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Unfortunately, unemployment is often associated with negative
feelings of fear, unworthiness, and stress. After being unemployed for a while,
many will feel that they have lost all purpose and control of life. However, if
you find yourself without a 9-5 daily routine, you will soon realize the one
advantage that you have over your behind-the-cubicle friends – TIME.
Being unemployed for some time
before landing your next job is necessary as it gives you time to improve your
knowledge and the skills needed for your future career. Put all your stress
aside and follow with me to learn how you can take advantage of a negative
situation and turn it into a wonderful experience that can help place you above
your fellow job-hunters.
1. Get to Know Yourself.
We are in a constant state of change, and it’s perfectly natural
that some of our interests, skills, and weaknesses are evolving as the years go
by, therefore a reassessment of our traits is critical if we wish to progress
in our career. For that reason, take this time to evaluate yourself, everything
from the skills you obtained at your previous employment to your failures and
flaws. Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses that will help guide you in
addressing future interview questions. Below are some questions that you must
ask yourself before considering the next step:
·
Is there something you need to improve or learn? Are
you missing a license/certification?
·
What are your drawbacks?
·
What are your strengths? What were you praised for at
your last job?
·
Do you enjoy working in a team environment or prefer
solo projects?
·
Do you like travelling internationally for business
meetings?
This is also a great time to figure out exactly what you want in
a career.
·
Is your dream job really your dream job or just
something that you’re fooled into believing by friends and family or even
society?
·
Did you really like your past job and do you want to
repeat the same daily tasks as before?
Converse with yourself to figure out the perfect career that
will make YOU happy even after the “honeymoon” stage during employment wears
off.
2. Improve/Modernize a Skill.
A lot of the knowledge that we possess is no longer current due
to the constant introduction and easy access to new information and research. A
programmer who knows how to work with only code from the early 2000′s
is not seen as a viable asset for the company. The purpose of this step is to
upgrade a current skill and obtain new knowledge that can be considered very
valuable in the eyes of the employer.
It is simple as subscribing to blogs, downloading free guides,
reading articles daily, or purchasing a paperback written by an industry
leader. You can also join Google Hangouts that pertain to your industry and
learn the new trends that can be imperative to your new employer.
Take this time to search through an endless supply of free and
paid online courses that can provide you with certification upon completion,
such as Udemy.
By adding new skills and courses on your resume, it is a great way to show your
future employer your time-management skills and most of all, that you value
your time. The best thing about this step – you can do this all from the comfort
of your favorite arm chair!
3. Perfect Your Presentation/Interview
Skills.
Not all of us are born to be stadium-packing speakers, so if you
lack such skills, it is crucial that you begin to practice your verbal and
non-verbal behavior as it can be the deciding point of whether you’ll get the
job. Strong verbal communication skills are highly valued by most employers, as
they are signs of educated and competent individuals. For this reason, learn
new vocabulary to eliminate the ‘ummms’ and ‘yeaas’ when speaking to an
interviewer. If you have a strong accent then practice pronunciation.
Research the most commonly asked
interview questions and formulate the perfect answer that depicts your interest
and skills. Make sure to practice your non-verbal behavior, such as hand
movements, posture and even smiling, as this is vital in creating the best
first impression. Studies of the employment process indicate that 65-70% of
hiring decisions may be based on non-verbal communication. If you feel the need
to walk around your home voicing your answers out loud like a crazy person, do
it.
4. Take Time to Search for Your Dream
Job.
Don’t start applying to the first
job advertisement you see, rather take the time to figure out what classifies
as your dream job and use a variety of tools to find the perfect employer. Use
multiple job-hunting sites, such as GlassDoor, Monster, Indeed.com, CareerBuilder and LinkedIn
Job Seeker Premium (by upgrading your account) to look for jobs based on your
salary requirements, position, location and skill set. A lot of these sites now
feature reviews, salaries, and information about the company culture so that
you can learn everything you need to know before you apply to ensure that it is
the best fit for you.
5. Put Effort into Developing a Great
Portfolio.
Many jobs require for the candidate to provide the employer with
a portfolio showcasing their best and latest work; this can be a deal breaker
if your portfolio lacks in presentation and quality. Take this opportunity to
work on your portfolio by adding new content, purchasing a new binder, or
creating title pages. Anything that would make you stand out from other
candidates can significantly help your application during the evaluation
process. Make sure that it is clean (no coffee stains!) and that the first page
includes a hard copy of your resume. Divide your portfolio by sections and use
sheet protectors to ensure that your work is safe from fingerprints and
accidental dog drool.
6. Become a Freelancer.
Our office is now our computer with the Internet bringing work
to the worker not the other way around. If you are a marketer, graphic
designer, web developer, copywriter, artist or editor, this a great opportunity
for you to work for international companies from the comfort of your home. A
freelance job can help pay for your bills while you search for your dream job.
Begin by searching for contract jobs on Freelancer, Guru, and Elance.
Additionally, if you land a great gig, you can add it to your work experience,
further boosting your image in the employer’s eyes.
7. Pick Up a Hobby.
Everyone has at least one thing they love to do but never seem
to have time for. Whether it’s going to the gym, knitting, biking, spending
time with family and friends or learning to meditate, now is your chance to
grow as an individual and experience all of the beautiful things that life has
to offer. Let your creativity blossom and you will soon find happiness where
there was fear.
8. Spend Time with Friends and Family.
We often neglect the people that matter the most, especially
when we are pulling 12-hour days or are on strict project deadlines. Call up a
friend that you haven’t seen in a while, or a relative that you have ignored,
and schedule a time to meet with them. Go for a walk, cook some lovely dish
together, enjoy the experience and replace distance with closeness.
In conclusion, you may have found
yourself without a job but there is no need to despair. By planning out your
days and establishing a routine, you can turn unemployment into a positive
situation that can help you transform your insecurities into advantages. Every negative situation will have something positive — even a
dead clock shows the right time twice a day. After all, unemployment is temporary, though how you make the
most of it is what counts.
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