Bummer Unemployment

"What was the most stressful situation in your life so far and how did you manage it?" Do you also know that question from job interviews? Is is one of the most common ones, but to be fair - I think it is one of the most stupid ones.

Unemployed for three months and it was my own choice. I decided to leave my old company, make a cut in my well-going career and start something new. Nevertheless, it was the most stressful months in my life so far. Imagine: You have no idea how your future looks like. Your retirement payment is suffering the longer your are jobless. All your friends are working, so you are socially pretty isolated during the week. Foreign people constantly tell you, that you are not good enough and worst, you can't even travel and go on vacation because it makes it impossible to find a job at the same time.

To give you some statistics: Although having a good education and solid work experience, you need to write in average 250 applications to find one job. Out of those 250, 50% don't pass the first step, the technical tracking system which filters for keywords. 125 left are reviewed by a human being and in approx. 50% of those cases you are invited to a first chat. At the end you have roughly 20 times a second interview round to finally here once "You are a great fit for us!"

All of that can mentally kill you, but the moment you give up, all hope for the happy ending is gone too. I learned it was my primary job during the whole time to stay happy, motivated and self-convinced that I am exactly what the market needs. It is incredibly tough and there are some small things that can help through the mental moments.

1. Make a list of all your achievements while you were working. Every small detail counts. Try to think back what projects you had and what went well. Where you could develop a new skill, had a big learning or a great result. You will see how large your portfolio actually is. Well done! Every time you write a CV you can pick the right ones out of this long list.

2. Use the time wisely to find yourself. Usually we never have the time for that. We are too busy with anything else. Now you have enough time to sit down and understand what exactly you want in life. It helps you to identify the job you really want, be more motivated to apply for it and not take it so serious when others give you a push back.

3. Actively try to meet people. It can be your own friends and family, but also new connections. Being unemployed can quickly lead to loneliness, not enough energy to leave the couch. Go out! Get to meet new interesting people and at the same time you extend your own network. You never know when you might need them.

4. Do something for yourself. If you learn a new skill, read more, catch up on an old forgotten hobby again or go to gym. This is your time to invest in yourself. To get out of your "daily business" bubble and push you up. Enjoy it. Who knows how quick it is over and when you get the chance again.

5. Find you song. We all were already listening to the love song in loop - nonstop! A job interview is similar. My song is "Still standing". I hear it before and I hear it after a job interview, over and over again. Even if the conversation was not going well: you are not dead. So get you ass up and be proud that you tried it!

I hope those few tips will help you getting out of this stressful situation even stronger. It's tough, but once you have managed it... this "holding through" is a valuable skill nobody can ever take you away again.