7 Ways to Turn Unemployment into a Positive Situation 七招化解失业的被动

Unfortunately， unemployment is often associated with negative feelings of fear， unworthiness， and stress. After being unemployed for a while， many will feel that they have lost all purpose and control of life. However， if you find yourself without a 9-5 daily routine， you will soon realize the one advantage that you have over your behind-the-cubicle friends—TIME.

Being unemployed for some time before landing1 your next job is necessary as it gives you time to improve your knowledge and the skills needed for your future career. Put all your stress aside and follow with me to learn how you can take advantage of a negative situation and turn it into a wonderful experience that can help place you above your fellow job-hunters.

1. Get to know yourself.

We are in a constant state of change， and it’s perfectly natural that some of our interests， skills， and weaknesses are evolving as the years go by， therefore a reassessment of our traits is critical if we wish to progress in our career. For that reason， take this time to evaluate yourself， everything from the skills you obtained at your previous employment to your failures and flaws. Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses that will help guide you in addressing future interview questions.

This is also a great time to figure out exactly what you want in a career.

Converse with yourself to figure out the perfect career that will make YOU happy even after the “honeymoon” stage during employment wears off2.

2. Improve/Modernize a skill.

A lot of the knowledge that we possess is no longer current due to the constant introduction and easy access to new information and research. A programmer who knows how to work with only code from the early 2000s is not seen as a viable asset for the company. The purpose of this step is to upgrade a current skill and obtain new knowledge that can be considered very valuable in the eyes of the employer.

It is simple as subscribing to blogs， downloading free guides， reading articles daily， or purchasing a paperback written by an industry leader. You can also join Google Hangouts that pertain to your industry and learn the new trends that can be imperative to your new employer.

By adding new skills and courses on your resume， it is a great way to show your future employer your time-management skills and most of all， that you value your time.

3. Perfect your presentation/interview skills.

Not all of us are born to be stadium-packing3 speakers， so if you lack such skills， it is crucial that you begin to practise your verbal and non-verbal behaviour as it can be the deciding point of whether you’ll get the job. Strong verbal communication skills are highly valued by most employers， as they are signs of educated and competent individuals. For this reason， learn new vocabulary to eliminate the ‘ummms’ and ‘yeaas’ when speaking to an interviewer. If you have a strong accent then practise pronunciation.

Research the most commonly asked interview questions and formulate the perfect answer that depicts your interest and skills. Make sure to practise your non-verbal behaviour， such as hand movements， posture and even smiling， as this is vital in creating the best first impression. Studies of the employment process indicate that 65—70% of hiring decisions may be based on non-verbal communication.

4. Take time to search for your dream job.

Don’t start applying to the first job advertisement you see， rather take the time to figure out what classifies as your dream job and use a variety of tools to find the perfect employer. Use multiple job-hunting sites to look for jobs based on your salary requirements， position， location and skill set. A lot of these sites now feature4 reviews， salaries， and information about the company culture so that you can learn everything you need to know before you apply to ensure that it is the best fit for you.

5. Put effort into developing a great portfolio.

Many jobs require for the candidate to provide the employer with a portfolio showcasing their best and latest work; this can be a deal breaker if your portfolio lacks in presentation and quality. Take this opportunity to work on your portfolio by adding new content， purchasing a new binder， or creating title pages. Anything that would make you stand out from other candidates can significantly help your application during the evaluation process. Make sure that it is clean （no coffee stains！） and that the first page includes a hard copy of your resume. Divide your portfolio by sections and use sheet protectors5 to ensure that your work is safe from fingerprints and accidental dog drool.

6. Become a freelancer.

Our office is now our computer with the Internet bringing work to the worker not the other way around6. If you are a marketer， graphic designer， web developer， copywriter， artist or editor， this is a great opportunity for you to work for international companies from the comfort of your home. A freelance job can help pay for your bills while you search for your dream job. Additionally， if you land a great gig7， you can add it to your work experience， further boosting your image in the employer’s eyes.

7. Pick up a hobby.

Everyone has at least one thing they love to do but never seem to have time for. Whether it’s going to the gym， knitting， biking， spending time with family and friends or learning to meditate， now is your chance to grow as an individual and experience all of the beautiful things that life has to offer. Let your creativity blossom and you will soon find happiness where there was fear.