Being unemployed can be a major cause of stress for an individual. The anxiety of finding a job within the shortest time possible does not help reduce the stress either.
When you are out of work, the thought of employers turning you down because of the unimpressive jobs you may have been taking and can give you a lot to worry about. The huge employment gaps on the résumé will not give you any peace of mind either. Even then, you don’t have to panic.
A recent survey showed that potential employers sympathize with such circumstances. A gap of more than six months makes an unemployed person feel that it will affect their chances of finding work negatively. But based on the survey this is often not the case.
The good news for job seekers is that in filling these gaps with activities you show potential employers that you are developing your skill. This will make them overlook your unemployed and focus more on the skills you add to their teams.
Experts and employers have suggested a number of activities you can take up as a way of expanding, building and strengthening your skills. This will help increase your marketability. When involved in the suggested activities, you will be illustrating to employers that you take your career development seriously.
Of importance is that you make a connection in the ways that class, volunteer work, blog and temporary employment helps you prepare for your next job. When done successfully, the employment gaps won’t be an issue.
Take A Temporary Or Contract Assignment
Taking up a temporary assignment or a contract job is highly recommended. This gives you the opportunity to show people what your capabilities are. When your work is great during the contract and temporary employment, the person who hired you is likely to put in your name for permanent employment.
Any assignment both temporary and contractual helps you build on your resume as well as your experience. This also helps keep you busy therefore you do not keep stressing about being unemployed. So all the jobs you take are bringing you closer to your next permanent employment.
Volunteer
Another thing for you to consider doing during your unemployed period is volunteer work. Engaging in volunteer work makes you marketable and also tells potential employers something about you as an individual.
Volunteering shows that you care about others and that you are passionate about what you do. This also demonstrates to potential employers that money to you is not the most significant thing. One thing to bear in mind is that when companies are hiring, they go for people of integrity and character in addition to them being able to do the job.
Take A Class
During the unemployment period, taking a class is an asset for you. For you to be able to grow and expand in your career, you will need the technical competence, thus learning never ends. When you take a class in the field of your career shows potential employers that you are serious when it comes to your work. This also shows employers that you take initiative something that employers look out for when hiring. In addition to taking a class, you get the opportunity to network.
Make Connections
Through networking, you will be better placed on hearing of companies that are hiring. You can start by updating your resume and give to your contacts. When a resume is directly handed to a hiring manager by someone working in the company, it is bound to get much attention.
Expand and build the network of your contacts through professional organizations and social media. Let your family, friends and your professional contacts know that you are in search of a job. Ask people you know for help in finding connections to organizations you may be interested in.
Start A Professional Blog
Another way of putting yourself and your expertise is by starting a professional blog. This is a good opportunity for you to market your skill set to potential employers. Through the blog, you get people to see your expertise in your field. You also get the opportunity to convey your passion, learn and gain knowledge through blogging thus you stand out from the rest. Employers will see you as someone who, during their job search, takes initiative about something they care about: that is your career.
Unemployed can be a major cause of stress for anyone. The anxiety of finding a job within the shortest time possible adds further to the stress. There are however a number of activities suggested by experts and employers that when you take up will help expand, building and strengthening your skills. One thing to remember is to make a connection with how class, volunteer work, blog and temporary employment will help you prepare for your next job.
Are you unemployed? Or have you been unemployed for a length of time? If yes, we like to hear your experiences, drop me an email at kally@MiddleMe.net to feature your story as a guest post. You can share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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Useful advice!
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Thanks a lot.
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Reblogging this to my sister site, Success Inspirers World 🏆
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Thank you for sharing this out!
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These are great tips, Middle Me! We would suggest a quick read through though. Found a few typos throughout. Again, great advice. Happy 2018!
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Your message was wonderful, thank you for always sharing such great stuff with us!
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Thank you, Kumar!
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When I was young, my dream was to start software company. Now that I am older, I don’ t see much point in working fulltime. But, the fact that I’ve never been an employee, doesn’t mean that I didn’t try nor tried to improve. I can attest through my own merit that I am a very good computer programmer. 🙂 I started learning C++ on my own when I was 14. I’m now 36, and never gave up programming. I am very good, as a programmer, in fact. I don’t know if my self-promotion is welcome here, but your post gave me espoir that I will work as a programmer one day. 🙂
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Never give up your dreams. I believe your passion will bring you great satisfaction and wealth. I look forward to the day you will start your own software company.
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Follow you “!!!
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Thank you! You’re awesome!
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Thank you for sharing Kally! It is really useful 😊
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Thank you, Winnie. I hope those who are currently unemployed right now will now have a goal to work towards to,
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Yes! That’s true
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You’re the best, Kally! I’m not exactly unemployed because I took a break after college but I might soon seek a suitable job for myself. This was useful!
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Thank you so much for telling me this. You’re awesome.
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Great tips Kally…I have been unemployed for over a year now….still can’t find work but this is why I started my blog 🙂 due to the stress of sitting around the house and stressing out.
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Thank you!! Try my suggestion on taking up an online course. Courses from coursera.org are mostly free and you can benefit from keeping your mind busy. 🙂
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I have French and Italian lessons on line but I am actually thinking of becoming a full time blogger :). I really love this and it makes me happy
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Excellent! If you love what you do, you will be successful. There are free online writing courses as well as how to market your blog online courses. Worth to take a look. 🙂
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Hi Kally, Do you have suggestions? 🙂
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I did this course and enjoy it tremendously: https://www.coursera.org/learn/wharton-contagious-viral-marketing. Another good course will be this: https://www.coursera.org/learn/search-engine-optimization
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Thank you so much Kally….Very kind of you..I will absolutely look into both. 🙂
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You’re most welcome
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Huge hugs and thanks again Kally 🙂
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Good one miss Kally. One of the reasons I started my blog was to showcase my knowledge and skills to prospective clients. I feel happy now that I have your vote of approval!! Have a great day..
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It is great to have your website to showcase your talents. It makes clients want to know more about you and allow engagement with your prospective clients even before they speak to you.
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Thank you for sharing this out!
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Very useful to read even for someone that is employed and looking to change careers 👍🏼 I think we all tend to get relaxed in our current surrounds that we forget to challenge ourselves to break out of our comfort zone and accept change
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts! I don’t believe in complacency, I think it is very scary to get too comfortable with ourselves.
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Great advice. Love that you include a professional blog.
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Thank you so much for your support!
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I work in adult education, and over the years I have had numerous people in my classes who were making good use of the time when they were unemployed. The latest one left in the middle of last semester when she got her dream job in London.
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Thanks for sharing this! I think it’s encouraging to know that people do land in their dream jobs.
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more genius advice from Kally 🙂
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You’re most awesome. 😘
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Thank you for sharing this out!
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Wonderful advice and encouragement!!
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Thank you, Terese. A lot of people think unemployment is the end of the world for them, actually to me, it is a signal to take a break and evaluate where you are heading.
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Indeed, Kally, unemployment can be an unnerving place to be. When I read your piece I was reminded that when we live within our means, should unexpected unemployment happen, it shouldn’t be as unsettling.
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Always good to have a rainy fund so that unexpected changes in our lives can be manageable.
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Great post Kally giving lots of very useful advice. I prefer not to think of it as being unemployed but employed elsewhere and for myself in a freelance capacity. 🙂
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Ah.. freelancing is not unemployed, its entrepreneurship!
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YES! Too true.
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I been unemployed twice now. Once due to downsizing and the second time the store closed. I agree with these tips. If I may, I later learned make sure you put your resume on LinkedIn and it was advised to put helping my parents. LinkedIn is a good start because a lot of employers search LinkedIn for people to hire.
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Thank you, Crystal for such a wonderful tip! Yes, updating LinkedIn is very important as well as putting up relevant working experiences even if it is working with family and friends.
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I agree with you.
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Speaking as an older man who has held a LOT of contract positions and has, therefore, been in between jobs a lot, let me give this advice: Look for jobs as if THAT is your job… take all the anticipation out of it and just apply like crazy… even long shots. This can be done in a couple of hours a morning and still have time to apply all of your good suggestions.
Near the end of the last recession, when jobs were scarce, I did that… every day, even the least likely possibilities. Surprisingly, someone called me that I didn’t even know to hire me to work in a language I’d never learned, and it kept me afloat until I could find a good job…
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Wow. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. That is a good advice. Many of us hesitate to apply for jobs that we doubt we can be good at, let alone fit in.
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Excellent ideas!
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Thank you, Anna!
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Reblogged this on My Liked Blogs.
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Thank you for sharing this out!
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Bonjour ou Bonsoir
A ceux qui sont joyeux, je dis bonjour et bonne semaine
continuez de vous réjouir, la vie est faite pour cela
A ceux qui sont tristes, je dis bonjour et souriez, la vie est belle
Le dimanche est fait pour voir la vie en rose
se dire que la vie est un recommencement
que tout recommence, que tout revient
A ceux qui traversent des épreuves , je dis bonjour, tenez bon,
espérez en des jours meilleurs
espérez toujours, gardez le cap
Courage, soyez fort
Gros bisous.
Bernard
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Thank you, Bernard! Have an awesome weekend.
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Kally, thanks for “liking” my comment. You will also like my blog – linesoflisteningblog.wordpress.com
Thanks, Joyce
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You’re most welcome! Popping over to your website now
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