The Unemployment Curse: How To Live Through It

If you have ever been unemployed longer than reasonably comfortable, then you understand the financial weight, awkward conversations, and the stress of an empty day.  After the hours of searching, applying, and interviewing there are still several hours left in a day to fill. You know there is nothing quite like a week of empty afternoons that can drain your self-esteem.

Original image from All Free Download. Usually do my own, but this was perfect!

I am unemployed. A couple days ago this realization hit me. Not that I didn't understand this before, it's just that it really HIT me. And if my Economics courses taught me anything is that the longer I go without work, the less valuable I become...so there's that. I am trying - over forty applications within three months, two times a runner-up, and a couple other opportunities where I made it to the final rounds. I did every step in an interview process professionally and skillfully. (A great explanation of the proper steps of what I was taught in school is linked here in an article by Katy Bruce.) Unfortunately my fruits of labor have yet to be harvested. Hopefully my job search is like apples. Late in the season but the sweetest of sweet. (Not bitter or cursed.)

While some days are harder than others, I do strive to make every day valuable. There are things you can do to fill your time, which will give you feelings of purpose, strength, and overall boost your confidence. Here's how I make my unemployment work for me.

Keep learning/working in your field

Dedicate time to indulge in learning. I follow several bloggers who share my passions of marketing, event planning, fundraising, writing, and economics. I also listen in to some podcasts. These tools helps to keep me up-to-date on trends, stay ahead of new technology and ideas, and slow the process of decreasing employment value. In addition, try to find volunteer opportunities in your field or at least with a company who works in your industry. Volunteering is a great way to expand your network in a new community.

Learn new skills

Keep learning new things. Use Duolingo to study a new language, watch YouTube videos to learn basics of new computer software, or attend local conferences or seminars open to the public on a wide variety of professional topics. You can usually find these by looking at your local chamber of commerce's website. Not to mention that learning something new through these seminars or a class is another great networking opportunity!

Work Out 

Staying active helps draw your mind off of the job search, even if it is just for a little while. Plus, the released endorphins are an extra emotional bonus for the day. However, I think the best reason for working out during unemployment is that it shows your interviewer and yourself that you have the ability to keep pushing and working through a tough time toward something better. If you've been a cough potato for the past couple months, it will show. Instead, show those interviewers a glowing, positive you!

Keep your online image up-to-date

If you do not have a Linked-In page, go make one. This is a must-have online tool and I am still shocked when I hear a professional does not have one. I understand some industries don't necessarily need them, but it is a great way to connect with people with similar passions and industry interests. Almost every company I interviewed with checked my profile. All the things I could not fit on my resume were available for viewing and can help get you into the next step of the interview process.
In addition to your Linked-In, be sure your other social media outlets are not portraying you in an unsightly manner. That may mean you need delete some Facebook photos and ask friends not to tag you in new ones. Facebook can also be used to follow companies and events. (A.K.A., another great networking tool!) Here's some other online ideas you can utilize: use your Twitter account to follow companies you like, start a blog about your volunteer work/professional skills, or create a Pinterest board to store your favorite articles and ideas on certain areas of interest (social media marketing, etc.) You want your name to appear in a Google search in a positive light and at the top. 

Most of all, be sure to keep your information on these sites up-to-date. A profile will not help if you haven't updated it in several months. (Here's my Linked-In profile, if you would like to see an example.)


I have to say I've been blessed with recent opportunities to get out and show my stuff. I had a wonderful interview today, and someone already called to set up another one for tomorrow! I love being a busy little bee and hopefully one of these pull through for me!!
Good luck job hunting!

Wear An Interview Outfit To Be Remembered

Here's a quick, bolder outfit idea for an interview. I used this one for my second interview, after wearing a suit to the first one. Since my second interview was slightly more relaxed, (as we went out to lunch), this business casual outfit did the trick! I wanted something that stood out - professional, but memorably classic.

This top was purchased at Kohls and was on clearance for $30. It is a Chaps Classics blouse. I rolled up the sleeves so it sat before the elbow. The fabric is 100% cotton and does not require ironing. It was comfortable yet thick enough so I did not have to wear an additional under shirt.

 I had a hard time finding a professional navy blue skirt but I finally found this adorable piece at White House / Black Market. This was a bit more expensive, ($70.20), but it really brought everything together. The buttons on here are silver and the solid navy blue helped blend and slim with the vertical stripes from the blouse.

And then, I bought red heels. When people ask me about heels, I praise this brand. Payless has a line of heels called Comfort Plus. They are the best heels I have ever worn. I purchased a black pair last summer for my internship and they were amazing. I could run in them, carry heavy things, walk long distances, and they simply never wore out on me. I now have four pairs of them in different colors - black, beige, red, and blue.While I did pay $27.99 for the red pair, it was a Bogo sale so I was able to purchase the blue heels for only $5.

To help bring out the red heels, I bought a small, red clutch from Discovery Clothing. It was $9.99. Discovery Clothing is a little clothing store in the Fox Valley area in Wisconsin that has great prices for clothes and accessories. The catch is that there are no dressing rooms, but they do allow item returns.
For the rest of my accessories, I just wore a pair of pearl earrings.



                        And here is a quick view of how it looks together. Sorry for the picture quality!

How To Get Pumped Before An Interview

Yesterday I had an interview with a company for my dream job, and I have to say I kicked butt! Every question was answered smoothly and I walked out of there feeling like a champ. My only wish is that I had a microphone so I could have done this. . .

It feels good to walk out of a company confident and proud, but how can you feel this good walking in?

Part of it is your prep work. Did you research the company? Have you practiced answering common interview questions? Ones like, what is your greatest strength? Why do you want to work for this company? Etc. These will be in every interview you ever do. However, other questions will be asked that pertain to your industry. Look up questions in your field and go through them. For me, I looked up Event Planning Interview Questions and worked through all of these questions - Event Planning Interview Questions.This helped so much. I could tell my interviewer was actually on this site because she started asking all of these questions, word for word, with a few subtractions. It made me feel confident and my answers formed around that emotion.
Be sure to practice answering these questions out loud and maybe in front of a mirror. Doing this a couple of times will enhance your communication skills and help the interview to flow better, instead of stumbling for an answer.

Now, the day of your interview can be nerve racking. You do not want to lose confidence in yourself and all of the work you put into practicing those questions. While getting your suit on in the morning, here are a couple of things you can do to get pumped.
1. Listen to music. Not slow music. Maybe something like "The Pretender" by Foo-Fighters, or for other ladies out there, "Salute" by Little Mix. You could make an interview prep playlist.
2. Watch inspirational videos. I have a couple of them with encouraging messages. Yesterday, I chose to watch Amy Poehler at Harvard. (If you couldn't tell, I love everyone from Parks and Recreation.)

3. My final piece of advise is to change the way you view an interview. While a company is trying to see if you are a good match for them, you should see if they are compatible with you. These are people you will be working with, so you do not want to be somewhere you hate the culture. Plus,the interview is your first inside look at the company. Do you like how they treat clients? Is the work space organized? Are they acting appropriately? This mentality reverses a little power your way, plus you will start asking better questions. Your interest will be genuine.

In regards to my interview yesterday, it went extremely well. I loved the company and its leader. They have a great atmosphere and are expanding. Unfortunately, I will not know for about two more weeks if I made it to the next stage. I believe I have a good chance of making it. Please keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll be sure to keep you guys up-to-date on my job search!


Comment below if you have concerns about how to answer a question. What are your biggest worries before an interview?
Do you need help with interviewing? I would love to help set up mock interviews with anyone via Skype!  Just send me a message to set up a time!