I recently spoke to an unemployed gentleman who was actively seeking a full-time position. He told me that looking for a job was his job. Although this true, looking for a job is not the only thing a person should do while unemployed. Employers become nervous when they see people have been unemployed for years. They may worry about loss of skills. Whatever the case is, there are ways for the unemployed to stay employable.
First, dreams of being self employed can be cultivated during times of unemployment. Researching and growing skills associated with business ownership can be a wonderful experience. The U.S. Small Business Administration offers support and training opportunities for people interested in self employment. Qualities such as an entrepreneurial spirit can be an asset in many organizations. Therefore, employers may view time spent building a business, or the skills to build a business, as time well spent.
Second, volunteering can also be a beneficial way to spend time. Non-profit organizations are always looking for people to lend a hand. Volunteering is a wonderful way to keep existing skill sets sharp. For example, a person with an accounting background may want to look for opportunities to maintain an organization’s financial records. Additionally, if another person held an interest in education, he may enjoy tutoring people in math, science, or reading. The Literacy Information and Communication System and Volunteer Match might be good places to start searching for those opportunities. Volunteering often offers flexible schedules, which are great for job seekers that may need to make themselves available for interviews on short notice.
Balancing the demands of a job search and activities like the ones above may be difficult, but it is well worth it. Employers know the time of unemployment has been well utilized. Most importantly the unemployed people can be confident that their skill sets are current. Additionally, people can continue to build their resumes during times of unemployment, if they stay active. People who stay active can add any courses or webcasts, as well as volunteer experience, to their resumes.
The tips offered are only a few suggestions. There are other ways to stay busy and maintain skill sets (part-time work, attending college, etc.). Regardless of how job seekers decide to accomplish this, they should rest assured that when an employer asks what they did during their unemployment, they will have an answer.
Meica Hatters - Meica~ Experience HR professional, educator, and writer. Although, she has a little trouble sitting still, she loves to learn!
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