Survive Unemployment
Unemployment is a difficult state of being. There is the uncertainty of how long it will last. There is the unwarranted abuse from people who consider the unemployed to be anything from lazy to stubbornly resistant. And there is the ever-pressing need to pay for the roof over your head and get food on the table. All of these pressures can contribute to endless worry, a sense of futility and breakdowns in relationships. Surviving unemployment is about maintaining your spirit, nourishing your sense of self worth and finding the motivation to keep going, in spite of all the odds.
Contents
Steps
Reaching Acceptance
- Accept what has happened. Being unemployed is your reality for now. You're part of a rather large percentage of the workforce competing to survive, which means that there is a need to be careful and strategic about how you react to the situation.
- Brooding over the rights and wrongs of how you ended up unemployed is part of letting out your frustration. However, if you get stuck on this broken record and spend all of your time living the injustice of it, you'll likely get stuck in a rut, sound permanently wrecked and scare off your spouse, kids, neighbors and future bosses. Remind yourself that it happened, you've suffered but now it's time to recoup.
- Do not snipe at your previous employer. Keep the online insults inside your head and never let them flow through your tapping fingers. You never know when your old boss or coworkers will be needed for a good reference.
- Separate your frustration from what needs doing. It is reasonable to expect cynicism and frustration about the job system. What is happening with employment worldwide is complicated and much of it isn't fair. However, it is important to realize that working with an unfair system is what you have to do rather than decrying it daily and using this as an excuse to give in. People who really understand how difficult is to be unemployed bring a much needed outlook to the workplace when they return; such people tend to be more compassionate, more humble and more ready to work hard. Focus on the fact that this is a "time out" filled with learning opportunities that will set you in good stead.
Getting Help
- File for unemployment. If you don't know already, find out from your former employer or welfare agency if you Qualify for Unemployment and, if so, whether you can collect right away. In some cases you may need to wait until any severance, bonus or other monies paid are exhausted first. Once you've received the answer, do what makes most sense to you and your circumstances, with regard to collecting immediately or waiting.
- In some countries you are able to claim a form of financial support while you job seek; however, if you have made yourself voluntarily unemployed then there will usually be a minimum period that has to elapse before you can begin claiming this.
- Check out what charities can do for you. You can often get charitable help in the way of food banks, clothing assistance, job application reskilling, etc. through charities that focus on helping unemployed people. If you feel too proud to seek such help, remind yourself that you are part of what keeps some of those charity workers in a job, as their services are only needed when people use them. Moreover, sometimes being part of the charity community is a way of finding new work, especially if you undertake volunteer work when you feel ready.
- Talk to family members. In some cases, changes can be made within your immediate family that will give you the breathing space needed to recover from the past job and look for a new one. In other cases, extended family may be able to assist with loan/mortgage repayments or other forms of help. Think about all the possibilities open to you through a supportive family structure; for example, if a family member owns residential property, you might be able to do a deal to downsize to it and pay cheaper rent for a while.
Initial Coping Strategies
- Give yourself a chance to recover. This is especially important where your job loss has been traumatic (most cases, but not always), as you'll need to find time to reflect on what has happened and pull yourself together again. How long this will take varies from person to person and it's not something that can be rushed.
- If you like sleeping in, let yourself do this for a short time. This can count as part of your "regeneration" time. However, be wary of allowing it to turn into a habit, and be even more alert if you find you simply cannot get out of bed in the mornings, as this may be a warning that you're suffering from depression and need medical help.
- Set yourself a new routine. After you've taken some pampering time to recover from the loss, choose a new routine and stick to it. Routine gives a sense of purpose to life and focuses on the things that make your life run more smoothly. The routine should set aside time both for you alone and for you to spend with family and friends.
- Get up at the same time each morning. After you've recovered, avoid sleeping in regularly (weekends are okay). Getting up at the same time each day is not only a routine helper but it's also a way of helping you to maintain regular, healthful sleep. The body responds to regular sleep times and this can help prevent insomnia, poor sleep or oversleeping issues.
- Treat each day as a day that matters and honor its arrival by planning to make the most of it. This can be very hard initially but try to see the bigger picture; the sun still rises and sets, the world still turns. Your part in all of it has changed dramatically but being a part of the living world is still very much your reality.
Job Hunting as Your New Job
- Start a routine for job searching. When you feel ready (or as soon as you feel pressured to get on with it), treat the job search like a job in its own right. This may feel weird at first but the routine will grow on you and it tends to be the only way to churn out the job applications in an effective way.
- Set up a workspace that is entirely devoted to job applications. It's great if it's somewhere that you can shut the door and get away from everything for a few hours a day but even if you can't, carve out a special, quiet corner. If the house is too noisy, plan to visit the library or another quiet space at the set hours each day.
- Shut the door on or throw a sheet over your workspace when your set job search time is over. By stopping the search at a set time, you allow yourself to participate in all the other activities that leave you feeling whole and normal, such as cooking, exercising, cleaning, entertainment, catching up with friends, etc. If you allow job search time to bleed into all of the day, you're likely to be less effective and a lot more annoyed about the way that it dominates your life.
- Develop a precise and effective job search method. Initially it probably feels mind-boggling but you need to quickly assess the best places to find job advertisements and connections so that those become your main focus. Things to keep in mind include:
- Find and bookmark all relevant job websites and feeds. As much as possible, narrow these down to your skills, experience and qualifications. However, also think laterally and toss in other job streams that might prove fruitful with a little tweaking of your skill set.
- Get involved in sites like LinkedIn and find all the people who might prove to be useful leads. Network online, follow relevant feeds, participate in discussions and try to find people who are looking for people. Most of the jobs are not even properly advertised but are word-of-mouth or quietly announced. Some jobs don't even exist until you push hard enough with the right person.
- Amend your personal websites. Change them to reflect that you are looking for employment such as amending your LinkedIn profile otherwise you might miss out on potential opportunities, as contacts don't know you are looking.
- Keep good records of your job searches. That way, you'll know who you've applied to and when, what the outcome was, how many retries you've made, etc.
- Redo your resume (CV). Find out what is current (your existing one may be so out of date both in content and style that it's doing you a disservice). Some unemployment agencies and charities provide free resume building classes or workshops. You can also borrow books from the library on improving them. In some cases, spending a bit of your savings on refining a resume through a professional service may be worth the expense.
- Ask family members and friends to read your resume and provide suggestions.
- Be ready for this very challenging reality: Your resume needs to speak to the job applied for. Unfortunately, in this day and age, one-size no longer fits all. Be prepared to constantly tweak the resume to make it pop out among all others for every single job you apply for (this is why you need to set aside several hours a day to treat applying just like it's a job).
- Learn how to write a good cover letter. There are resources online, in books and through video seminars that can help you learn this. Once you've learned, you don't have to keep relearning and each letter will become easier to write.
- Keep a log of every resume you send, of every person you speak with, of every job that interested you. Maintaining a diary of your unemployment can be of great value later on in your search. There is also the fact that your relevant unemployment agency can call upon you at any time during your collection of benefits, and this enables you to provide them with a snapshot of companies you've approached and each position you've sought. On this log, keep record of jobs that you should follow up.
- Follow up on applications or submissions. This is particularly important if submitting details to employment agencies. They receive numerous applications and it is easy for your details to go astray or get overlooked. Even you do not get put forward for a position it is worth finding out the reasons why so you can adapt your style and content for your next submission - No application is a waste of time!
Changing Your Direction
This section isn't for everyone. But sometimes, getting the old job back isn't going to do it for you and the unemployment stint makes you realize that you need a change, a really big change. If so, you'll be looking at more than just a job search, making things quite a bit more adventurous.
- Reskill. Go back to school. This isn't for everyone––there are plenty of people who shake at the knees at the thought of more exams and incurring yet more debt. However, if this is the pathway to getting you to the next stage in your life, it can be a great option.
- Does it need to be a certificate, diploma, associate degree/degree or a postgraduate qualification? Or, can you do a series of simple certified courses? Maybe volunteering and practical work will get you to where you wish to be. Look wide and far before settling on your course of studying/relearning.
- Volunteer. Keep yourself occupied with something else while searching for a job and learn new skills in the process. If you discover you really enjoy it, find out what you need to do to switch into this area and what sorts of opportunities exist within the organization you're volunteering for.
- Think small, medium or even large business. Feeling like tossing the whole job thing in and turning entrepreneur instead? This is risky, hard work but for the right person with the right attitude and determination, it may be an ideal solution to permanently remove yourself from the job cycle. Become the person who creates jobs rather than the one chasing them. To get to this stage, consider the following:
- Deeply analyze your suitability to run your own business. Have you got what it takes? There are tests you can do and good books you can read on the topic.
- What sort of business do you want to do? Research heavily here––ask such questions as: is it something people want?, is the field free or crowded already?, is it viable?, where can you get funds from?, and so forth. Read relevant business books to get ideas and to increase your understanding.
- Talk to existing business people you know. Ask for their ideas and recommendations. They might even be able to give you a chance to volunteer and see what it's like.
- Go freelance. This is about as unstable an income stream as you can possibly wish upon yourself but it comes with great freedom if you get the balance right. What are you really good at? What niche can you provide in an expert and desirable way? Read books and research deeply before choosing to be a freelancer. Also check with your family that they'll be supportive of this choice.
- Look online to see what possible opportunities exist for your freelance endeavors.
- Be positive; it's hard to work freelance but some people are monumentally successful at it. Read about their experiences if you can and be inspired by them. But equally, know that if you have a skill that's in demand, you can make a go of freelancing.
Staying Inspired and Motivated
- Realize that it's not easy being unemployed. There will be days when you feel like giving up and there will be days where you almost get something only to be let down hours later by the call not coming in, the job offer being withdrawn due to circumstances beyond your control and yet another rejection email landing in your in-box. It happens a lot and will keep happening. When you feel especially bad, take the day off. Just like you would at work if it all got on top of you. Go and do something completely unrelated, give your head a break and start over again tomorrow. It'll all still be there waiting for you.
- Have courage––it is only those who quit who never get another chance. Persevere, keep applying, keep ringing, keep visiting, keep emailing. You can wear people down, you can impress people with your temerity and certainty, you can hit the sweet spot when you least expect it. But you'll only manage these wonderful moments by participating and being ready to take up the opportunities, however uncommon or tenuous they may seem. It may seem pointless and endless at times but with each application, you open up a new possibility and you continuously improve your skills at getting through to people.
- Remember who you are. You may be unemployed but you still matter. You're a professional job-seeker. But you may also be a mom/dad/aunt/uncle/grandparent, a skilled sportsperson, a keen hobbyist, a lover extraordinaire, a beer connoisseur, a volunteer carer, an author-in-hiding, a community member, a frugal cook, and so forth. You are the sum of many parts and your unemployment does not define you. It may feel as if it's confining you but it isn't determining your worth. Stay committed to striving to be the best you can be.
- Make a life plan. You have the space and time to think of what you really want from life. Treat this time out of work as a wake-up call, an opportunity to reassess the direction in which you're headed. Was that last job even what you wanted to do in life? Even if it was, had you reached the heights you'd hope to have by now? What are the things that really matter to you in your future? Map them out now and treat this as a reawakening, a time to realign your future progress.
- Involve yourself in some self development. Focus on thinking positively, not comparing. Perhaps this is a time to take up yoga, meditation, therapy, talking more with friends and family, reading self-help manuals, correcting your poor posture. Whatever it is, use this time to get onto things you'd like done better in your life.
- Travel. Go to a country where your money goes further. You might even try to get a job in this new place, like teaching English or juggling on the street. Consider volunteer work as another overseas opportunity that can lead to amazing new things.
- Travelling might also help you work out what you want to do with your life.
- Look into couch surfing as a cheap accommodation option.
- Consider taking a TEFL course.
- Get creative. Think of all those creative things you haven't had time for before. Keep yourself occupied with a creative project such as art, learning an instrument, writing a book, making a film. Who knows where this artistic expression might lead next? Build time for it into your routine.
Tips
- Don't spend every day looking for a job. Spend a day doing something else such as learning a new skill or doing something creative, then you will find the following your job hunt is more focused.
- Networking is the primary way, in this economy, that gets you hired; with so many resumes submitted for one position - it's the personal connection that gets you in front of the Hiring Manager. Use networking sites. Networking sites like Linkedin.com provide a forum by which professionals can network, post their resumes, gain recommendations, meet clients, reconnect with former colleagues, etc.
- Get out, socialize. Not getting out and socializing makes unemployment miserable, remember people are the most important things in life.
- Consider social media for job finding, for example Twitter has numerous job posting tweeters, try typing in #jobs + your local area in the search box.
- There are the more "generic" job search engines (monster, careerbuilders, indeed, jobfox...to name a few) which, regardless of industry and/or title...the search engines can assist. There may be, however, other search engines dedicated to your field and/or industry. They may require a membership fee. The benefit of these sites is that they tend to be more up-to-date and you can be assured that they are more likely to respond to your need, your desires, your experience and your industry.
