Our coaching clients often tell us it was actually a good thing that they got laid off or terminated from a job.  “Should’ve left a long time ago.”  However, this only happens after they decided what they really wanted, put together a career plan, and made some progress on it.  It’s great to look back and realize things worked out better than you could have expected, but what do people actually do during those stressful days of joblessness that puts them back on the path to success?  Here are some strategies to help you use time off during unemployment to your advantage.

Take the Pressure Off

It is perfectly normal to feel a little panicked right after a job loss.  Your mind will tend to imagine the worst when faced with a major life change that creates uncertainty.  Resist the urge to imagine yourself in a post-apocalyptic, hunger games scenario. You just need some facts to keep your brain in check. 

Begin by assessing your basic needs. How long will your finances cover your basic expenses? How long will your health insurance and benefits stay active? Then put together a quick short-term plan you can implement in the first week. What low hanging fruit do you have for employment opportunities? Is your resume ready to tell the world what you have to offer? Knowing where you’re at and getting the job hunt started will improve your mindset tremendously.

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Align the Job Search to Your Career Plan

Now that you have a little breathing room, it’s time to get strategic. This is where the ultra-successful begin to separate themselves from the pack. If you have a career plan, dust it off and assess your situation. What is the next step that will move your career forward toward your goal? Is your job search aligned with the plan? It’s about more than just finding a new paycheck. If a written plan is still on your to-do list, ask yourself some career coaching questions to get started. 

• What do you want from your career long-term?
• What did you like best about your old job?
• What would you like to be different in your next job?
• Do you have any “deal-breakers” that would prevent you from taking a job?

Your plan does not need to be complicated. The goal is to know where you want to end up in the future to help you make better decisions in the present to help you get there. What changes do you want in your next role? How are you going to modify your strategy to achieve them? Maybe work with a career coach, get some training, or switch industries?

I coached a salesperson who was highly aware that interacting with clients was pure stress. However, she stuck with it for years because she loved designing promotions and sales strategies. We coached on what a new job would look like with less stress and more of what she loved which helped her realize that marketing was her true passion. She immediately revamped her job search and resume for a long-overdue career change.

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Pick a Few Gaps to Fill

Unemployment is a great time to fill in the gaps on your career plan to make your next step possible.  What’s missing from your resume that’s directly holding you back from your dream job? 

• Missing a skill?  Take that class you’ve been putting off for years.  
• Missing key experience?  Refine your job search to target a role that will open new doors. 
• Missing the contacts that will help you get your foot in the door?  Start attending networking events to meet the right people.

It may feel counter-intuitive to spend money on a course or seminar while you are unemployed.  How likely are you to fill the gaps after you get a job?  If you don’t fill the gaps, what type of job are you going to end up with?  Check your budget. You may find it’s the perfect time to invest in yourself. It’s also a great way to surround yourself with like-minded people that already work at companies you might be interested in.

Spend Some Time on Interesting Pursuits

It can be tempting to watch Netflix all day and ignore the job hunt.  To help you resist the urge to nest on the couch, imagine yourself in an interview. They like you and your resume! Then the hiring manager asks you how you have been spending your time off.  What answer would you like to give?  Volunteering, taking online courses, solving world hunger?  You don’t have to account for every minute.  Just make sure you have something more interesting to say than watching reruns of Seinfeld and Breaking Bad.

Better yet, do some activities that would impress the hell out of a hiring manager!  Take a language course for that future trip (or future career) you always wanted.  Attend Toastmasters or an improv class to enhance your communication skills.  We even had a client who learned how to make leather dress shoes by hand that he could wear to an interview.  He wasn’t interviewing to be a shoemaker, but he had a great story to tell about learning a new skill, attention to detail, creating a quality product, and pride in a job well done.

Turn the Tragedy into an Opportunity

The difference between the pros and everyone else in this situation is perspective.  Most people only focus on a short-term approach when they lose a job:  Survive and get another one as fast as humanly possible.  The pros realize that time in between roles is incredibly valuable professionally and personally.  They are out learning new skills, planning with their career coach, and even enjoying some of the time off.

In the traditional 5 day work week, a person spends about 40 hours sleeping, 40-60 hours working, 10-20 hours on day-to-day activities (eating, shopping, chores, etc), leaving only a few hours for personal enjoyment and improving your circumstances.  How much self-improvement could you do with an extra 40-60 hours in a week?  Even if you developed a routine of job hunting 3 hours per day and 5 hours of networking and classes per week, you would still have 20+ hours left over!

Time is the gift that unemployment gives.  However, it is only a gift if you use it to better your situation.  If you have a rough day and want to live on ice cream and YouTube for 24 hours, go for it.  Then bounce back the next day and take advantage of the time to do awesome things for yourself and your career.  It may be years or even decades before you have a chance like this again!