How to enjoy your unemployed days gainfully!

Days are obviously hard for anyone who is unemployed. From personal experience, seconds seems like hours and hours like months. I remember those days after I concluded my National Youth Service. I was scrubbing the streets of Abuja and Lasgidi for jobs. Waking up then was like –OMG! Another long day- then, the power supply was and still nothing to write home about. I was physically perplexed.

I was going to the cyber-cafe like I was a yahoo-boy. I kept applying for any corresponding job I found on job sites. I kept spending my savings -my Youth Service allawee- on transport and cyber-cafe tickets until God touched me softly. Voila!

Today, lots of youths are passing through same moment now and also recycling my unemployed days. Instead of going through such experience, this is just a little piece to encourage you or someone you know.

Applying for jobs you are not qualified for -which 50 per cent of job seekers reportedly do- is counter-productive to your job search. Competition is too fierce. Even qualified applicants are not getting call backs. So, stop applying to so many jobs and allocate time each week to becoming more hireable. Here are few ways you can keep yourself productive for that your dream job.

1. Volunteer

Volunteering can increase your chances of being hired if you are strategic about it. Like an unemployed teacher, volunteer by helping out with after school-hours lessons. By volunteering somewhere relevant to your dreams, you will keep your skills fresh while enhancing your resume.

2. Keep Your Skills Current

If you lack a skill commonly required for jobs you’re seeking, spend time each day building that skill. Take advantage of numerous free resources online, including tutorials, e-books, and how-to-do videos. If you’d rather have more of a class setup, then search for free or affordable adult education classes in your area. Alternatively, if you already possess the necessary skills but haven’t been practicing, then do so. So keep practicing and get yourself ready for pre-employment skills tests.

3. Network

There are basically two ways to networking. By reconnecting with your old contacts and forming new ones. Depending on where you are in your career, reconnecting might mean contacting professors, college advisers, and internship supervisors, or it might mean getting in touch with old colleagues, bosses, and business acquaintances. Find them, e-mail them, and call them. Ask how they are -networking is social, after all- and let them know the specifics of your job search -industry, location, etc- See if they know of anything or anyone. Most importantly, follow up! At a temporary dead-end with your current contacts? Make new ones. Go to networking events sponsored by your alma-mater, industry, city, and so on. And look beyond traditional networking events. Consider going for lectures, neighbourhood council meetings, even community bars or restaurants -go easy on the drinks sha- Each of these places provides an opportunity to meet people with similar interests, and you can have fun in the process. Again, follow up!

4. Freelance

Some job seekers are opposed to anything that’s not a full-time job or giving monetary gains. If this sounds like you, it’s time to change your mind set. Freelancing is a great way to boost your skills, resume, portfolio, professional network, income, and confidence. Search for freelance openings near you. -Smiles-

5. Build an Online Presence

Make your online presence known and unique. Spice up your social network profiles; create an online portfolio to showcase your work. –don’t use pictures that put you up in a fashion contest with the likes of Nicki Minaj or Kim Kardashian- Find companies you’re interested in working with, subscribe to their blogs, and follow them on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Learn what they’re talking about, do a little research, and then engage with them online. Impress them with your interest and insights. Worst case scenario — you’ll learn what’s important to them and use this information to customize your application when a job opens up.

Better case scenario — you’ll establish a rapport with someone who will recommend you for a position and/or tell you about unpublished openings.

Best case scenario — you’ll impress someone so much over time that they’ll create a job for you or bring you in for an exploratory interview.

So what are you doing to become more hireable?

Be wise, you shall rise again!

Kindly share this write-up with your family and friends, so the world can be a better place for every one of us!