Facing unemployment is never easy, especially if you have been in the workforce for a long time. Some people may adjust well to the situation and see the situation as temporary, caused by reasons beyond their control. Some even take it as a time to take a break from work. However, many unemployed people suffer from anxiety, depression, and hopelessness.
Whether you are unemployed or just started your first job search, here are 8 tips to how to deal with this tough situation.
1. Give yourself time
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Treat yourself with the same kindness and warmth that you would give to someone who’s in the same situation. Remember, it’s totally okay to feel hopeless, sad, or even angry since you’re human and these are natural feelings during unemployment. However, it’s also vital to not let it get to you too much and try to move on as soon as you can. You’re not going to make things better by being depressed for too long.
2. Reflect on your career
If you’re being retrenched or laid off, maybe it’s a good time to evaluate the career path you’ve been pursuing all this while. Maybe your retrenchment is a sign that things are changing in the current economy and the future prospects of your career is not that viable anymore. If that’s really the case, you should take this opportunity to get into something else. Even if you’re not getting laid off, it’s important to take time to reflect on your career and ask yourself if you still want to stay in the same role or industry for the next job. Don’t jump onto the next available offer without much consideration and end up regretting it later on.
3. Update your resume
This is an obvious one. Especially if you’ve not been unemployed for a while, you should probably spend some time to update your resume. Include all the new skills you’ve learned from your job, seminars or training you attended or some volunteer work you did on the side. All these updates are important for your new job search, you want your potential employers to know exactly what you have to offer.
4. Reach out to your contacts
This might be tough for some as they are embarrassed for being unemployed. But, you might be surprised to know how helpful your friends or family can be during tough times like this. Reach out to your social network and explain your situation honestly. If they are able to help, send them your updated resume and a brief description of what kind of work you’re looking for. Always remember to stay positive and be thankful to those who are willing to help.
5. Expand your social network
While searching for jobs, take some time out to expand your social network by going for networking sessions or catching up with friends and ex-colleagues. No matter they are your old friends or new people from networking events, you’re out looking for opportunities actively and fostering meaningful relationships. Who knows your old friend is now running his own company and there is a suitable role for you? Plus, it’s good to take a break from the tedious job hunt and having real conversations with people. It can definitely help to keep you at a good state of mind.
6. Apply for jobs online
Other than relying on your own network, it’s important to start your job search online. For example, Bossjob is one of the online job search platforms that connects job seekers and companies that are looking to hire. By signing yourself up on job sites, you can access to thousands of available jobs and apply directly to those you’re interested to join. It’s easy and you can even do it on the phone when you’re on the go. It doesn’t get any simpler than that. However, make sure you only use reliable job sites and do your own background check before applying for any jobs. If you think some things are too good to be true such a guaranteed position without any interviews, most probably it’s not a real job post.
7. Inventory your finances
If your job search has not been going well and you are likely to be unemployed for a while, it’s better to inventory your finances to list down all your assets (from investments to cash on hand) and liabilities (rent, expenses, utilities). From there, create a monthly budget to get you through the unemployed period and know exactly how much you get to spend. If your savings are depleting faster than you expected, start looking for odd jobs or freelance work to earn some cash while hunting for a full-time job.
8. Be humble and ready for rejections
If you have been unemployed for months and have gone to quite a few interviews but still not getting any offers, you might want to seek for feedback and find out what you’re doing wrong. Maybe it’s because you’ve been spamming the same cover letter for all the applications, or you might be asking the wrong questions during interview. The next time you receive a rejection email or phone call, try asking for honest feedback from the interviewer as to why you didn’t get the position and improve from there. It might bruise your ego or self-esteem a little, but it’s worth it as you become tougher as an individual.
Find these tips useful? We have more career advice, workplace tips, and job search tips on our blog. Don’t forget to check them out!
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