In many job markets right now, it is an employer’s market. People are looking for more jobs than vacancies are available. Maintaining balance and not wearing yourself thin in circumstances like we are currently experiencing is essential to maintaining wellness and self-security.
Wellness in your career can be practiced no matter what stage you are in, whether it is looking for a job or currently in a role that isn’t making you feel your best.
This article will focus on individuals who are currently looking for work and how they can maintain wellness, despite a challenging job market.
What can you do to maintain wellness during a job search? Decide to repeat the same thing every day of logging on to your computer and looking for work via the internet? Try a few of the suggestions below.
Focus on building skills – Look for courses on websites such as Coursea, Udemy, and edX. These websites offer various courses on almost any topic or skill that you are looking to build. They are a great addition to your resume, and you can also earn micro-credentials and certificates. I have taken a few courses here and found them very helpful in gaining insight into new topics that I am interested in while using them to build my resume.
Volunteer – Get involved with something you are passionate about. Whether it is joining a board of directors, helping in a soup kitchen, or volunteering in a position related to your career path, or where you would like your career path to go. Volunteering means meeting new people, which equals easy networking opportunities. Not only are you keeping busy, but you can build your resume, and you never know who you will meet.
Practice self-care and mindfulness – Self-care is more than going to the spa. While going to the spa is a form of taking care of yourself, there are other ways to practice self-care and mindfulness. This includes reading inspiring books, journaling, meditation, and getting your body moving, among other things you can do. When you are undergoing a job search, you tend to get focused on just finding a job. Life can be stressful. This is why it is important to take care of yourself, mentally, physically, and spiritually.
Network – I know you hear it a lot. And if you follow my blog, you have heard me talk before about networking. Networking over time when maintained properly can lead to new job opportunities, friendships, business opportunities, new clients, and more. The important aspect of networking is to see how you can help others. One main thing to remember when networking is that it’s not always what others can do for you, but how you can collaborate.
Consider doing a side gig – A side gig can be anything from freelance work on websites like Upwork and Fiverr, to creating crafts and selling them at local markets. While these two examples are opposite, the point is that you can use your time off to pursue the passions you have. Not only will they bring in extra money while you are off, but you could decide to make your side gig into a full-time business. In 2012 I started writing resumes as a side job. Within 2 years I started my own business as a Career Coach.
While the job search can be daunting, use your free time as an opportunity to do some self-exploration and determine who you are as a person, and what type of role you truly want for your next career venture.
Bliss + You 