid off due to lack of work almost a year ago. Since then I've been doing some substitute teaching and some temp work, but last week and this week I've been interviewing at High Voltage Software, so hopefully by next week I'll be employed and working in the games industry.

21 years

I haven't been unemployed in almost 3 years now.

I haven't looked for a job since last summer, so I don't really count as unemployed right now.

I have been unemployed since December. I live with my parents so it's not do or die. I'm going to school in August so I really only want a part time job. In the last 5 months I have applied to about 200 locations and got about 5 interviews. I got offered a job at Walmart, but I said fuck that. ( I fucking hate that company with all of my being) I have a interview with Macy's on Monday and I worked there previously so I'll have some experience to go by. I just want to start meeting some girls , because the last job I worked was a sausage fest and the place I live( lets just say I wouldn't touch these women here with the torch of Gondor.

Before getting hired at my current job, I was unemployed for about 3 years. A lot of resumes were thrown around and I only got my current job due to a friend of a friend. It's tough out there, you'll find something eventually.

After I graduated it took me 8 months to find a job in my field, perhaps in part because I emigrated directly after graduation. To get that first job I was sending out resumes and emailing companies daily. I was out of work for about 3 months in 2009. Again, from the day I was let go, I was immediately sending resumes and contacting companies, while working on my demo projects and website. Eventually finding a job that was posted on Craigslist. Been employed since, though I have changed company once since then for personal reasons.

I'm 24 and have been working steadliy since I was 17.
 
Part time job through end of high school, same part time job while at uni. Changed job to my current career after I finished my degree and I also work a second job one night a week (only 3 hours though)

I was unemployed for 4 months after i graduated this past december. In that time i submitted well over 500 resumes to jobs all over the country (US). I applied for pretty much anything from walmart clerk jobs to jobs more related to my biology degree. I ended up getting my job through a civil service test. I'd recommend trying to take any civil service test you are eligible to sit for. I got my job mostly because i was just lucky and was at the right place at the right time, but you really need to put yourself out there for that to happen to you. Times are rough, try and not let it get you down and just keep plugging away.

After finishing University I was out of work for over a year but I managed to get a job at the beginning of this year. Best advice is to send out more resumes and have a few different ones for applying for different types of jobs also have someone check it over.

Since I was born.

Too fucking long.

6 months now and it sucks!

I haven't ever been employed. 

Going on 8 months... It been getting more depressing recently. I had a few interviews in the first couple of months, but more recently, there hasn't been anything. I was thinking about going for something in retail, just to have something on my resume, but i haven't gotten to that point yet.

Only 3? Try 80. I wish I got paid for applying to places sometimes... :/

Three places huh? Somebody's been a busy bee. 
 
I was a cashier at a coffee shop during my junior year in high-school, but I took my senior year off (to play World of Warcraft). I got a job at a pizza joint my 1st year in college, and I've been there ever since- I'm actually a manager now- which is cool. I'll probably be here another year or two, until I get my business degree from Northwood University- then I'll start putting in apps to places like Activision, EA, etc. I'd like to work at some video game company- I know I don't have the artistic skills needed to be a designer- but I know I can work in the business side of the industry- which should be rad.

I guess depends where in the world you live but I have never had a problem finding a job in Australia or Canada.  
Maybe a few days at the most. I'm either a go getter or a sucker, haven't figured that out yet.