Unemployment: Day 3

If you’re anything like me, by day 3 you’re exhausted. The emotional toll, the labor of bureaucracy, the uncertainty, all of it is probably getting to you. It’s okay to take a day off. But if you’re a mess of anxiety, like me, consider focusing on tasks that require lower energy or commitment. For me this is primarily finding a way to get myself organized and casually scrolling job listings.

Figure out what you want. This is a rough time, certainly, but it’s also an opportunity. What does your ideal job look like? What kind of pay do you want to receive? This is the time to dream big. Set the bar high - you can always lower your expectations later. One freebie that helped to give me some direction: The Agile Work Profiler. I was feeling lost and unsure what I wanted to do or what I was good at. This gave me a framework to figure that out and try to narrow down what roles I would excel in.

Make lists. I have a notebook with a bunch of scribbled down thoughts. Things to do, questions I need to ask, so on and so forth. Today I focused on making lists of my key accomplishments that I believe best showcase my abilities and value. I also started to make a list of people I can reach out to that might be willing to serve as a reference or write a recommendation for me on LinkedIn.

Lend a hand. One of the things that most brought me peace in this process was finding ways to support my coworkers who are in the same spot. I spent time drafting and finessing LinkedIn recommendations. If you’re not entirely sure what to focus on, feel free to ask - they know what kind of jobs they are searching for and therefore what skills they need to have highlighted.