Were you laid off? Made redundant? Displaced? Outsourced? It doesn’t matter what they call it – the main worry now is – You are Unemployed. Most people who just recently lost their jobs or couldn’t find a job go through phases of anger, grief, frustration, and hopelessness. Losing a job means changing the lifestyle you’ve long been accustomed to. For some people, it also means losing their savings, their homes, and sense of security.

As if these challenges aren’t enough, there are also a lot of myths about unemployment. Those who yell about these myths the loudest are those who are ignorant, gainfully employed, and who are just exercising their freedom to complain about anything and everything. The myths on unemployment have to be cleared up for society to have a better understanding of this issue:

Myth: A college degree guarantees you’ll have a job
This might have been true several decades ago but this is certainly not relevant today. From being an industrial economy, today’s advanced economies including the United States relies primarily on the service industry. There is a surplus of college graduates who are forced to take menial jobs, are jobless, or are in debt. Many unemployed youths who graduated with a degree in engineering, business, and IT have had to move back with their parents because they cannot afford to live on their own.

Myth: Unemployment affects only those who are unskilled or under educated
The truth is that unemployment can affect anyone, even those at the highest positions. This is especially true in today’s market. When a car factory closes, for example, it affects not only those who are working in the assembly line but also designers, engineers, supervisors, and up to the general manager of the company.  In the United States, there are experienced professionals such as IT professionals, financial advisors, marketing directors, and attorneys who are unemployed.

Myth: Seniority, advanced degrees, and experience protects you from unemployment
While these characteristics are important for some companies, these make you “less employable” in others. For instance, hiring older workers usually means giving higher salaries and better benefits. Age discrimination might be illegal but no one can deny that it occurs on a daily basis on some form or another. Basically, for older workers who got unemployed in the midst of the recession, it is very difficult to bounce back. This is in spite of the fact that mature employees tend to be more dedicated and reliable compared to their younger counterparts.

Myth: The unemployed can work if they settled for a job that requires menial labor
It is very easy to judge when you’re looking from the outside. However, it is a fact that most companies that require menial workers do not want to hire highly skilled workers because they tend to leave when a better opportunity comes along. Many unemployed individuals have applied to menial jobs but got nowhere especially when they’re competing with others who have experience in this type of work.

Unemployment is difficult enough as it is. Getting rid of unemployment myths can certainly help everyone move forward constructively in finding a job.