A friend of mine recently coined me as “The Busiest Unemployed Guy in Los Angeles.” I can honestly tell you, he’s probably correct. If you’re less busy now than you were while working, chances are you’re doing it wrong.
Not only am I volunteering and pounding the pavement at networking functions, I serve on the Boards of most of the organizations in which I participate! I’m involved in three job support groups – a must when looking for a job. Of those three, I’m Vice-Chair of the Training Committee for one, and for another I handle the email marketing aspects sending out newsletters every week.
My time is also occupied by three service organizations: I’m the Executive Vice President of one, VP of Training for another (just returned from running a 2-day retreat) and have been asked to be Programs Chair for the third.
In one of my recent posts, I told you I was helping to manage and build out a company for a friend of mine…I’m still doing it.
Free…I’m doing all of this for nothing. Why? Why not? Yeah, I’d like to be earning income from all of this, but the bottom line is simple. What else would you be doing? Playing minesweeper, solitaire or some farm game? No…we need to be pushing the flesh and pushing our limits to find a job. We’ve all heard it before – looking for a job is a full time position, right? Well, I’m simply working overtime because the search is taking much longer then ever planned. Each day I come home, there’s always more work piling up for the next day. Unfortunately, looking for work isn’t a job you can leave at the office; it’s an ugly and up-rooting situation that we need to live with 24/7. Undoubtedly, you need to give yourself plenty of ‘me’ time, but the work can’t be handed over to some trusted associate; it’s all up to us to go out and do it.
So I suggest becoming involved in your networking and job support groups and finding other such workshops and events where you have a bond and share common interests and start working on that. Take a leadership role when and where possible; build and show off your strengths…get noticed. You never know who’s watching to give you a helping hand as you assist and give back to others.
That said, being effective on all these projects keeps my skills fine-tuned and adds to my overall learning experience. I have kept myself engaged in so many things, once I land a paying position, I will be able to tap into the additional education I’ve received while unemployed. You will not discover anything or move forward by sitting idle at a computer; if you’re reading this, thanks! All I ask is that you choose your computer time wisely; this website is a solid choice and I, again, thank you for your belief and interest in it. Hopefully it will encourage you to go out into your community and find ventures that interest you. Exchanging ideas and knowledge with others will empower you to continue in a positive direction and help build your networking skills.
I’ve met hundreds of people over the last 16 months and the ones who’ve found jobs have done so mostly through their own network or via someone else’s. It’s that crazy saying, the more people you know, they more folks they know. It works; keep at it and contribute in what you believe. But first you must believe in you; volunteer the time you need to improve your image and trust yourself more. Be confident and find the individuals that will share what they know to guide you to success.
So on this Memorial Day Holiday weekend as I speed faster toward my second summer without employment, I sit and think pensively…yes, we have lost our jobs – temporarily. But reflect for a moment on those who have lost their lives so that we may be able to, for the instant, live in a free society where we are able to choose from a vast assortment of employment opportunities. Thank those who have fought for our lives and rights to have the capacity to do what we want and where we want to live.
We have no jobs, but we have our lives. Get busy living it! Let us give thanks and move forward. Life is preciously short. Make the most of our days and use the time wisely. Think of what we might not have; there’s an abundance of which we have plenty. Use that to find renewed spirit to continue your search for your next chapter.
As Always, Thanks For Surfing My Wave!
Why Just Look For A Job? Create One!™
TheUnemployMENTOR - email@theunemploymentor.com
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