Today’s guest post is written by Molli Megasko.
Did you know 9.2 percent of 25- to 34 year-olds are unemployed in America?
I’m not an expert at being out of a job. In fact, I don’t know what it’s like, and I’m definitely not sitting here saying it’s easy by any means.
What I do know is how to look attractive while being unemployed.
Besides the job of looking for a job, following are five ways to busy yourself while unemployed.
- Call some nonprofits. Create a list of nonprofits you care about and find a local branch. Call the location and ask to speak with the marketing manager. Explain that you are out of a job and would love to offer some of your time and skills pro-bono. I’ve done this with a few organizations helping to write recruiting releases or promote for sponsors. This is a great resume boost that shows initiative and might help you tap into new resources.
- Start your own thing. Every business needs some type of communication and could benefit from marketing efforts. If you know your craft and feel that you are good at what you do, locate some of your local businesses and secure some clients on a consulting basis. Start with very small budgets and grow from there. If you end up not liking working from home and consulting, at least you can cover-up that dry spell on your resume. Also, no dream is too big. Starting your own thing can mean opening up that yoga studio or traveling. Just pay close attention to your finances.
- Work an internship. I know, going backwards is not ideal, but being without a job is not ideal either. Now is an opportunity to learn something different or get into the company of your dreams by starting off at the bottom. Remember Chandler from Friends? He was in his 30s when he took an internship in advertising. If he can do it, you can do it.
- Do something different. Are you out of a job and really don’t know what you want to do? Try something new. Maybe it’s retail. Maybe it’s business. This ties into working an internship but now is a golden opportunity to really find out what you want out of your career. Job shadow and start researching.
- Go back to school. Now, take this with a grain of salt. I am not recommending going back to school just because you have nothing else going on. I only suggest doing it now if it’s something you’ve thought about before and know you’ll benefit from once completed. School is not only difficult, it is expensive. Before making this choice, make sure you know the type of job you wish to land once you have that degree. Then make sure it’s lucrative enough to help cover the debt you endured from school.
Are you out of a job? What are you doing in between your job searches and networking?