Getting laid off is terrible, and lots of people have to get any job just to keep paying the bills. Others however, aren’t in a dire need of employment because they can live of off unemployment checks, cut back on spending, eat into their nest egg, and move back with the parents. This group has the luxury to wait until a good job comes around, but in this economy that could take a while. So the question arises: what can one do in this down time to be productive and have something positive to say about this seemingly terrible experience.
First things first, there are several reasons why anyone who has been unemployed for a while should be able to talk about his or her experiences in a positive way. It gives you something to talk about at your interviews. It will show them that you’re a self-starter and that you’re interested, motivated, and passionate. It also gives you something to talk about with friends, so you aren’t always sulking around them and have interesting things to say. Finally, if you have something positive to talk about you’re probably doing something positive that you might actually like and that makes you feel good about yourself, connects you with the world, and gives your life some semblance of structure.
Here are some suggestions that I have found helpful in my pursuit of filling that pesky resume gap:
1) Coaching- If you played high school sports, you have something to contribute to a team. Coaches are always overloaded and need all the help they can get. It’s not to difficult to volunteer at a local high school and then ask if you can take the title of assistant coach. You never know, you might even get a few thousand bucks out of it.
2) Political Campaigns. There will be an election somewhere near you coming soon. These local elections always need more help and you might even get a more important position then just volunteer cold caller.
3) Join a Society or Nonprofit. There are plenty of them around and you can actually take an organizing role. Something that will show that you are responsible and dedicated and not just a simple volunteer.
4) Be a simple Volunteer. You can volunteer in any field, if you’re a marketing assistant; there are plenty of non-profits who would love your services. If you’re an IT consultant, I’m sure there are websites to be made for the price of on the house.
5) Audit a class. You can learn the thing you’ve always wanted to learn, or gain knowledge in a field that will directly help you in your future job.
6) Take certificate test or an entrance exam. This is always useful to have.
7) Take up blogging. Become a social media expert, most companies would like to have someone like that and if you can say that you know the difference between RSS, StumbleUpon and Diggit, it could give you an edge.
8) Organize a group around something you care about. Regardless of how small it is, you can still talk about the group you founded and how much fun you’ve had doing and how much you’ve learned.
9) Camp Counselor. Summer is around the corner and there are plenty of kids that need to be looked after.
There are plenty of other ideas and ways to go about being unemployed. However, for me personally, I’ve been able to add more to my resume in the last four months then I ever thought was possible by following some of that advice. Also, when you have lots of things to talk about other people start viewing you in a positive way that could pay dividends down the line. They think, “Wow, what an impressive person, I would have probably just sat around and sulked all day.” Later on they could recommend you to someone they know. However, if you just have the old, “I’ve been going to the gym, catching up on TV shows, and read that Abe Lincoln biography,” people, especially interviewers, will be very underwhelmed. Have you had similar experiences? What innovative ways have you found to fill that resume gap?
