Wednesday 10 December 2014

How to Succeed, Unemployed, Now What

Author: Donya Zimmerman

When I had to give up my law practice in 2012, I was lost and confused because I did not know what I was going to do for work and income. It took me about 3 months to figure out what I could do next in my life. As soon as, I closed my law practice, I began to take courses on how to do a resume, dress for an interview, and prepare for an interview. I think I took three courses on looking for and obtaining employment. 

When I started to apply for jobs in August of 2012, I came to realize that there are more individuals unemployed than available jobs. Also, I was getting pressure from family members that stated I needed to find a job, but they failed to realize that I had been my own boss since 2001 and had not worked for anyone else since 2006. I felt that I needed to find a 9 to 5 job to please my family, so for about 4 months I was applying for jobs and attending courses and workshops on how to apply for jobs. But after that 4 month period, God made me realize that I was not cut-out for the 9 to 5 job and I was more of an entrepreneur and small business owner.

In February 2013, I began to attend seminars and workshops offered by Small Business Administration (SBA) teaching individuals how to start their own business. Also, during February 2013, I was accepted into the Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore, Inc. (WEB) course that taught individuals how to start their own business. The key to the WEB program was that they taught you how to write your business plan for the business you would like to start. I completed the course in June of 2013 and I was very glad that I took the course because it provided me with the tools I needed to start my second business.

If you are unemployed and have been looking for a job for at least 6 months, it is time to take an inventory of all the skills and talents you have right now. Once you have made a list of all the skills and talents you have, it is time to sit down and create a plan on how to start a business, and earn an income with your skills and talents. In today’s job market, there are less jobs for individuals. That is why the federal government, state governments, and local governments are setting up programs to assist individuals with learning new job skills and starting their own businesses. One thing you must remember is that “can’t” is not an option and should not be included in your vocabulary. What should be included in your vocabulary is “can” because you can achieve anything your heart desires. 

If you cannot find a job, here are few options you can do to supplement your income: 

  • See if any of your family or friends’ jobs are hiring and ask them to put in a good word for you. 
  • If there is a job that you desire to have and you don’t have the necessary skills for the job, go back to school and take the necessary courses needed to get the skills required for that particular job. 
  • Volunteering for certain organizations or companies is good way to get noticed by the hiring manager when there are openings for jobs within the organization or company. 
  • If need be, go back to school to improve, enhance, and upgrade your jobs skills to compete in today’s job market. For example, if you are not good at working on computers, take a computer class. 
  • Always attend classes and courses that teach you how to write a resume, dress for a job interview, and prepare for the job interview. 
  • Also, if you have some skills and talents, start working on your own business to increase your income. 
  • Never ever be afraid to ask someone for assistance with seeking a job.

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