Tips to Successfully Going from Unemployed to Employed

Did you get laid off or fired? Did you resign to find a new job that offers you a higher salary or benefits? Whatever the reason you’re unemployed presently, being unemployed can be terrifying especially when you have bills to pay, rent or a mortgage payment to pay and family to support. I invite you to follow the below mentioned tips to help you successfully go from unemployed to employed. 

1.    Validate The Difficulty of Being Unemployed but Be Optimistic – Acknowledge that it is normal and understandable to feel sad, upset, uncertain and anxious because these are normal feelings to experience during this time – no one wants to be unemployed! With that said, also be optimistic and think about moving forward, think about growing from this experience, reflect on what you have learned from your previous employer and how you can take that experience to a new employer where you’ll flourish. We all have the ability to learn from our experiences and grow from them. Let this be an example of that in your life. 

2.    Maintain a Morning Routine – I’ve been unemployed and understand it can be tempting to press the snooze button on your alarm and sleep in but it’s immensely important that you be intentional about maintaining a morning and daily routine.  That routine is up to you, however, I find it effective to include the basics of waking up at a scheduled time, eating breakfast, showering and getting dressed as if you are going to work. All of these have helped me feel optimistic and motivated each morning while I was unemployed. 

3.    Update Your Resume – I firmly believe there is value to updating your resume regularly even during times when you may not be looking for new employment. If you haven’t done this though (which I imagine most people haven’t), definitely take time review your current resume and update it. The following are suggestions that I’ve found personally helpful on my own resume and suggestions I’ve also shared with people.

a.     1) It’s important to use a font that is easy to read and doesn’t distract the attention of the employer or hiring manager. I recommend Arial, Times New Roman and Calibri.

b.    2) Ensure that you are using a professional email address. If you’re still using an email address you created in high school, I recommend creating a new one with your first and last name. 

c.    3) List the responsibilities for each of your positions in a bullet format versus a paragraph format. Hiring managers and employers may be reviewing hundreds and sometimes thousands of resumes. Listing your responsibilities in a bullet format increases the likelihood of your resume being visually appealing and easier to read.

d.    4) Include a Core Competencies section addressing your areas of expertise. I prefer this in place of the outdated Objective section.

e.    5) Share your resume with trusted colleagues, family and friends for input. You will likely gain valuable feedback to continue enhancing your resume.  

4.    Utilize Job Boards – Hiring managers and employers are utilizing job boards daily to search for talent for their organizations. Many of these websites give you the ability to post your resume in addition to ability to search for job opportunities. It’s in your best interest to invest time to both post your resume and search for your next career. Website including Indeed, ZipRecruiter, CareerBuilder, Monster and LinkedIn to name a few. I also recommend spending a few hours each day on these websites and checking them daily as new positions get posted daily.

5.    Network – Networking can be highly effective in assisting you in your job search. If you have former colleagues, family or friends that work in the field you’re interested in working in, leveraging those relationships can be essential to helping you find your next job. Take time to think about who you know and who you can tell that you’re in the market for a new job. That person just might be able to put in a good word for you or refer you to a hiring manager or employer directly. I also highly recommend creating a profile if you don’t already have one on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network with more than 562 million users in more than 200 countries and territories nationwide. Create a profile, update your employment history, update your skill-sets and start searching for and connecting with people who work in the field you’re interested in working in.  They, too, might be aware of jobs and might refer you to an opportunity. 

6.    Take Your Breaks – Do you remember how much you enjoyed taking breaks at work? You need those breaks just as much now. Get up and walk away from your desk (or whatever you’re using for your home office). Take time to walk around the neighborhood, go outside and experience being in a different environment, go out for coffee or make plans to meet a friend for lunch. There are many things you can do on your break but choose to do something that relaxes you or something you enjoy.

7.     Make Plans You Can Look Forward To! – Making plans that you’re excited about can give you something to work towards and look forward to doing. This can be helpful especially if you are experiencing being unemployed or even if you are employed and experiencing frustration or exhaustion for your work. Your plans could be anything from spending quality time with a friend you have been wanting to reconnect with, dedicating time to working out, trying a new recipe for a dessert, setting aside time to watch a movie you’ve been wanting to see, a weekend trip with friends and more! Whatever you make plans for, remind yourself of those plans throughout your week so you can have that to look forward to.

While the uncertainty of not knowing when your next interview will be or where you’ll be working next may cause you some anxiety, I encourage you to consider implementing these tips into your daily schedule to help ease that anxiety and help prepare you for your next job. Remember that you have the ability to learn from your experiences and grow from them so remain optimistic about your future and focus on successfully going from unemployed to employed.