So, I got laid off on January 12th. Every person I have mentioned this too always says “I’m Sorry”. I always reply “Don’t be”, because I want to focus on the future and not dwell in the past. I have gained valuable experience at a very good company that supported me in all of my endeavors and spent thousands of dollars on my professional education. They even recently gave me 500 dollars to study for the GMAT. So now I have lots of time on my hands that I am trying to actively fill. A person at a networking event asked how I spend my day, and if I had any advice that she could pass onto her recently laid off friends. I gave her a rundown of my daily activities and she seemed impressed and thought it was sound advice. So I thought I would share it.
I have some basic rules that I try to abide by:
1. Time is the most valuable thing. Now that I’m unemployed, the last thing I want to do is waste this opportunity. I believe that if I’m not advancing my career professionally than I should definitely develop in other areas, if for no other reason then to have something to talk about at interviews and with friends. I know plenty of unemployed people who have done nothing with their time and it seems like they have lost that time.
2. Go to bed early. This is key to having a productive day. Nothing kills your day like waking up at noon. I usually go to bed at Midnight and get up at 9-9:30.
3. Don’t drink alcohol during the week. This is not a hard and fast rule, but unless there is a good reason i.e. people who are working are also drinking then you shouldn’t either. It saves money and time.
4. Don’t watch TV during the day. There is nothing on anyway, and if you want to watch TV shows then just wait until your roommates show up and watch it with them. In the morning when I’m making breakfast and eating it, I listen to NPR instead of the usual Sportscenter. Now that I think about it, don’t sit on Facebook either. I don’t have this problem, but I know many who do.
5. Come up with tasks to accomplish each day. My day is pretty much full, and not necessarily with impressive tasks. However, if you’re always doing things that are important enough to make it onto a mental task list then they will add up and you will end up with a productive week/month etc.
6. Get hobbies and stick with them. They don’t have to be big or productive, but they should give you satisfaction. For example: I read the Op-ed page of the Times every day. It takes me ten minutes, but because I do it every day I feel very connected to the world.
7. Work towards securing a new job. This means applying to jobs, going to fares, going to networking events, badgering your friends and family. Do not pass up an opportunity to get ahead. Try to get out of your comfort zone, it will help you expand that zone and maybe turn a weakness into a strength that you can leverage once you get a job. For example, I have a hard time talking about myself and therefore never went to social networking meetings with those stupid name tags and the repetitive “Hi, my name is so-and-so.” Now, I force myself to go and I’m getting better at it.
8. Work out. This is the time to make that New Year’s resolution of losing weight actually come true. Now there is no excuse for not making it to the gym. If you can’t afford it, you can find workout regimes online and do it in your living room. If weight isn’t an issue for you, you should still work out. Being unemployed will inevitably weigh on your psyche and self-esteem. It could even cause you to be depressed. I heard on NPR that the top four most life shattering events in a person’s life are: loosing a loved one, marriage, birth of a child, and loosing your job. Working out will release endorphins and make you feel better about yourself and make you feel more productive on that particular day.
I like to keep my rules simple so that I can actually follow them. I’m sure there are plenty of others out there
4 Comments
February 16, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Dan you make me look like a sad sad person. I don’t think I follow 80% of those rules which are all very sound. Great article though. Rule number one was extremely powerful and something that I have come to realize recently myself. We are young have all the time in the world, but every second matters. I’m still very impressed with how good of a writer you are in your second language you dirty Cossak.
February 16, 2009 at 9:38 pm
I think a big part of looking for a new job is having a plan and working it. If you go into looking without a plan you are setting yourself up for failure most of the time. As the old adage goes “if you aim at nothing you will hit it everytime”.
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