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What do you guys do when you're unemployed? (self.jobs)

submitted ago by Xdbuix

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Well I'm a a recent marketing graduate. I have some experience, a good looking resume and cover letter, and some horrible luck with jobs and interviews. Pretty much door to door sales kinda jobs, something I don't want to do. I've basically been unemployed for the last year just stuck. Any tips or fun things to do when I'm unemployed?

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[–]iBringsTheRukus 5 points6 points ago

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Definitely find a hobby or hobbies to keep you busy. The last thing you want is to sit at home all day and allow your mind to work its magic of letting you think that you'll never make it. Trust me, I've been there--a few times.

I took up some light music production and am getting myself a bike, too, that way I can always go for a ride, which provides great exercise and saves money on gas.

But you also want to make sure that you're still searching the job market. Always look for ways to improve what you've already accomplished. Write, re-write, re-write and re-write your résumé and cover letter. Try taking a different approach with your cover letter. Humor goes a long way.

One of the key problems that college grads face is that they automatically feel that they're overqualified to work at a restaurant or movie theater. Well, any work is better than no work. Remember, even if you find something that you're not completely satisfied with, you can always look for something else. At least try to gather an income. I worked security for a few months in a crappy part of town and it had zero to do with anything that I wanted to persue as a career. But it was work.

[–]happikoto 2 points3 points ago

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I've just found my set unemployed after working steady the last 10 years. I clean A LOT, watch movies, read books, apply for jobs , and try to keep myself as busy as possible doing volunteer work. The best thing to do is stay as busy as you can and try to look on the bright side. Like ya I am jobless but at least now I can focus on school 100%.(this semester I got all A's instead of my normal b's/c's)

[–]stop_making_sense 2 points3 points ago

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Recent marketing graduate too; so-so luck with interviews, but nothing's really panned out.

What I'm starting to learn:

-A fixed schedule is your friend. Try to wake up (preferably before 10) and go to bed at roughly the same time each day. Set aside two fixed hours to apply to jobs, work on cover letters/resumes, but no more.

-That said, you do not want to spend the whole day in front of the computer. Even if it's cleaning or making a run to Target, getting out helps, and let's face it, it's mostly worthless to apply for jobs online.

-Do you have any particular interests? I'm stuck in suburban purgatory, but at the moment I'm doing props for a local community theater production. Maybe your city's chamber of commerce can help you find local businesses/nonprofits.

[–]Xdbuix[S] 2 points3 points ago

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Yeah i pretty much have that too. I have a workout schedule so i'm usually at the gym around 2-4ish. I work on resumes, cover letters, applications between 5 to 7. Then i do little things like fixing up my brothers computers and reading up on tech. I'm a huge tech geek. I just had interview for CES for a marketing internship. Even internships are hard to come by.

The reason why I dont want to do sales is because I've done some sales on my own. I basically bought stuff and flipped it for almost a year or so and it's definitely something I don't want to do. Ive been through the whole process for sales. My backup plan is if i dont get a job by May, i'm goign to look into security just for the top secret clearance and go from there.

[–]stop_making_sense 0 points1 point ago

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CES=Consumer Electronics Show?

Yeah, I'm not too keen on doing sales either; you have to have a certain personality just to survive there. I'm guessing you're already brushed up on stuff like AdWords?

The certification program, in case you aren't: http://www.google.com/adwords/professionals/

Hubspot also has an Inbound Marketing certification (SEO, blogging, social media) that seems pretty simple to complete, if you're into that kind of thing.

[–]Xdbuix[S] 1 point2 points ago

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Yea that Ces. Really hoping it goes through, but I'll definitely look into hubspot

[–]Next_Gen_Fig 0 points1 point ago

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I had something else written up, but never mind. When you say you've had horrible luck with interviews, does that mean you've had interviews that haven't gone well, or are you having difficultly getting interviews?

[–]Xdbuix[S] 0 points1 point ago

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i think i do ok. Not the absolute best on the interview, but B grade. It's just that the interviews i get are always something i really don't want to do jobwise. I'm just looking for ways to think happy and keep going in the job search.

[–]Next_Gen_Fig 0 points1 point ago*

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The reason I asked is because I think there is a significant difference between getting interviews (even if not getting offers from them) and not getting interviews. The fact that you've gotten interviews is good; it means you're doing something right. Either companies are liking what they're seeing when you apply for positions and are interested in you, or you have your profile/resume on Monster, LinkedIn, or a similar site, and recruiters have identified you as a potential candidate. You should identify what those qualities are, and play towards them, because they are likely some of your strengths.

That said, it sounds like you should practice your interviewing skills. Interviews are events that probably most people don't look forward to, yet they are a fact of professional life. The sooner you cultivate your interviewing skills and learn the best practices, the stronger you will be in the future.

Edit: Sorry, tired, went off and rambled. In terms of finding activities to keep life enjoyable during the job search, I'd say anything healthy that appeals to you. Exercising, hanging out somewhere once a week, gaming, etc. If you can make it educational and/or productive, even better. Volunteering and taking classes at a local community college are also options that may provide networking opportunities. Keep at it and good luck!

[–]rainbow3 0 points1 point ago

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Exercise every day helps me. Keeps my mood positive for interviews. And confidence is very important at interview.

Learn something useful using free online resources. Ideally this is relevant to the jobs you want - definitely make sure you have excellent powerpoint/excel skills. Possibly some VBA would be attractive to employers too. Read a lot about web marketing and social media - be knowledgeable.

Perhaps take one of those sales jobs if you have nothing better to do. After all it can't be worse than being unemployed.