1. Stay Positive
Don’t be upset or surprised if you don’t have a job by graduation day. It is important to stay positive and continue your search. One way to maintain a positive frame of mind is to remind yourself how far you have come already – just like the challenges you faced in school, you will overcome being unemployed. And remember, it’s important to set aside at least an hour each day to do something you really enjoy. Take a jog, read a book, or spend time with your friends and family. This can go a long way to help you maintain a positive attitude, which could be the very thing that lands you a job.
2. Reduce Your Cost of Living
If you don’t have an income, you need to reduce your expenses. And since you don’t know the duration of your unemployment, start eliminating expenses quickly to avoid depleting your savings and building up debt.
Put Yourself on a Budget.
One of the best ways to save money is to conserve it by implementing a personal budget. Determine the amount of money you have and how much you can spend each month for a specified period of time (perhaps one year). Then, limit your spending to that amount of money per month. Consider putting away your credit cards and using the envelope budgeting system if you tend to over-spend.
3. Spend Time Networking
Professional networking can really pay off during a job search. Often, it’s not what you know, but who you know.
Here are some good places to network:
Conferences. You can meet many people by attending a conference for your profession or industry. Individual conferences are typically held once per year, and can be held anywhere in the country. The cost to attend these events is often high, but if you leave the conference with some job leads, it could make it worth every penny.
Job Shadowing Opportunities. You can get a taste of a day in the life of a working professional by job shadowing. Even if the company for which you shadow does not have a current opening, they may remember you when they do have one. Check for job-shadowing opportunities with your college or local chamber of commerce.
4. Consider Going Back to School
This may not be ideal if you’ve been looking forward to working. However, if you were planning to eventually earn another degree, it might be best to simply get it out of the way, during which time the economy can recover.
On the flip side, if you were not planning to get another degree, don’t jump into a costly academic program out of frustration. As you know, earning a degree takes a lot of time, money, energy, and determination, and it’s not worth doing just to have something to do.
5. Keep Yourself Busy
While looking for a job is often a full-time job in and of itself, don’t put your life on hold because of it. Pick up part-time work at a temp agency, pursue your hobbies, or learn something new. You may even want get additional training or licenses to benefit your career.
6. Broaden Your Job Search
It took me seven months from the time I graduated to start my first job. I later realized that I had kept my job search too narrow by looking in a limited area, within only certain industries, and for one that required minimal travel. Had I been more open, I believe I would have found a job much more quickly.
Consider broadening your search to find a job quicker and especially if you’ve been looking for several months. Open yourself up to more locations, industries, career types, and entry-level positions, even if you qualify for a higher level job. Focus on getting your foot in the door, and try not to be too idealistic.
7. Build Your Skills
Every time you interview and are overlooked for the job, ask the interviewer what skills they recommend you improve. If you struggled answering the interview questions, ask a friend or family member to help you do mock interviews. This will also improve your confidence.
8. Volunteer or Work for Free
In some industries, it is common for a recent hire to work an unpaid internship before becoming a paid employee. If you are unable to find a paid job, consider this option as a way to gain experience and network. You could have yourself a paid job before you know it.
Another option is to volunteer for an organization such as the Peace Corps, Teach America, or AmeriCorps. Keep in mind that it takes time to be accepted as a volunteer, and these organizations require a commitment. For example, my sister joined the Peace Corps – the volunteer acceptance process took nine months, plus she had to commit for two years and undergo three months of training.
9. Start a Business
If the corporate world isn’t working out for you, take matters into your own hands by starting a business. Focus on an area in which you have a great deal of knowledge – for instance, if you are good with computers, a repair shop may be the perfect business to run out of your house. Consulting companies are also low-risk endeavors that require little start-up capital.
10. Start a Blog or Website
If you have a passion that you would like to share with the world, write about it and see where it goes. For instance, healthy cooking, personal finance, sports, couponing, and new technology are all popular topics online. It will take work and dedication to develop your blog, and it will take patience and smart social media marketing to build up a readership – but over time, you could find yourself with a dedicated following and a solid source of income.
You can put all this off and live a life of safety and boringness. Or you can start today, and see what life has to offer you.
Lastly, what do you do when your parents and teachers pressure you to figure things out? Tell them you’re going to be an entrepreneur, start your own business, and take over the world. If you prepare for that, you’ll actually be prepared for any career.
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