5 Actionable Ways To Deal With Unemployment

Getting laid off is probably one of your biggest fears. I know it’s one of mine. If you’ve never tried being unemployed before getting a new job may even seem like an insurmountable task.

But remember, every day there are literally thousands of people who get hired into new jobs. If you suddenly find yourself in a situation where you have to find a new job it’s not the end of the world.

Of course there is no surefire recipe for finding your new job. There may be periods with anxiety. You may experience self doubt. But don’t lose hope because you will find your new self and it will be worth the wait.

Here I have collected my best (and most actionable) tips on how to deal with sudden unemployment.

1. Update Your Resume

One of the first things you need to do (if you haven’t done so already), is to update your resume. Ideally, you should do this every six to 12 months but realistically we rarely take the time for it. At least not until it’s absolutely necessary.

Let’s assume you’re like 80% of the rest of the population and you haven’t updated your resume in a while. It can be an overwhelming task, so do get professional help if you need to. This can include career coaches or professional resume writers. Or you can use one of the many online tools that exist out there. The most important thing is to update and refresh your resume.

Through my job as content creator for one of those online resume builders I have made it my mission to stay up to date with what’s happening in the resume-area. There are always new technologies appearing such as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Their job is to weed out the weaker applicants, so make sure you are not among them. Luckily there are ways to optimise your resume to increase your chances of passing the ATS.

My best tips for updating (and optimising) your resume are:

1. Keep it to one page
2. Be mindful of the resume format
3. Keep your formatting very simple
4. Always tailor each resume you send to the job position
5. Make sure you include keywords from the job ad

And that’s it. Although it may seem like a big task, once you it break down into smaller pieces it’s really not that bad.

2. Set Goals

Being unemployed you might feel like you have all the time in the world. If you don’t finish your task today there’s always tomorrow. However, it is actually a good idea to set some goals for yourself and your days. Or weeks, if you prefer that.

Setting goals for yourself will give you a sense of accomplishment. Once you can tick off one of your goals as completed you’ll feel so satisfied with yourself. Some examples of goals could be:

1. By Wednesday I have to have sent out two resumes
2. By Friday I have to have sent out at least four resumes in total

The most important part of this is to create very concise, actionable and, if possible, measurable goals. A vague goal such as “send out more resumes” will not motivate you enough to reach it.

Another aspect of the goal oriented approach is that once you reach your goals for the week, you can reward yourself for your hard work. And we all like a reward once in a while.

3. Take Ownership

Taking ownership of your unemployment is important. One of the ways you can do this is to be proactive. Make a list of companies you would like to work for and start making contact.  You’ll be in charge of the process and there is bound to be less competitors for the positions.

Another way to take ownership is to network as much as possible – also on social media. Post an update about your new situation letting people know what you’re looking to do next. Even if it is a little out of your comfort zone it’s important to let others know about your situation. Who knows? Maybe one of your contacts has the right connection. The important thing is to dare to open up.

4. Structure Your Days

Just like it’s a good idea to create goals for your week, it’s a really good idea to structure your days. For instance you can set your alarm to when you would normally be getting up to get ready to go to work. Set time off to go through job listings and note down which positions you want to apply for. Make a list.

Each day you should set time off to focus on your resumes and cover letters. There will be some researching too so allow plenty of time each day. This could be from 9 am to 3 pm. You can then take the rest of the day off to do exactly what makes you happy.

Check out this schedule example for inspiration:

• 9:00 – 9:30 a.m.: Turn on your computer, start the day with getting up to speed on the news in your field, start looking for job postings, and check your email for any relevant job ads you might have received
• 9:30 -10:00 a.m.: Prepare for the week’s goals by making a list of which jobs you want to apply for (one or two applications a day is realistic)
• 10:00 – 11:00 a.m.: Once you’ve picked today’s job you want to apply for, start researching. Find out all you can about the company online, note down all keywords in the job ad
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Stop for lunch
• 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.: Spend these hours writing targeted and strong resumes and matching cover letters. When you’re done, send them to the respective companies. Make sure you have absolutely no errors in your documents before hitting that send-button
• After 3:00 p.m.: When you’ve finished what you set out to do for the day, the rest of the day can be spent on exactly what you want to do. It’s your time and there’s no need to wear yourself out too much. So give yourself a high-five and enjoy the rest of the day

5. Tell Yourself It’s Alright

This last part may not seem quite as actionable as the rest but it is no less important. Telling yourself it’s alright to be temporarily out of a job means you free up mental energy to perform your best when applying for jobs and going to job interviews.

If you’re constantly beating yourself up for not having a job, you won’t be able to see the bigger picture. And the bigger picture is, you have actually been given the possibility to reinvent yourself. Maybe to learn new skills? Now is the time to look inside yourself and find out what you really want to do for a living.

Remember it’s not your fault you lost your job. But it is your responsibility how you deal with it.

Bio

Karin Lykke Nielsen is a content creator at Jofibo.com, an online resume builder. She specialises in the field of resumes, cover letters, and job search. As such she constantly stays up to date with the latest trends.

With more than 10 years of experience within marketing and communication, she considers herself a seasoned marketer. She is a strong believer in the power of positive thinking, both when it comes to work life situations as well as in private.

When she is not busy writing blog posts or researching, you will probably find her either with her nose buried deep in her Kindle (reading a fantasy novel) or at the local crossfit box trying to improve her PRs.

You can reach her at kan@jofibo.com or on Twitter @KarinLykke.