29 Jan 2015

things to consider when unemployed & job searching


1. Do not sit around in your pyjamas all day (it's only OK at weekends, if you're sick or on "holiday").

2. Do not eat biscuits all day. It has no effect on your success rate.

3. Do not watch day-time television (it will rot your mind and possibly remind you of care-free university days when you would watch the same episode of neighbours twice in one day - once after doctors and secondly before the simpsons. That was cool then, not now. All you're missing are endless "antiques-in-the-attic-let's-sell-some-old-shit" programs and a constant stream of adverts for really "caring and nice" (read: evil and will bleed you dry) money-lending sites).

4. Do have a shower, get dressed, brush your teeth and be "ready for work" at a reasonable hour (9:30 am seems fair).

5. Make a plan or a to-do list for the day to give yourself some structure. The plan can include job-search related things (such as applying for jobs *duh* & preping for interviews) but also life admin ('do some washing' is a nice easy one to tick off your list).

6. Identify your most productive time of day (before midday for me) and assign the more taxing things (such as writing a cover letter) to that time of day. 

7. Remember to do some fun stuff too. Give yourself little rewards (e.g half an hour of reading or knitting) for when you complete an application. 

8. Go outside everyday, even if it's just to the corner shop and it's pissing with rain. It's important to change your scenery and you need the fresh air.

9. Take regular breaks from your screen – eat lunch, call your grandad – time-outs are important.

10. Exercise. For me, jogging allows me to have a good think, things to include in cover letters for example.

11. If you can, go to the free exhibitions that you've been meaning to visit. As a Londoner weekend museum and gallery visits are a no-no so it's a good idea to use this rare weekday free-time.

12. See people. Make (cheap) dates - dinner at friend's house, a walk around the park, tea at your nan's.

13. Volunteer somewhere, even if it's only one day a week. It gets you out of the house, makes you meet new (and talk to) new people and looks good on your CV.

14. Stay positive. This unemployment thing ain't going to last forever.


It's not been that long (about 4-5 weeks) and I don't in anyway think I'm an expert, but these 14 things are keeping me from going mad. Any other tips are most certainly welcome :)


10 comments:

  1. Completely agree! I've been job hunting since I finished my PhD, my days revolve around job hunting, filling in all my details once again, writing a cover letter, and repeat! It's good to get out and do stuff, and volunteering is good...gives me something to talk about when friends ask me what I've bee up to. Yes, need to keep being positive, jobs will come along soon. Fingers crossed!

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    1. Yeah volunteering provides me with lots of weird stories to tell my friends when we meet up,way more interesting than saying "writing lots of cover letters". Good luck to you on your job search, I feel your pain. Hope something good comes along soon :)

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  2. Cover letters are so difficult to keep fresh and new after writing so many. Do you have any tips for writing cover letters?

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    1. Tell me about it! I find them so difficult to write. I'm always worried I sound like a jerk, banging on about my skills etc. I tend to have some well-phrased sentences standing by (particularly for things that always come up on job descriptions, like: being able to prioritise my workload and Work well in a team). Then, I just go through the person specification and tick off as many points as poss. Always put in something specific to the company near the end and finish with a summing up paragraph. I'm certainly no expert though!

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  3. Hehe I love point 3, totally so easy to fall into day time TV, it's a dark black hole that one. Job hunting is always a pain, I don't think I have ever enjoyed it but just need to keep positive and know that something will develop soon! Hope it goes well for you :) x

    Jasmin Charlotte | UK Lifestyle Blog

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    1. Yeah it's pretty rubbish! Ah, thanks Jasmin :) x

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  4. These seem like great tips (although I hope I won't need them any time soon!). Good luck on the job hunt, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

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  5. Super great post!! Every point I have always lived by during breaks in employment. More people need to read this haha.

    Best of luck for your job hunt :)

    Best wishes, Danielle xo
    www.underlandtowonderland.com

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  6. This is a great list & I totally need to follow some of your advice! I've just started to apply for jobs again after being out of work since Nov (due to a move to the U.S) & finding the motivation to write cover letters has always been my biggest hurdle - they really are the worst!

    Victoria x

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Ta v.much :)

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