Handling Being Unemployed

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I decided to look into the issue of handling being unemployed more especially in this period we are in, COVID-19 era, as I receive calls, visits and mails every second on how I could assist with jobs/ employment – visit www.job247sure.com for jobs. Many other issues have resulted in job loss in recent times ranging from poor performing economy, corruption, rural urban migration, poor quality of education, poor infrastructure (e.g power supply) to unstable polity etc.

Moreso, I decided to visit this issue because I once suffered this same fate as so many others have taken different illicit options in a bid to addressing this – armed robbery, banditry, suicide etc.

What is Unemployment?

According to Wikipedia, “unemployment or jobless is the situation of actively looking for employment but not currently employed’’. The Bureau of Labour Statistics defines unemployment as “ people who do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the past four weeks, and are currently available for work. Also, people who were temporarily laid off and were waiting to be called back to that job ….”

I will simply define unemployment as a state of willingness/ availability of person(s) to be engaged in work with work not being available.

A place of work is considered a place to meet people, ease internal tensions, get engaged, meet friends/ colleagues and have fun; a place where we spend most of our days at – spending an average of forty (40) hours per week. Being unemployed, invariably erodes these. But being unemployed is a stage in life and should be seen as a reformatory phase – it is never permanent. It is neither time to cry all day, blaming everybody for your situation and woes nor complaining to everyone that cared to listen. I think it is a period for self-audit to really understand who you are and where your passion lies so as to streamline your plans and objectives – do a SWOT Analysis (look at your Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat), knowing too that people have passed through the phase successfully and yours wouldn’t be an exception if well managed.

Being unemployed comes with lots of challenges which includes:

– Isolation and disconnect from society- friends, former colleagues, family members, neighbours etc

– Unavailability of source of income

– Ostracisation – Makes you dependent

– Societal disrespect

– Erodes self-confidence etc

This advice will assist you handle being unemployed:

See getting a job as your job: You must take getting a job as your job; strategise your plans and make your job search a 9.00am – 5.00pm thing. Distribute your times, assign when and where to be at different periods – time to be online, time to submit your CVs to organisations etc. Get to organisations, introduce yourself and ask for someone you can talk to;

Take up voluntary jobs: Accept voluntary jobs from whence you can learn and over a time your output should be able to justify why you should be given an employment.

Reconnect with friends: Reconnect with friends who would lift your spirit up and not with friends who would add to your woes – complainers, negative persons who never believe it could get better; share your views with them and seek for opinions where necessary;

Read more: This is a period to read those books you never had the time to read; research more so as to be a better person – more informed and reformed;