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Things NOT to Do When Not Working

Picture of Lex Brown
There are plenty of articles online that offer tips on what to do during your job search. This piece is written with a focus on what not to do instead. Consider these fail points that could prove detrimental to your progress if you don’t attack them head-on. Here are 4 things NOT to do when not working:

 

  1. Neglect Filing for Unemployment Benefits: if you’re eligible, don’t forget to go file as soon as possible. Unemployment Benefits ensure that you have at least some basic resources available for conducting a successful job search. You’ll need the money for transportation, keeping your phone account connected, and getting properly caffeinated. Swallow your pride and go stand in that line. The customer service will probably be horrible, but having no cash flow at all is much worse
  2. Forget to Notify Your Student Loan Provider: whenever you’re experiencing a financial hardship such as unemployment, you can defer your student loans. This helps protect you from penalties and late fees accumulating. Forgetting to submit your request would be ruinous to your credit and sanity
  3. Avoid Seeking Help: don’t put yourself on an island of self-inflicted pity if you’ve been involuntarily separated from your job. We all fall on hard times in life, so find people that empathize with and relate to your circumstances. A bit of help along the way could expedite your recovery efforts
  4. Vent and Complain on Social Media: one of the worst things you can do is get online and run your digital yap about the negative aspects of your situation. You’ll come off as disgruntled, bitter, and as a problem that potential employers won’t want to deal with. Venting and complaining are what friends and drinks are for. I know we all feel we have a point to prove when we’ve been wronged, but airing it out on social media will almost always backfire

 

I advise treating your job search efforts like a part-time gig. Schedule specific hours and establish a daily routine. Finding your next great opportunity might not come easy, so don’t take it easy with how you hunt.
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