Now what?
You start submitting your CVs to various companies and openings, hoping to be given a chance for an interview with them. You were lucky, you've been granted an interview. You went, and felt pretty satisfied with your performance. But to your utter disappointment, you never got the job.
Trust me, I have been there, and it wasn't a pleasant situation to find oneself. But rather than sitting at home doing nothing, waiting for that dream job to come by, why not invest that time into something productive and keep yourself busy. Because no matter how bad it is to be unemployed, your best option is to "always make the most of it". Remember the saying "when life gives you a lemon, make lemonade".
Listed below are useful things to do when unemployed that will help you get through this challenging phase of life.
1. Learn A New Skill.
Learning a skill, whether it is related to your preferred job or not adds more value and depth to your life. There are so many skills in the world available to learn. Skills such as tailoring, writing, graphics design, cooking of various assorted dishes, coding, shoemaking, web development etc. are always in high demand. And the good news is that you can always learn most of these skills online and for free. Just pick up the one which interests you and master it well.
2. Create A Network With Friends And Families.
Most times, unemployed people feel awkward about reaching out to friends and families because of inferiority complex. But it's worth noting that reaching out to people that matters increases your chances of getting a job. Let friends and families and even professional contacts know that you are in the market for a job and request for their assistance in finding connections to the organisations that interests you.
3. Engage In Voluntary Activities.
Volunteering is a great way to fill a gap in your CV. Employers highly admire it as it shows that money isn't the only important thing to you; rather, you are passionate about what you do and care about helping others. It also gives you a sense of fulfilment, knowing that you are doing a good deed to those who need it.
4. Update Your CV And Cover Letter.
A common mistake most people make is to underestimate the power of a good CV and cover letter. Your CV represents your brand. It is Your first chance to make an impression on a potential employer.
CV usually includes the following;
Personal Details
Education & Qualifications
Employment History
Key Skills
Interests
References
When writing your CV, always have in mind that others will be applying for that same position as you and will be submitting their CVs as well, so it is essential that you make a good impression on the employers to attract their attention.
Don't just list all your past places of work and experiences. Also write about how what you did, benefitted the organisation you did it for.
5. Become A Freelancer.
The internet is a different world of its own, always presenting various opportunities to those who are ready to take action. One great way to spend your idle time while making quite a decent income is by venturing into freelancing, provided you have a skill.
Freelancing involves working on a contract basis for a variety of companies. There are lots of freelancing sites online where you can make decent money, but you will need to have the skill to offer.
Skills such as article writing, graphics designing, programming, and so on are in very high demand.
Example of such sites include
Fiverr, Upwork, Jolancer, Freelancer, etc.
So long as you've got something to offer, sign up for any or all of the sites listed above and start cashing out.
6. Generate Business Ideas.
Untapped business ideas are all around you, open up your mind to the possibilities, and you might just be a winner. It doesn't matter if you have the means to go into it yet, it doesn't matter if you are thinking small-scale or big-scale, just think of one business you see yourself succeeding at and who knows, you just might become the next successful entrepreneur.
7. Start A Blog.
Blogging is a way of expressing your thoughts and imaginations online. There are quite some good platforms where you can set up a blog even for free. Blogger and WordPress are the most popular.
If you are quite a good writer, in your idle time, just blog about anything and everything that fascinates you.
But you may need to choose a particular niche if you want to blog professionally.
And if you succeed in growing your audience, you might just be making some money for yourself.