HELP! UNEMPLOYMENT! I am Unemployed. What do I do now? Take a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. While being unemployed or facing unemployment is a very scary and daunting moment in one’s life, it is not the end of the world. On many levels, Job hunting is much like dating. You win some, you lose some but when it comes down to it, you learn more about your true wants and needs in the end.
Just like dating and meeting people for the first time, unemployment or the single life, can open many doors and venues that you may not have thought of whilst in your last position (relationship).
Jobs come in many different shapes, sizes and skill sets. They also have different salaries, schedule structures, corporate structures and employee perks.
You gotta know what you want in a job before you can make it happen. Culture Beat: Mr. Vain “I know what I want and I want it now”
1) Education. Despite the high costs of this sector furthering your education is never a bad thing as long as you are researching and understanding the short and long-term benefits and negatives to education. Yes, you are unemployed and money is tight but this could be a GOOD boost to your experience.
2) Career transition. Maybe you have reached that moment with your job where you have had enough? It’s okay, this happens sometimes and you are not at fault but in this time of a slowed lifestyle, try to focus on what you want to do next and how you can attain that goal.
3) Network. But don’t beg.
DON’T. Sit and complain about your job situation. Keep in mind that just because you are unemployed does not mean EVERYONE is unemployed. The last thing you want to become is that guy/girl who never stops complaining and gives the ‘I’m poor and unemployed’ sob story. We get it. Get over it. It’s life and make something happen out of it. Complaining will not get you a job.
DO. Ask friends how they are doing and politely see if they know of any openings in their company. Some may ask for your resume and forward it along, others may not feel so inclined. Try and stay as happy and positive as you can. I repeat no one needs another Debbie Downer in their life.
Don’t Be a Debbie Downer with Unemployment!
4) Too much unemployment is NOT a good thing. Despite what many people have yet to realize about job hunting is that the moment you become unemployed, your career clock is ticking. This clock determines the probability as to how quickly you will be hired again. The longer you allow this clock to tick, the more challenging the search will become ESPECIALLY if you wait a year or longer before you hop into the job market again.
Yes, I know that there are SOME people out there who get lucky and have the ability to pull some strings but most of us do not have such luck and when an employer sees a huge unemployment period they question a person’s motivation/drive and work ethic.
Keep this in mind before your two-year hibernation.
5) Learn a New Hobby! Get yourself out there and try something new. Anything. Ballet, magic, architecture, travelling, bear wrestling. Yes, it is important to spend a large chunk of your time finding work and honing in on job opportunities but this gives you ample time to find yourself again and discover new things about yourself. Keep it light, keep it simple. As humans, once we stop learning, we stop living. As a Ghandi writes, ““Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Seize the day! THIS.IS.UNEMPLOYMENT!
Most of all what I would like to reiterate in this post is to be consistent. Job hunting IS a full-time job and it requires consistency to really put a dent in finding what you want.
Regardless of your career level, the state of being unemployed is a tough position to be in but with the right attitude and motivation it can propel you forward in your career.
Have you ever been unemployed? How did you go about obtaining your next job? What did you succeed with in your job search? What were your struggles? Feel free to share! There are MANY of us out there who are dying to know because, well, quite frankly we are very high in unemployment numbers right now.