Everyone who has a job right now has been unemployed at some point. Though the duration of unemployment and the resulting financial turmoil may vary, most people are out of work before they find a new job. So, if you are unemployed, the last thing you should feel is that you’re going through it by yourself.
No matter how depressing it can be, the best thing you can do is be proactive. Keep your resume up to date and keep applying! Sure, you may have been rejected dozens of times, but when you look over that little piece of paper that contains your most important life accomplishments, it’s hard not to feel a little bit of pride.
Keeping your spirits up during times of unemployment is unbelievably important. Many employers will be able to tell instantly if you’re depressed, especially at an interview. Let’s take a look at a few other things that you can do to make the most of what you have:
1. Organize Your Thoughts Efficiently
So, how do you do that anyway? It’s important to have an outline for your resume, much like you would if you were writing an academic paper. Make sure that you have the most relevant information close to the top. Do you have years of experience in the same field that you’re applying for? You obviously want potential employers to see that first! Think of the top of your resume as your first impression. You only get one shot at those. You want to have the most important achievements in sight as soon as possible.
2. Use Social Media
Seriously, having an online presence is another huge thing that you can do to make yourself more employable. More often than not, companies will do their research on potential candidates. If the only thing that you have on the internet about yourself is those photos of you completely smashed at a party in college you may as well have just not applied in the first place.
Along those same lines, LinkedIn is another amazing resource for people looking for a job. Not only does it allow you to have a professional presence online, it also is a way that employers can find you if they’re looking to fill a position. There have been many instances where individuals have been contacted by a company requesting more information about them.
3. Learn A New Skill
This is a big one, especially if you are feeling hopeless after an extended stint of job searching. There are many skills that employers are looking for that are either inexpensive or free to learn. Skills like computer programming, technical writing, or even website design and management are just a Google search away. College degrees are amazing, but having a self-taught, basic understanding of the subject matter is the next best thing, depending on the type of work.
4. Be Yourself
It’s important that you keep true to yourself, especially when it comes to making a resume. Being creative with a resume is something that is a necessity, but if you’re spending all your time trying to be the most unique snowflake out there, your potential employer will often miss out on some of the most important aspects of your resume. Uniqueness is definitely a plus when it comes to resumes, just don’t lose sight of the real goal, to get the job.
What About You?
Did you have an extended unemployment? What are some of the things that you did in order to help keep yourself motivated and positive during that time?
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.