What To Do When You’re Unemployed

Whether you are a recent college graduate, got laid off or are in the middle of a career transition, it is natural to feel unmoored when you are unemployed. It can often feel overwhelming, so it is good to impose some structure as you search for a full-time job. So where do you start? Here are a few steps to take when you are unemployed:

Keep A Schedule

When you are unemployed, it is important to keep a schedule to ensure productivity and to maintain your mental health. Not keeping a schedule can lead to getting into a rut, or developing depression, and lowering your self-esteem. Set an alarm and get up at the same time every day, create a to-do list and set about completing it like it is your job.

Get Outside

It is easy when you’re unemployed to rationalize staying at home most of the time. It forces you to focus on applying for jobs, and it will eliminate the temptation/necessity to spend money, but it is terrible for your mental and physical health. Studies show taking breaks helps increase focus, and exercise helps temper anxiety (which is often high when you’re unemployed), so make to get outside, go on walks and breathe fresh air every day, ultimately it will help your focus and your health.

Get A Short-Term Job

If you need money now, try getting a short-term job: join a temp agency, get a job in hospitality, walk dogs, babysit, etc. Temporary jobs can have flexible and untraditional hours, leaving time for you to take interviews and job search. They are also easy to quit once you have a full-time position.

Measure Your Job Applications

What gets measured gets managed, and writing down the job applications you submit is a great way to feel confident and see your progress during an uncertain time. It is also a great way to orient yourself and set goals, for example, five applications a week, two networking appointments, etc. Measure all of your progress and build on it, it will help you become more productive and will cultivate your self-esteem.

Follow-Up

After you submit an application or meet with a potential connection, make sure to follow-up with them to show your interest and maintain that relationship. When you’re applying for a job and have not heard from them in a couple of weeks, send an e-mail reiterating your interest and to check the status of their search. If you have met with a connection, make sure and maintain that relationship by following-up. It is easy to make a new connection, it is harder to maintain one.

Socialize

Networking does not have to be a contrived event where everyone wears name tags, it can simply be making friends in your industry: go to industry events and strike-up conversations with people, go to events and presentations and support your friends. It is important to meet executives and senior people in the industry, but it is also important to make friends with your peers. Not only will they be the people who come up in the industry with you, but they will often hear about job opportunities in their firm or around the industry, they are a source of support and information. So do not dismiss building relationships with your peers, ultimately those connections may be more enduring and important to your career and enrich your life in ways connections with senior professionals will not.

Volunteer

A great way to build your confidence and sense of purpose is to volunteer for a cause you care about. Sometimes, you can even accrue some experience in your field by volunteering at certain organizations, and it will help you get out of the house and meet people.

 Take A Class

It’s important to take stock of your skills, technical and soft, and see if there is something you can improve or develop that would make you a more attractive candidate. Whether it is writing, programming, etc., strengthening a weakness or acquiring a skill that is needed for your desired field is a very productive way to improve yourself as you are applying for jobs.