" It's what you do when no one is looking that really matters. "
Robert M. Nelson
This post applies more to currently unemployed job-seekers.
Becoming unemployed, especially if it was involuntary (i.e. retrenchment, redundancy etc) and having to embark on a journey unexpectedly and unwillingly towards something new can be tough, lonely work.
Many of us have been there and it sucks.
There?s not always going to be someone supporting you, helping you, cheering you on.
Perhaps there never has been and never will be.
You need to be prepared to work and much of it will be thankless toil.
The only reward to look forward to is getting that job, that first paycheck, that satisfaction and that reinstatement of your personal self-worth (if you had temporarily lost it).
That is what you need to keep firmly in your mind as you proceed on this journey.
Like all roads, there will be bumps in parts, a diversion or two, a couple of forks and quite a bit of unanticipated congestion.
You will need to contend with all this and still emerge victorious.
I tell you all of this, not to dampen your spirits or because it is a road without end, but because you should not underestimate its impact on your life.
You will need to be prepared for all sorts of things, not the least of which is a potentially longer than anticipated period of time on that road.
Remember, as a temporarily unemployed job-seeker, job-hunting is your job now.
It?s your nine-to-five job, five days a week. Or more.
Get it organised. Make it professional.
Do not get distracted. Stick to the task.
Put in the hours. Stay focused.
Some days you won't feel like doing anything, just like your normal job - DO IT ANYWAY.
Get interviews and offers - that's where jobs come from.
Feeling down and getting even mildly depressed will lead to inactivity and poor results, so do your best to get over it.
Easier said than done of course but getting anxious and negative will certainly impede your results and can start you into a downward spiral.
When a job-hunt exceeds 3 months, it may well get worse.
You might have run out of leads and wondering how to proceed.
Get started again - re-contact some of the better prospects from the first round and see if the situation there (or elsewhere) has changed - get a new mailing list - above all do something to keep the momentum going.
You need to ask yourself whether you are prepared for the journey in every sense of the word.
Do you have adequate finances to see you through? How do you know?
How soon will you hit that critical point when the bank manager starts sending unfriendly letters to you?
If the search is six months and you do not change your standard of living, when will you run out of money?
Have you done your homework?
Have you informed your immediate family that this period may need cutbacks?
Are they financially and emotionally prepared?
If the answer to any of these questions indicates that some communication with your family, your bank manager or other creditors seems useful, then do it and do it now.
Do not wait until there is a catastrophe (mortgage default, spousal separation or whatever) to begin to react.
Banks and ?normal? creditors (i.e. excluding loan-sharks and the like) will not be overjoyed by the news that you have lost your principal source of income, but they are often willing to reschedule debts, providing you are open, honest and optimistic about your situation.
They are rather less accommodating, if the first event they know about is that you miss repayments for three months in a row.
My advice therefore is to adopt the best positive mental attitude
that you can summon AT ALL TIMES.
In my (and probably your own) experience, the saying that ?bad times never last? is true.
YOU WILL GET PAST THIS.
Always see the future as bright and exciting and it will be.
That?s one of the laws I live by these days, and it hasn?t let me down yet.
In short, your task is to take care of ALL the details in the entire job application process, appeal to everyone and not offer ANY reason for ANYONE to reject you.
So this part of the process is vitally important, and, in this blog, you will find a number of articles and tip-sheets providing guidance on how to go about it.
If you prefer to get it all in one place, you can download my best-selling book
DO WHAT YOU LOVE, LOVE WHAT YOU DO
at a special member?s price.
Till next time, always remember I am rooting for you!
With love & blessings
Peter Fleming FCMA
Your Career Success Coach
PS: If your situation is all such that you have become totally frozen with inactivity, then I suggest getting some direct help from your career coach, friends, professional counsellor, or your doctor.