As unemployment races to highs never seen since the great depression, many workers are struggling to find a way to rejoin the work force. Are you one of them?
How can you survive and perhaps thrive in such an environment? The COVID pandemic does not make it easy. Here are my top five tips for surviving unemployment.
1. Stay productive at home
While its tempting to binge watch Netflix while unemployed, doing so certainly won’t help you find a job. Staying productive can help you maintain a positive focus, fill your life with something meaningful, and even be used when interviewing to show your work ethic. Ideally, you should stay productive in an task similar to your career or field your interested in. For example, if you are a chef without a restaurant, cook a new dish every night. If you like working with your hands, build a model. If you like talking to people, start a podcast interviewing people in your field.
Even if its not directly related to the job you are applying for, employers love to hear that you found ways to stay busy even when unemployed. Plant a garden. Paint your room. Write a story. Build furniture. Plan a dinner party. Besides the direct benefits from doing that, the more active you stay, the better your mental health will be.
2. Learn a new skill
Besides keeping active, you can learn a new skill. Want to change careers, perhaps now is the time to go back to school. Even if don’t want to get another degree, there are tons of online classes on every subject imaginable. If you can afford it, subscribe to LinkedIn Learning for a couple months. They have thousands of videos on business, technology, and design that once complete, show up on your LinkedIn profile. Or watch courses on MIT’s OpenCourseWare, Khan academy, or edX. Interested in more practical skills – buy a book on woodworking, watch a video on car maintenance, or listen to a podcast on technical writing.
3. Keep in touch
Job opportunities crop up in many different ways. In order to hear about them, it helps to stay in touch with friends, former colleagues, past employers, and classmates. The term “networking” comes to mind. That term, unfortunately, has taken on a negative connotation as a means of selling yourself. While there is a germ of truth in that statement, what’s more important is that you maintain healthy and positive relationships with others. Don’t just call people up to ask for a job. Call them up and ask how they are doing. Try to understand if they are experiencing pains or troubles. If you see something you can help with, then offer. Even if its in a small way that isn’t directly paid. Often, your help will be remembered so that when a job opportunity does arise, there’s a greater chance they will think of you to fill that job.
4. Develop a plan
One key to both mental health and success with your goals is to develop a plan – to have purpose. When unemployed, develop a plan for thriving. This can include plans for projects, plans for finances, worst case scenario plans, plans for your job search, etc.
As Alex Epstein suggests in the Human Flourishing podcast “Triumphing over disruption“, take time to think through major areas of your life where the pandemic is creating troubles. For each area, think through how to overcome and thrive, in spite of the limitations imposed.
5. Maintain good habits
Lastly, thriving is super charged by maintain good habits. The last time I was unemployed, I woke every morning at 7 AM and immediately hit the job boards. For eight hours a day, I was on the phone or computer calling people, refining my resume and cover letters, searching for job posts, emailing recruiters, and maintaining discipline. My habit of immediately getting started with the job search activities kept me focused and made me feel empowered. That habit helped me to quickly find my next job opportunity.
Unemployment can be a crushing blow to anyone, but following these tips can help you survive and perhaps thrive. Find ways to stay productive, learn new skills, keep in touch, develop a plan, and maintain good habits. If you do these five, your chances of thriving will undoubtedly improve.