Working w/ unemployment :keep a schedule

It can be easy to sleep in later, stay in pajamas all day, and just sit down at the computer (or newspaper classifieds) and try to go at it. I've had weeks like that... and I barely got anything done.

When I set up a schedule for myself, around my expectations for job searching, breaks, and other things I aim to do over the week (details of which are for a later post), I don't always follow it to a T, but frankly, I get shit done.

I've found that the organization of a schedule has had a similar motivating effect, like the one I mentioned in my last post about bettering yourself. It's not just a schedule but a set of goals and rewards, that become more achievable and more rewarding.

The other part of keeping a schedule is making sure you do all the work you need to do. Set a time to wake up and a morning routine, and if you're anything like me, you'll get more done throughout the day. It should also make the transition back to work easier, since you've been scheduled all along.

This is one of those things that I think is helpful for any stage of life, but an especially important reminder when it can be easy to ignore. How do you keep track of a schedule, and does it keep you on track with life?

Working w/ unemployment :better yourself

Blogger's note: Apologies for the lack of posts the last couple weeks. I'll be finishing up this series over the next week or so, followed by an explanation of the sporadic posting this month.

As I mentioned in my first post of this series about working with unemployment, I'm fortunate to have a lot of support in this transition. As such, I am able to spend some of my time on personal projects, one of which is an emphasis on bettering myself.

Essentially, if you are in the situation to have a new found block of time you might not have had otherwise, I say take advantage of it. Learn something, try something, improve something about yourself.

These things are going to vary for everyone, and possibly be pretty personal. Many of the things I've talked about doing during this transition (learning, volunteering, etc.) could all be ways of bettering myself.

I've also been doing personal training. I look unhappy, but I'm bettering myself!

Here's why focusing on bettering yourself in some way (and really, it is whatever that means to you) is so important during this time: it's motivating. When I feel successful at the gym, or that I'm learning how to do new things, and learning more about my mind and body, it motivates me to seek those things professionally. When I submit job application after job application and don't hear anything back, it can be demoralizing. It's great to have something that I have more control over, that I can trust will lead to progress and success. For me, that success has lead to more confidence which has also translated to my job search.

Unemployed or not, do you take time to better yourself? What does that look like for you?

Working w/ unemployment : get a hobby

When you're unemployed, looking for employment is your full time job.

That said, we all need some time to recover, rest or veg out after a day or many days of work. There are only so many jobs posted, only so many people you can contact, and only so many coherent cover letters you can write in a day. This is where I find the sometimes harsh sounding advice to "get a hobby" actually really useful.

Hopefully you have a hobby already*: sports, reading, hiking, crafting (one of my hobbies of choice, and appropriately, March is National Craft Month). Spending time with your partner, family, kids or friends definitely qualifies (and is, dare I say, imperative!) as well.

*If you really don't have a hobby, a CNN quiz from 2007 claims it can help you find "America's New Leisure."

I've found that my hobbies have not only helped me stay sane, but also provided me a reward system (finish 10 cover letters and I can take a reading break), helped me with last week's tip of learning something (I'm completing online lessons in coding and crocheting), and helped me get organized (I'm reducing my crafting stash bit by bit). Just as hobbies are diverse, so are the benefits.

Hobbies don't have to be costly, which is obviously a concern at this time. I've a lot of craft supplies that I've saved over the years but never used, and loads of books I never made the time to read (and thousands more at my disposal at the library). If your hobbies lean more towards sports or the outdoors, chances are you already have the equipment, and if not, a local community center might have it available for free. Community publications and websites (like Craigslist) are great places to find others with similar interests if your hobby works best in social settings.

Unemployed or not, what hobbies help you unwind and recharge? Please share in the comments!

Working w/ unemployment : learn something

As I mentioned in my last post about working with unemployment, it's widespread advice to stay busy and get involved. Anyway you can do this that's related to your career should be taken advantage of. That's why I'm focusing on learning something during this time.

New information comes out every day, and approaching that information both with an open-mind and critically helps me stay up-to-date and relevant in my field. For marketing and communications particularly, technology is moving fast, someone is writing something every day, and potential customer service case studies are starting all the time.

On every interview I've had, pre- and post-unemployment, I've been asked something that this education has helped me answer, whether it's what brands I think are marketing well, what writers I think are relevant, how I do research, or what ideas I can bring to an organization.

The best thing about this tip is that it's pretty easy to do.

Working w/ unemployment : volunteering

I am currently unemployed. I'm very fortunate that this period of unemployment didn't catch me off guard, and that I have a huge amount of support to get through this as I pursue personal and professional goals. As such, my unemployment experience is likely fairly different than most of the millions of Americans currently out of work, but for all of us, it isn't easy.

This is the first post in a series called of how I am working with unemployment, how I'm managing my time and amplifying my job search, based on advice and research from others as well as my own experiences. For those of you also experiencing a similar transition or who have, I would love your input. For everyone else, I hope you don't have to involuntarily go through periods without work, but find this series of posts interesting nonetheless.

"It doesn't have to be perfect, it does have to be you"

I set aside today to put my new life in order--figuring out a new schedule to use my time, adjusting my budget, and making a giant to-do list for the next several weeks. Instead, I read a bunch of marketing blogs, ate another grilled cheese sandwich with mayo, took a nap, and am now procrastinating a bit more by blogging.

When I procrastinate, it's actually somewhat productive, most of the time.