The Employment Report

Anyone who’s been laid off and subsequently unemployed for a serious length of time can tell you how emotionally debilitating it is. The icy hands of depression wrap its skeletal fingers around your ego, squeezing hard until all of what makes you feel human and productive has been drained into a Ziploc bag and then discarded with the recyclables. There’s no worse feeling.

The problem is that this feeling of worthlessness can extinguish your mojo and hinder your search for a new job. Instead of exploring new possibilities in the job market, you’re more likely to sit on the couch in your pajamas watching marathons of “Little People, Big World.”

As comfortable as this routine may feel at the time, it’s not going to repair your self esteem, and it certainly isn’t going to land you a job. What you need to do is set up a routine with productive activities that will both boost your morale and get you back on a career path.

First, you have to treat your search for a new job as a job. Wake up every morning and devote at least three hours to preparing résumés and cover letters to send out. Work on your network, read employment blogs for tips and leads and research companies you might be interested working for.

After that, you need to occupy the rest of your day with something equally productive. Household chores will only last so long before every surface is shiny and bright. Instead, volunteer somewhere that interests you. It gets you out of the house and it feeds your soul which goes a long way in rebuilding your self esteem.

Then, treat your nights and weekend the same you would if you were working. Stick to the routine you had set up before you were laid off. Don’t stay up all hours of the night just because you technically don’t have to get up early. Impose a restriction on yourself that you will get up early and start your new routine promptly at the same time everyday.

Ultimately, you will not only increase your chances for finding a new job, you will also be much better adjusted to get back into the daily grind when you do re-enter the workforce.