I lost my job six months ago, and I have struggled to find one ever since. It isn’t as if I am not trying hard enough; I have applied to all sorts of places: retail stores, small businesses, and restaurants – even fast food! I know from experience, that unemployment is a tough place to be.

After about a month and a half of trying endlessly to find another job, I started to really panic – the stress was really getting to me. I had never had a problem finding a job in the past, in fact, I had even been recruited for jobs, what was I doing wrong now?

And then I realized I wasn’t alone. Every job I was applying for had seemingly billions of other applicants – how was I supposed to even get noticed? I have been a “worker-bee” all my life and my resume is great for work in retail situations, but now I was competing against laid-off executives for the entry-level positions! I needed a plan.

I Needed an Attitude Adjustment

The more I got ignored by employers or rejected for jobs, the more I felt depressed, my stress-level began to rise, and my self-esteem began to plummet. Part of me wanted to see a therapist and find help, and the other part of me realized…(drum-roll) I couldn’t afford a therapist.

I searched online for money-making ideas (I needed to pay my bills), but mostly I found spamish sites which promised to make me a millionaire overnight in exchange for my only payment of 299.99. I didn’t try it. I don’t have 299.99. Even if I did…

I needed a plan, thought one up, and now I would like to share it with you.

Wake Up and Work Out.

You are unemployed. You have nowhere to be. You have no excuses.

I have NEVER been a fan of working out. I am the poster-child for doing everything in my power to avoid working out, however, since I wasn’t working, I wasn’t walking around the store, and since I wasn’t walking around the store – I was gaining weight. I gained 15 pounds in 2 months. My clothes did not fit, but seeing as how I had no job, I had no money to buy new clothes. This left me at a crossroad. Either I could start wearing plastic bags or I could suck it up (no pun intended) and lose the weight.

What I found out was that exercising not only helped me lose weight, it also made me happier, stronger, more focused and I was able to cope with going to the newspaper and computer another day to get rejected by more employers.

Reach Out For Help

My boyfriend is amazing. Every time I started to freak out, he would comfort me and tell me that everything would be ok. I like being strong and independent. I didn’t want help and I didn’t want to feel stupid, but I finally conceded that I was out of ideas and I needed support.

Find someone to talk to, whether it is your significant other, your best friend, a family member or someone on the street who will listen – ask them for help. Ask them to let you know if they hear any jobs or any opportunities. People keep saying to me that the jobs are going to people who “know someone,” this is your opportunity to “know someone”

Reach Out and Help

Check your newspaper or craigslist (you should be checking those for jobs anyway) for volunteer situations. I know what you are thinking: “I don’t need to volunteer – I need to find a job.” Yes you do, but you can take a break to help someone out, maybe learn a new skill or meet someone who could help you out. Some volunteer positions even lead to paid positions. You never know, perhaps donating some of your free time will pay you back in turn.

Don’t Obsess

My issue is that if there is a problem somewhere in my life, I obsess over it until I can fix it. This only wore me down faster. I made myself write down a list of things that I have wanted to do, but have put off because I haven’t had enough time and incorporate them somewhere in my day, even if it is only for an hour.

You need to take breaks (just as if you were in a real job). Watch a show, read a book, play a game, read hubplaces.com, just do something different that you enjoy. It will help keep up your spirits.

If you need to take a day off, do it. You will need time to regain your focus – but don’t give up your search, get back on it the next day.

Financing

I hope you have some money saved up, or that you are getting unemployment or some sort of income. Whatever your financial situation, check to see if you are eligible for any government programs such as food stamps, WIC or medical insurance. They may be able to help provide some staples for you and help free up some of your “real” money for bills.

Make wise choices with the money you have. Instead of going to the movies, rent a movie. Instead of going out to dinner, ask your friends over for a home-cooked meal. They can bring the desert. Go to thrift stores for other needs, you could save hundreds of dollars on necessities. Save your coupons. Walk or ride your bike to closer places to save on gas. The money-saving opportunities are endless. Be creative with what you have.

Be Innovative

You know your strengths. Find a way to market them. I was looking at work wanted ads on craigslist and saw a man advertising himself as a “husband on call” for single-mothers who needed cheap labor around the house. “Need you sink fixed? Call me and I will do it for cheaper than the other guys.” I thought it was clever. I took piano lessons when I was younger and I teach them now (I never thought I had it in me).

This might not get you a lot of money, but it may get you some that you can use toward your bills, it might also get you leads and open up some doors.

Practice and Prepare

Spend some time everyday practicing interviews and communication skills. Consider trying to learn another language. I have been turned down for jobs twice because I didn’t know Spanish. When you get the opportunity to finally present yourself in front of a potential employer, don’t waste those hours of hard work applying to jobs, seize the opportunity and be confident in what you say and prepared with an answer to all his/her questions.

Also consider writing two or three “rough draft” cover letters that you can copy, past, and tweak based on the position for which you are applying. I have spend hours and hours typing cover letters and not even hearing from an employer – or worse yet, realizing that I just spent 20 minutes writing a cover letter to a spammer! Save some time and frustration by using drafts.

Consider doing the same for your resume. Different employers will be interested in different things about you. Make a couple resumes that highlight skills that certain industries would care about. Find someone knowledgeable to look over your resume and see if there is anything you can do to make it stronger.

Don’t Give Up

I am sure you are already looking everywhere for jobs – newspapers, online websites, craigslist and unemployment centers to name a few. I know firsthand the frustration of checking out everything and wither not being qualified or not being noticed, but I carry on. Eventually I will have a job, and so will you.

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." ~ Maria Robinson

"The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live." ~ Flora Whittemore

Good luck hunting.

The above hub is copywritten under my name. Please do not use anything about this blog without first checking with me. If you have any comments or suggestions, either about my writing style or about the content of this hub, please leave them. I would like to know what you really thank. Thank you for reading.