How to Find Work in a Recession

Finding work in a recession can be difficult and can take longer than at any other time especially of you are a high earner.

However are still steps that can be taken to increase your chances of finding work.

Be organised

Generally if you are unemployed you should allocate at least four hours a day to job search activity. It is important to still create a need to “get out of bed “in the morning. Having a preset schedule helps to give a purpose to a day and to motivate you.

This time can be used to search local newspapers and the internet for any suitable job vacancies. You could also arrange an appointment with a job advisor at your local job centre who will be able to advise you on any financial entitlements or training programmes available to you. Your   curriculum   vitae  will need to be updated regularly to ensure your success in finding work.

If you are a tradesman send your  curriculum  vitae  to all local businesses concentrating on the ones who are still actively advertising. Companies who are still managing to market their services and are still getting work in a recession will have be able to offer better job prospects.

Develop the right mindset

Being unemployed can have a detrimental effect on your wellbeing and confidence. Even though the redundancy was not personal it can still hurt. Fear and panic can set in. There is suddenly a threat to your financial security, your self esteem and your future survival.

It is important, therefore, to stay focused and to remain positive as the law of attraction states that thinking positive attracts positive results.

You can help to achieve this by focusing on the good things that you have in your life like your family, health, friendships and the ability to learn new things. Try to eliminate any feelings of anger or bitterness and replace them with more a positive outlook.

Taking daily exercise like a brisk walk will also help to make you feel better.

Stand out from the crowd

Looking for work during a recession can be difficult as competition will be fierce for job vacancies. It is therefore important to stand out from the crowd. Take care when submitting an application form or your  curriculum  vitae  to ensure that you have promoted yourself well within the application. You will also need to enclose a well written covering letter to ensure that you application gets read. Be careful also not to send generic letter to companies but to tweak your letters accordingly to suit the needs of various positions.

You will also need to develop a good interviewing technique.

If you are not getting results then you need to review your  curriculum  vitae , letters and analyse the replies that you gave to interview questions and make any changes necessary to improve your chances next time.

Doing voluntary work can also enhance your  curriculum  vitae  as it shows any prospective employers that you are still motivated and able to work in a team environment. It can also help to give meaning and structure your day.

Be prepared to make changes

It can sometimes be more difficult to find work in a recession if you are over forty. Unfortunately many employers wrongly believe that middle aged people are set in their ways and are not flexible to change. One way to try to alleviate this problem is to pay attention to your appearance when you go for an interview. Dressing appropriately and paying attention to your body language can help. Try to project enthusiasm into the interview to create an image of someone who is modern in their approach and prepared to make any changes necessary to suit the needs of that business.

Change direction /Learn new skills

If you are still unsuccessful finding work then it might be beneficial to consider retraining or developing new skills. This could involve taking a college course or using various computer packages to obtain better qualifications or even to learn a new trade. Job centre advisers should be able to advise you of any courses or financial help available.

If you have been made redundant during a recession you could also use some of your redundancy payment towards retraining and self development. Changing career path can provide a much needed change and can also help to create a better future for you.

Even during a recession there are many new opportunities available especially with the ever increasing popularity of the internet. There are many different careers that are available using the internet including becoming a web entrepreneur, or copywriting. Starting an internet business is also a good option. This is a particularly so if you are being made redundant. If you are being made redundant your employer has to give 30 days’ notice unless the company employs more than 100 workers whereby it then has to give 90 days’ notice. You could then use this time wisely to set up a business working from home so that by the time you have finished work with your employer you will already have set up your business ready to earn an income working from home. You could use some of the redundancy money towards the costs of setting up your business. Internet businesses are one of the best types of business to start in a recession as they are generally regarded as being “recession proof”.

Running a business from home can help to create a more stable and rewarding lifestyle.

All in all it is possible to find work in as recession if you use the correct strategy. Often being made unemployed can open new doors and offer exciting opportunities that can change your life for the better.

How to Find Work in a Recession