In a continuing effort to assist job seekers I have created this blog where you will find
advice, tips, tactics, experiences, resources and much more.

This information and these resources are provided to help professionals find the opportunities they are looking for as fast as possible.

My hope is that this blog will help all visitors in their search.

Monday, November 2, 2009

How To Stay Positive In Your Job Search and Make The Most Out Of Your Unemployment.



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When you find yourself faced with unemployment it is a difficult thing to deal with.  The uncertainty and concern for your financial future is enough by itself to put you in the state of mind that will make it impossible to do anything to make your situation better.

Many unemployed people limit themselves to just filling out countless applications online until they find a job.  This can become tedious and frustrating in a matter of days.  When a person becomes frustrated it becomes harder and harder to find a job for many reasons including the fact that potential employers can sense this frustration and despair.

Below you will find 5 actions you can take that will help you find a job faster and help your mental state of mind while finding this job.




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Start participating in non-profit or volunteer organizations and, if you can not find a paying position, do some volunteer work.

This will help many aspects of your job search.  You will not have large gaps of work experience on your resume.  Your efforts will keep you moving and the work will keep your skills, like communication, sharp.  You will feel a sense of reward from helping others and, while I don’t endorse feeling better about your situation because of others hardships, it is impossible to not realize that your situation could be much worse.

Many of the professionals I have worked with start doing volunteer work for the reasons stated above and this work leads to a full time position. 





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If you are not already, get involved in trade organizations within your industry of expertise.  There are many opportunities you can discover with your involvement.  This is also a key aspect to the networking approach of finding a job.

As we have discussed in past article networking is the singularly fastest way to landing a new job.  Within these trade organizations you will find people that could have an opportunity for you, but if they don’t they could know someone who will.

Trade organizations themselves also have many jobs they need filled.  Consider looking to work for one of them.  If all else fails you can always state on your resume that you are a member of these organizations.  It is a great way to build your resume and credentials for use with potential employers.


Resource

Executive Search Online
is a free resource with 2,000 links to trade organizations. 

ESO goes a step further by labeling which trade organizations have current job openings
.





Wanted! Professionals Seeking $80,000 to $500,000+

                                                                           click here




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Join online unemployment support groups

I know this may sound strange to some people, but it is not like you are going to be crying in the arms of your computer. 

These groups help people by letting them share their experiences with others.  They allow them to bounce ideas off other professionals regarding what has worked, what has not, new employment strategies, quality resources used to find a job, networking opportunities that can help you find a job, and much more.





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Think about starting your own business.  This does not have to be an all or nothing venture.  While you are looking for a new job think about a small business that you could start yourself and start working on it.  Make a plan for splitting your time.  For every 2 hours you work on your job search, take an 1 hour to work on your business.

This will benefit you by giving you a release from the daily job search grind.  Starting a business can be anything from reselling merchandise on Ebay to using your engineering background and instead of designing widgets for your old employer, design them for your customers.





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Keep Learning – This does not mean “Go Back To College”, although for some it can be a good idea. 

What I mean is learn a new skill you can put on your resume, or take an online class that will earn you a certification that you can put on your resume.  These are just 2 ideas, but there are many things you can be doing to increase your marketability to prospective employers while keeping yourself sharp and motivated at the same time through a continuation of your education.

If this does not sound appealing think about educating others.  Many local high schools and grade schools need substitute teachers.  To qualify in most districts all you need is around 40 college credit hours.  You can use your education to teach others while keeping yourself sharp, giving back to the community, and bringing in a little extra money.





Stay Positive

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As a country many of us find ourselves in a position that we never thought we would or never wanted to be in again, but here we are. 

As hard as it is to not let it get you down, you must.  If you do not potential employers will sense it on you and it will make it that much harder to get a job.  It is a vicious cycle because the more frustrated you get in your job search, the harder it makes to get a job, which makes you even more frustrated.

However, as we have discussed there are many things you can be doing to combat this pitfall.  Just keep your head up, keep moving forward, take it one day at a time, and do as much as you can each day to reach your goal of finding the opportunity you are looking for.



Written By:   Rob Gelhausen
                      Career Counselor

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