With the summer breeze, longer days and explosion of bbq invites, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the social scene and forget about your job search … until fall. That said, potential employers don’t like seeing career gaps, even when you are right out of college. Luckily there are ways to increase your marketability when you’re unemployed and build your resume while you play. How? Let us indulge you.
1) Volunteer
Volunteer work looks great on a resume. Not only does it portray you as a compassionate individual, but also it provides an opportunity for you to get “on the job experience” without necessarily having a job. With the recent onslaught of disasters, from the Nashville flood to the earthquake in Haiti, there are plenty of opportunities to really make a difference. But you don’t have to dole out the cash to travel to one of these places; look no further than your community to find a volunteer opportunity and make a difference. Are you looking to work in business? Maybe Habitat for Humanity is right for you as it can offer you valuable team-building experience and possible project management. Do you want to be a teacher? Volunteer at an after-school program or summer camp for hands-on experience with children, as well as the chance to practice in engaging youth and managing tight budgets. A volunteer opportunity can be anything you make it.
2) Build a Website Related to the Industry You Want to Work In
When you join CareerSparx, one of the first lessons we teach you in the course is how to build a strong presence online. One of the best ways to showcase your skills, passion and affinity for an industry is to start a blog or website related to the career of your dreams. Are you dying to break into the fashion industry? Start a fashion blog. Do you want to be a Web developer? Start creating your own Web properties and building your portfolio by offering friends your design services. Another plus for creating a website relating to your industry is that it holds the opportunity to teach you things you may not even realize yet. You will learn how to network by building and maintaining relationships with other bloggers writing about your industry. Also, it will teach you how to differentiate yourself from the competition. And what is a job search all about? Yes, you get the point.
3) Take an Unpaid Internship
While it may not offer you a paycheck, an unpaid internship will pay you in experience. Yes, it’s a cliché phrase for a reason. Quite simply, it works. As we’ve expressed in previous blog posts (our “7 Reasons You Should Start Your Career as an Intern” and “More Reasons Not to Brush Off an Internship” articles come to mind), an internship provides the opportunity for you to a) find out if a job or industry is the right fit for you, and b) gain valuable experience that not only looks amazing on your resume, but gives you the skills and confidence to tackle your dream job. And who knows, this unpaid gig could turn into a paid one if you play your cards right.
4) Pursue a Temporary or Contract Job
Some of the most successful people at the biggest companies featured on CareerSparx got their start through temporary positions. These are often more comfortable for an employer to offer, because it gives them the chance to try you out as an employee before hiring you full-time. As an aside, I took a six-month temporary job as an editor-in-chief of a magazine to prove that I was up for the task. Sure, it feels a little insecure at first, and more often than not you don’t receive benefits such as vacation and insurance, but it gives you the opportunity to prove yourself at a level one step up from an internship. And hey, if you take a temp job, you’re technically no longer unemployed!
5) Try Something New
When you’re right out of college and have not yet accepted your first job, you can afford to try new things, take new risks and follow your wildest dreams. Once you experience the security (and paycheck) that accompanies a steady job, it will be harder to take a leap. So, use this time as an opportunity to try teaching English as a second language in a foreign country or to work for your dad’s friend who owns his own business. You’ll never know your full potential, and what you truly enjoy, until you try. And just think about all of those people who go to school for a degree and end up working in a completely different field. It happens all the time, and they surely didn’t get there by only seeking jobs directly related to their academic degree.
No matter what, think about how you can best use your career search time to not only look for a job, but create opportunities for yourself. Life can be a funny thing. You never know where it may take you. A future job might be just around the corner. Good luck.
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
[...] as well as how to keep your resume on life support when you don’t have a job (“5 Ways to Build Your Resume When You’re Unemployed“), but what we haven’t shared with you yet are actual tips on how to best write [...]
[...] Are you between graduation and your first job? Are you between jobs? Great! Seriously, I meant that last statement. This means it’s the perfect time for you to start doing what many people only wish they had the time to do — volunteer and give back. Find an organization or cause you are passionate about, whether it’s coaching a youth soccer team or advocating for women’s health care. Not only will it warm your heart and make you feel a little less depressed about not having a job to wake up and head out to every day, but it will give you a chance to change the lives of others, network and oh ya, add a little frosting to your resume. (See related: “5 Ways to Build Your Resume When You’re Unemployed.”) [...]