Job Hunting Tips: Staying Active
Unemployment is depressing: financial pressures stress you out, looking for work is humiliating, and your fragile self-confidence reels under the blows of indifference and rejection.
It becomes harder to get up in the morning, to take care of yourself, to be supportive and loving to those around you, to swing energetically into job search activities.
Here are 7 tips on beating those I-want-to-get-a-job-but-nobody-wants-me blues.
1. Create a schedule for your week: 5 hours per day (maximum) of looking for work, 2 hours per day (minimum) of relaxing, having fun with others, and appreciating yourself.
2. Act as if you are still working: get up at your usual time, shower, have your regular breakfast - it will maintain your sense of sense and provide the familiarity of routine and structure in a world in which you are feeling increasingly alienated.
3. Get out of the house. Employers don't make house calls so circulate. Surfing the net for job leads may make you feel as if you are accomplishing something but is often only a means of escape. By all means, post your resume anywhere you can, but then hit the road.
4. Actively nurture your relationships. Avoid letting your misery and self-reproach poison your interactions with those who love you and want to help. Recognize that your loved ones may also be in distress and take the time to go somewhere and do something with family and friends.
5. List your abilities, skills, and positive personal characteristics on a piece of paper. Write down your past successes and triumphs, however small. Read the list daily to remind yourself of your value. Add to the list as you recall other positive qualities.
6. Remind yourself of the realities of the labor market -that most of us will change jobs dozens of times in our working life and many change actual careers several times. Being out of work does not mean that there is something wrong with you, just that it is now your turn to go through this upheaval. Next time it may be your spouse or friend -it is part of the human condition in 21st corporate America.
7. Be kind to yourself. Your self-confidence, self-esteem and self-regard have all been hit with a steel boot. Actively look at yourself with the eyes of a concerned friend and give yourself the support, sympathy, and goodwill that you would extend to anyone you love who had suffered the same fate.
Practice these techniques for a few weeks to help yourself cope more positively with your seriously uncomfortable and anxiety-provoking situation.
Virginia Bola operated a rehabilitation company for 20 years, developing innovative job search techniques for disabled workers, while serving as a respected Vocational Expert in Administrative, Civil and Workers' Compensation Courts. Author of an interactive and emotionally supportive workbook, The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a monthly ezine, The Worker's Edge, she can be reached at http://www.virginiabola.com
MORE RESOURCES:
 Los Angeles Times | April job losses end state's eight months of gains Los Angeles Times Some of those who are discouraged by their job prospects have gone into business for themselves. (Francine Orr, Los Angeles Times / April 11, 2012) By Ricardo Lopez, Los Angeles Times California's labor market stumbled in April as employers in a wide ... Fla. April jobless rate drops to 8.7 percent, state loses jobs but thousands ... South Bay adds 3600 jobs, strongest employment gains for April in entire state Stanislaus County still losing jobs |
 Boston.com | Report: Wisconsin lost 5900 jobs in April BusinessWeek By TODD RICHMOND Wisconsin lost nearly 6000 jobs in April according to preliminary monthly data state labor officials released Thursday, putting Republican Gov. Scott Walker on the defensive as he faces a June 5 recall election. Recall Roundup: Jobs back in focus as new report shows losses Walker, Barrett continue sparring over jobs Walker and Barrett keep fighting over jobs number |
 IBNLive.com | Steve Jobs TV movie to film at the original Apple garage CNET The garage where the first Apple computers were built will be used in the upcoming TV movie about Jobs. by Josh Lowensohn May 18, 2012 4:48 PM PDT Follow @Josh For those wondering how authentic the upcoming made-for-TV movie about Steve Jobs will be, ... Steve Jobs biopic to begin filming in garage where Apple was born Steve Jobs Movie Begins Filming in the Original Apple Garage 'jOBS' biopic starring Ashton Kutcher will shoot in Apple Garage and childhood ... |
Proposed arena a job killer, say Port of Seattle leaders The Seattle Times Seattle and King County leaders say the Port of Seattle can thrive next to a new NBA and NHL arena, but the Port sees potential damage to its plan to expand and add up to 100000 new jobs to the area. By Emily Heffter The sky is falling! |
Best and worst jobs for your health Fox News A healthy job is about more than just avoiding hazards, like dangerous material and machines. Employees need respect, benefits, wellness incentives, and control over their work, says L. Casey Chosewood, MD, senior medical officer for the Total Worker ... |
 Hollywood Reporter | Sorkin says Jobs movie won't be straight biography Reuters NEW YORK (Reuters) - Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin hasn't yet figured out how to put the life of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs on the silver screen, but he is certain it's not going to be a straightforward biography. Sorkin, who won an Oscar for his ... REFILE-Sorkin says Jobs movie won't be straight biography Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak Hired to Help Aaron Sorkin on Steve Jobs Biopic Aaron Sorkin Says Steve Jobs Film Won't Be a Standard Biopic; Apple Co-Founder ... |
 IGNN | Utah's job growth slows, unemployment rate up Salt Lake Tribune Data show that a sluggish labor market still has some vigor as nearly all sectors of Utah's economy added jobs in April. By paul beebe Job growth in Utah slowed in April for the fourth consecutive month and the unemployment rate rose, suggesting the ... Illinois jobless rate drops but job growth slows Illinois Adds 140700 Private Sector Jobs Since Recovery |
 Bloomberg | Who is the real jobs killer -- Obama or Romney? Fox News When it comes to the audacity of trope, it is hard to top President Obama -- a big time jobs killer. One of the president's re-election campaign websites features a new attack ad in which a steelworker brands Mitt Romney as a person “like a vampire” ... Mitt Romney's claim that 100000 auto jobs have been lost under Obama Fact-Checking Romney's Jobs Stats The Austerity Trap and the Jobs Deficit |
Santa Cruz County adds 3500 jobs in April San Jose Mercury News By JONDI GUMZ - Santa Cruz Sentinel SANTA CRUZ - Santa Cruz County saw a spurt of growth in April, adding 3500 jobs compared to March, and unemployment fell to 12 percent from, 13.7 percent in March even as the labor force grew. |
Summer jobs introduce kids to Uncle Sam, taxes Kansas City Star By STEVE ROSEN Expect to hear those words from exasperated teenagers or college students over the next few weeks as they set aside their calculators and toss their textbooks to start summer jobs. For many young workers, this will be their first time ... |
Google News
RELATED ARTICLES
The Springtime of Your Career
Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love, introduced many of us to the notion of career seasons. When we're struggling with a career, we're most likely to think of winter.
Your Resume Format - What Is The First Thing You Need To Do?
The first thing you need to do before you write your resume is learn how to format it. Just as if you were cooking a new dish you would follow a recipe, so too should you follow a specific format when you type your resume.
What is Experience Anyway?
I learned in first grade that one plus one equals two. But, that's not the right equation when counting work experience.
4 Tips for Making Successful Job Offers
The interviews are completed, the paperwork is all filled out for Human Resources, and you have decided that this is the right candidate for the job. Now comes the formal job offer.
Do Your Very Best in All Things -- Because Someone Is Looking....
Your job is to rise ABOVE the challenge. Do more than is expected.
Write And Get Hired
Want to get hired faster than up to 97% of other job seekers?Well, you can. By doing two simple things almost nobody else is doing:1) write down a job search goal and2) read it out loud 10 times a day.
10 Keys to Getting Paid What You're Worth!
Asking for money is so taboo in our culture that most of us shake in our shoes when we think about negotiating salary. It conjures up our insecurities about not being good enough, not knowing enough, or not being considered valuable enough.
When Should You Update Your Job Skills?
With the U.S.
Planning To Work Abroad
Working abroad can be an exciting, rewarding and horizon broadening experience; and if you take the time to plan ahead carefully before you go, you will make your transition into the overseas work place a smooth and successful one.So, if you're considering relocating overseas to take up a temporary assignment or you'd like to move abroad permanently and find work there are basically three main aspects of expatriation that you need to think about before you make your move and this article examines them for you.
How To Pick The Best Career For You, Part 1
In Part One we'll look at how Positioning or "Coming to a Theater Near You" simplifies and expedites your employment hunt by reinforcing employer buy-in through justification of the sale.Rapidly gain employer agreement that you're the right person for the job by proving how their organizational needs are met through your specific abilities to solve their identified problems.
The Perfect Resume
The perfect resume presents hiring managers with a four-fold vision of who you are and what you bring to the table: The perfect resume offers Logical Proofs: Facts Quantifiable data Logical conclusions Achievement and success statements Relevant professional goals/accomplishments Limits the use of jargon Maximizes use of occupation/industry-specific key words Your capabilities and skills Clear, specific, measurable, and quantifiable words and phrases Sells you based on your achievements to date The perfect resume offers Your Vision & Creativity: Balanced white space Visually easy to read A resume style and paper consistent with your self-marketing vision Clear big picture of who you are Sells you based on your potential Examples of your creativity relating to your targeted position Your vision of your role and your capacity to contribute The perfect resume offers Sensible Organization: Easy-to-follow resume structure Presents relevant historical information in reverse chronological order Places the most relevant/marketable data early in the resume Omits what cannot be proved Is error-free Is neatly laid-out and word processed Stretches to the appropriate length for someone of your experience (one page for up to 10 years of experience; 2 pages for up to 15 years of experience, and 3 pages for senior-level positions demanding over 15 years of experience) Sells your past The perfect resume offers Your Personality and Values: Stresses your interpersonal/written communication skills Describes your teamwork skills and cites examples of your cross-functionality Highlights your work-related values Showcases your work-related personality Previews who you are Emphasizes your uniqueness Is enjoyable to read Sells who you are Why not review your resume by comparing it with these four critical categories? You may discover why your resume isn't winning you the interview response you'd hoped for with hiring managers.Cheryl Lynch Simpson is a Spiritual Director and Solutions Coach who helps women discover and create the life they've always wanted to live.
Ten Tips to a Job Winning Interview
These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!1.
Tips For Surviving As A Corporate Refugee
In her book "Are You A Corporate Refugee", Ruth Luban associates "corporate refugees" with refugees who never intend to leave their home country. People who are uprooted from the familiar terrain, customs and native language they've known for a very long time.
What Every Employee Should Know About How to Overcome Boredom
Do you find yourself easily becoming bored or tired at work for no apparent reason? If that's the case, then pay close attention. Research has shown that fatigue and a worn-out feeling are often caused by unproductive mental attitudes.
Hiring the OverQualified Employee or Mining for Gold
I am having a hard time understanding why a valuable resource such as the "over qualified employee is having such a hard time getting a job. Something seems to be out of whack here.
Employment Law: Attendance Rewards - Legal Ramifications
If you were thinking of offering your employees special rewards as incentives for having good attendance records, then you must read on. In fact, employers that offer attendance bonuses may find themselves falling foul of the law.
Before You Begin, Know What To Expect - How You Can Make a Living Proof Reading From Home
Proof reading from home is an excellent way to make money, right? How hard and challenging can it be to do some editing after all?In fact it can be quite challenging to find a good quality proofreader that works from their house. This is due in part to the heavy demands it places on the individual and on their family.
Why You Need To Be An Intrapreneur
When a client asks me if I think he or she is a good candidate for starting a new business, I ask several questions (see our free assessment, "Are You an Entrepreneur?"). But the truth of the matter is that these questions are similar to ones that I'd ask someone who wants to move up in an organization or find a new position elsewhere.
5 Things Every New Caterer Should Know
It has been over twenty five years since I started a small catering company that specialized in International Tapas, tiny silver trays of finger foods to delight the eyes and satisfied the stomach. These little morels were tasty, light and filling.
How to Write Cover Letters That Increase Your Chances of Winning an Interview
Submit a poorly written cover letter and the chances are your resume will end up in the trash bin without even being looked at.On the other hand, a well written cover letter can almost guarantee you get an interview.
The Springtime of Your Career
Rick Jarow, author of Creating the Work You Love, introduced many of us to the notion of career seasons. When we're struggling with a career, we're most likely to think of winter.
Your Resume Format - What Is The First Thing You Need To Do?
The first thing you need to do before you write your resume is learn how to format it. Just as if you were cooking a new dish you would follow a recipe, so too should you follow a specific format when you type your resume.
What is Experience Anyway?
I learned in first grade that one plus one equals two. But, that's not the right equation when counting work experience.
4 Tips for Making Successful Job Offers
The interviews are completed, the paperwork is all filled out for Human Resources, and you have decided that this is the right candidate for the job. Now comes the formal job offer.
Do Your Very Best in All Things -- Because Someone Is Looking....
Your job is to rise ABOVE the challenge. Do more than is expected.
Write And Get Hired
Want to get hired faster than up to 97% of other job seekers?Well, you can. By doing two simple things almost nobody else is doing:1) write down a job search goal and2) read it out loud 10 times a day.
10 Keys to Getting Paid What You're Worth!
Asking for money is so taboo in our culture that most of us shake in our shoes when we think about negotiating salary. It conjures up our insecurities about not being good enough, not knowing enough, or not being considered valuable enough.
When Should You Update Your Job Skills?
With the U.S.
Planning To Work Abroad
Working abroad can be an exciting, rewarding and horizon broadening experience; and if you take the time to plan ahead carefully before you go, you will make your transition into the overseas work place a smooth and successful one.So, if you're considering relocating overseas to take up a temporary assignment or you'd like to move abroad permanently and find work there are basically three main aspects of expatriation that you need to think about before you make your move and this article examines them for you.
How To Pick The Best Career For You, Part 1
In Part One we'll look at how Positioning or "Coming to a Theater Near You" simplifies and expedites your employment hunt by reinforcing employer buy-in through justification of the sale.Rapidly gain employer agreement that you're the right person for the job by proving how their organizational needs are met through your specific abilities to solve their identified problems.
The Perfect Resume
The perfect resume presents hiring managers with a four-fold vision of who you are and what you bring to the table: The perfect resume offers Logical Proofs: Facts Quantifiable data Logical conclusions Achievement and success statements Relevant professional goals/accomplishments Limits the use of jargon Maximizes use of occupation/industry-specific key words Your capabilities and skills Clear, specific, measurable, and quantifiable words and phrases Sells you based on your achievements to date The perfect resume offers Your Vision & Creativity: Balanced white space Visually easy to read A resume style and paper consistent with your self-marketing vision Clear big picture of who you are Sells you based on your potential Examples of your creativity relating to your targeted position Your vision of your role and your capacity to contribute The perfect resume offers Sensible Organization: Easy-to-follow resume structure Presents relevant historical information in reverse chronological order Places the most relevant/marketable data early in the resume Omits what cannot be proved Is error-free Is neatly laid-out and word processed Stretches to the appropriate length for someone of your experience (one page for up to 10 years of experience; 2 pages for up to 15 years of experience, and 3 pages for senior-level positions demanding over 15 years of experience) Sells your past The perfect resume offers Your Personality and Values: Stresses your interpersonal/written communication skills Describes your teamwork skills and cites examples of your cross-functionality Highlights your work-related values Showcases your work-related personality Previews who you are Emphasizes your uniqueness Is enjoyable to read Sells who you are Why not review your resume by comparing it with these four critical categories? You may discover why your resume isn't winning you the interview response you'd hoped for with hiring managers.Cheryl Lynch Simpson is a Spiritual Director and Solutions Coach who helps women discover and create the life they've always wanted to live.
Ten Tips to a Job Winning Interview
These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!1.
Tips For Surviving As A Corporate Refugee
In her book "Are You A Corporate Refugee", Ruth Luban associates "corporate refugees" with refugees who never intend to leave their home country. People who are uprooted from the familiar terrain, customs and native language they've known for a very long time.
What Every Employee Should Know About How to Overcome Boredom
Do you find yourself easily becoming bored or tired at work for no apparent reason? If that's the case, then pay close attention. Research has shown that fatigue and a worn-out feeling are often caused by unproductive mental attitudes.
Hiring the OverQualified Employee or Mining for Gold
I am having a hard time understanding why a valuable resource such as the "over qualified employee is having such a hard time getting a job. Something seems to be out of whack here.
Employment Law: Attendance Rewards - Legal Ramifications
If you were thinking of offering your employees special rewards as incentives for having good attendance records, then you must read on. In fact, employers that offer attendance bonuses may find themselves falling foul of the law.
Before You Begin, Know What To Expect - How You Can Make a Living Proof Reading From Home
Proof reading from home is an excellent way to make money, right? How hard and challenging can it be to do some editing after all?In fact it can be quite challenging to find a good quality proofreader that works from their house. This is due in part to the heavy demands it places on the individual and on their family.
Why You Need To Be An Intrapreneur
When a client asks me if I think he or she is a good candidate for starting a new business, I ask several questions (see our free assessment, "Are You an Entrepreneur?"). But the truth of the matter is that these questions are similar to ones that I'd ask someone who wants to move up in an organization or find a new position elsewhere.
5 Things Every New Caterer Should Know
It has been over twenty five years since I started a small catering company that specialized in International Tapas, tiny silver trays of finger foods to delight the eyes and satisfied the stomach. These little morels were tasty, light and filling.
How to Write Cover Letters That Increase Your Chances of Winning an Interview
Submit a poorly written cover letter and the chances are your resume will end up in the trash bin without even being looked at.On the other hand, a well written cover letter can almost guarantee you get an interview.
