Often unemployment imbues your life with a void-like quality. Work and working life, aside from the money and sense of purpose, at its most basic simply, gives you something to do with your time. The lack of schedule that comes with unemployment leaves days empty and the usual structure of weekdays, weekends, days and nights sometimes, redundant. However, you weren’t always unemployed. Remember what came before, it’s a goldmine of resources.
This first piece of advice would apply to those who have already had jobs. This is because if you need a job and have experiences in a role previously try applying for that role again. As long as you didn’t leave on bad terms it stands to reason that if there is a job going they would give it to someone who actually knows the tasks and responsibilities involved in it. Perhaps they have already even considered you.
Getting out into the world of work means looking at things you once have done. Taking a look at ways you have demonstrated your worth to people in the past. Maybe you could do a bit of babysitting or dog walking, something people you know have no time to do because they are at work. Being paid to look after their kids, pets or any of their prized possessions is a good little earner and can sometimes even lead onto a career where very good money can be earned by the best of the best. Starting simply is often a great way to ease you back into employment.
Your past can also refer to your personal relationships if this is relevant. There are old friendships that can always be reignited as everyone likes to hear from a familiar face every now and again. Friends shouldn’t be used to get anyone into a job they are not suited to but if both you and your contacts agree that you are suited to the job a word in the right direction may benefit you in the long run. Hearing about available work is always key. Of course, due diligence always applies.
Your past also doesn’t have to mean your immediate past. Your entire life can be used as a resource and the great tapestry of it all is likely to have knowledge you have not yet be blessed with.
As far back as schooling can be considered fertile land to plant the seeds of your career, it’s always a good idea to take a look at the person you were as a child and teenager. Getting lost in the wants and desires of your current self may reconnect you with old skills and talents that you had forgotten about. Often a trip down memory lane can be beneficial. Let your past inform your future.
