It's like a relationship....you start off new, you have tons of energy, it's exciting (sometimes), has it's ups and downs and can make you feel worthless after sometimes feeling like the world is your oyster - hello unemployment, is that you?
Having recently been through this and come out the other end after a very long and tiresome six months, here's some helpful tips...
1. Get active straight away: find out what made you tick from your previous role. Was it the sales targets? Customer service? Hosting clients? Office management? Find out what it was that made you feel good about being in that role, and write it down. This is a great starting point in learning what it is you want to do next. For example, mine was 'live music management'. So I started my own live music promotions & management project. Set yourself a routine that get you out of the house 10am - 5pm so sustain some form of routine that is familiar to you and makes you feel like you've done something that day instead of sitting at home on a laptop; human interaction at this point is really important and it's vital you stay connected to the outside world.
2. Money, money, money: - the biggest cause for depression during unemployment, is the obvious financial stress. You don't want to wait too long before you're behind on rent, borrowing off friends & family. Go to your local job centre, there are ad hoc work available and sometimes paying good rates! Attend their free business workshops and find out what you're entitled to - the mistake I made, is not going there sooner. Instead I scraped off £15 a week on food and worked behind the bar where I used to work (LOLS, talk about self-esteem drop).
3. Recruitment agencies: now, this is a bit like working with estate agents, they are mostly after their commission but you can take advantage of them as they might you. Make them work, make yourself known and available. Be clear on what it is you're looking for in the job market and know what you're worth! See useful sites at the bottom of this blogpost.
4. Be creative: be creative with your time; I enjoy starting with a blank canvas and making it grow. Find your own project to keep your mind ticking whether it's selling clothes on eBay or creating your own consultancy brand. A good place to start is with the packaging. I used canva.com to bring my ideas to life, you should try it!
5. Don't beat yourself up: don't bruise yourself emotionally because you didn't get the job you had an interview for, there's always a reason and it might not have been right for you! Doesn't mean you're not a good candidate. But carry yourself well, manners and smiles go a long way (though not too much). Research the role you're going for and ask friends / family about anyone they know who's been successful in this role. Finally, always have questions prepared (not about the salary or holidays! Something detailed about the role e.g. who does the candidate in this role report to in the office?
In a nutshell, keep busy and give yourself a reason to get up in the morning. There are tons of things you can do without money to work - set yourself a target of £6 a day to go and work / brainstorm in a local cafe or wander into town. Be disciplined and eat healthy too! Key is not to feel down if you've rested for a day, you need that mental break too before your next job so use this as a time to get away and spend time with family and friends too.
Change of scenery is always good now and then anyway. Thank you for reading, I hope this has helped :D
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