How to Survive if You Cannot Find a Job

How to Survive if You Cannot Find a Job

If you've just lost your current job, recently graduated or trying to get in the job market and finding it difficult because of the current economic state then it can be quite difficult. However its not too difficult to survive that grueling process of applying to jobs and constant rejection.

Steps

• Join a job agency. This will look good to employers and if you are planning to start claiming benefits as it will make you look like you are actively looking for a job. It's also a good thing to join an agency because it gives you the time to relax and let the stress of finding a new job up to some one else.

• Use online services like Monster.com to search. Check daily and apply to anything that looks interesting. Start with the type of work you most want to do and are most excited about. You will be more genuinely enthusiastic rather than desperate and needy.

• Start claiming benefits. If you live in the UK it is almost a standard procedure to sign on the dole if you are unemployed. There is no shame in claiming benefits, every one likes to help people and that is exactly what tax payers money is going towards. If you're in the USA, you probably qualify for unemployment benefits.

• Decide what job you want to do. Then actively pursue it. Contact companies and organizations that hire people for the work you want to do. Call or email and ask whether they have any openings. This approach will often turn up job openings before the ad has been sent out and paid for. It always impresses employers and many may put your resume on file because you're being so proactive and sound motivated to work for them. It works much faster than answering job ads, you may have saved them money and cut in right past all the competition if they like you - then they don't need to place the ad.

• Do some volunteer work. Your future interviewers will be impressed. Not only is volunteering likely to boost your CV and give you some good references, but it is also a very rewarding experience. It will stop you from feeling bored or disappointed because you will be already working.

• Make sure you have a good CV. This is vital in finding a job now a days as for every job that you apply for about 150 others will be applying as well (if you are applying on line). If you are not fussy about what your new job will be then make several CVs suitable for different areas of work, for example if you want to work in Admin say that you are good at typing and then for a job in Sales say that you are good on the phone. But just make sure that you send out the right CV to the right job so you don't make a fool of yourself.

• Now you are unemployed you are going to have a lot of spare time on your hands. It is good to utilise this time to the maximum so when employers ask what you have been doing you can tell them something better than sitting around watching box sets all day. Try taking up running, its cheaper than the gym and will keep you fit. Try writing a book, you never know, you may find that's a new strength. Alternatively try learning a new language, a great skill to have on your CV.

• Spend some of that time examining your priorities and long term plans. Ask what would make you happy, question your goals, set new goals. Dust off dreams you always thought were impractical and question what it would take to turn those dreams into reality. Sometimes they're more practical than you think. Without a job as a prior commitment, ideas like getting financial aid to go back to school can work if you change your lifestyle to live frugally and work toward a better future.

• Consider self employment as an independent contractor. The skills you have from previous jobs may be marketable. Research online what it would take to market those skills and get clients. Consider freelance copy writing, it's a skill that will help you with selling anything else from your art to your homemade pralines. Many people make their own jobs by finding things to do that earn money and doing enough of it to make a living. "Started a motorcycle repair business, then decided self employment wasn't for me" does not look bad on a CV - it looks proactive.

• Clear everything you don't need and want out of your house during this time. Sell it on eBay. A number of people start out just clearing their closets but discover a niche as eBay sellers - this requires prompt service, well written listings and usually a specialty or two, things you're knowledgeable about where you understand a niche market. Your own hobbies are a good start, you're already knowledgeable about them. Some resellers just purchase bulk lots of cheap items, break them up to package them individually and sell them right where they bought them on eBay. If this works for you, develop an efficient storage and shipping system for your chosen wares.

• If you are really struggling to find a job try pestering your family and friends who have jobs to get you one. Even if it is data entry or the most boring job in the world, if you can get your foot on the ladder then its a start to a new career.

• Save money before you need to. Do your food shop half an hour before the super market closes and eat first. All of the days fresh produce will be marked down, its still in date just a lot cheaper. If you live near a farmer's market do your shopping there, its all good quality at a lower price. Make new friends and get them to take you out to dinner/drinks. When it's your turn to reciprocate, cook for them at home - a steak dinner at home is cheaper than a burger at a restaurant. Invite friends over for games and parties that don't involve great expense. The same beer costs a lot less by the case than in a glass at a pub. If you can reduce your expenses, you also broaden your occupational choices because you can live on a student stipend or the entry level income of your new career.

• Simplify your life. Unemployment is a big change anyway, so it may be the best time to re-evaluate everything in your life to this point and make other changes for the better. If you don't like the climate or social climate where you're living, you can sell most of your possessions and relocate to where you most want to live. Focus all your job seeking in the new area. If there are other big changes you want to make in life, now is the time to look at them in a practical way because for this brief time, you do not have other commitments and can give the new direction your best efforts. If that doesn't work out, it's just a failed trial - high turnover low paying jobs are only a stopgap. Keep trying until you build a new life better than your old one.

Tips

Don't just rely on job agencies to get you a job, try joining one on the internet so you can apply online or go round shops handing out your CV directly to them.