5 Things to Do When You're Unemployed

There can be nothing more discouraging and disheartening than long periods of unemployment and it can be easy to sink into a malaise and do very little. Before you know it, months have passed and you've made little progress toward obtaining a new job.

Below are five things you can do to make the time during your unemployment more profitable for you in the long run.

1. Get clear about your strengths. Develop a focused understanding about what your strengths and skills are. Be able to concisely state what it is you would bring to an employer. If you're not sure, speak with an employment counselor or read some work by Marcus Buckingham to help you assess your strengths.

2. Stay social. It can be tempting to withdraw and isolate from others during a time of prolonged unemployment but be sure to maintain your friendships and attend social gatherings. Your friends can help you stay motivated, and can even provide leads to job opportunities.

3. Learn something new. You might not be able to afford to take a class while you're unemployed but there are many free classes available online, or through your local library. Speaking of libraries, reading a book can be a great way to acquire some new knowledge or understanding.

4. Set a schedule. Live as if you were working. Don't allow yourself to simply sleep in and watch TV throughout the day. Set an alarm and get up at a reasonable time, get in some movement or exercise, and plan some time for job searching or career development every day.

5. Stay positive. Finally, work at remaining positive. You can do this through a daily meditation practice and by surrounding yourself with uplifting media, messages, and friends throughout the day. An optimistic attitude will help you negotiate the difficulties of an extended period of unemployment.

5 Tips for Finding Work-Life Balance with the Start of School

It's that time of year already! The end of summer and the start of a school. And, if you have children, you've likely noticed that your daily routine has become a bit out-of-whack over the last two months.

Not to fear. You can take some basic steps to get back into the swing of things so your work and personal life return to balance.

Here are a few tips to consider as you prepare for your kids to return to school.

1. Manage your expectations. Yes, there will be stress and everything will not go perfectly. Understand that there will be difficulties: you might oversleep, or the kids will oversleep, or you'll just be plain cranky in the morning and everything will bother you. These difficulties do not prevent you from having a good day, effective, and productive day, though, and do not allow them to prevent you from enjoying your children.

2. Get back into a routine early. Don't wait until the Sunday night before school starts to begin getting back into a routing of going to bed earlier, or waking up earlier to get that morning workout in. Start your new/old routine at least a week before school starts and he won't feel like such a shock.

3. Be prepared. Do whatever you can to make your mornings proceed smoothly. If possible make lunches the night before, have everything you need to take to work already organized and ready to go. Don't get into your car to discover you have no gas. All of these little things add up to bring great stress so do what you can to minimize inconveniences.

4. Watch your schedule. You might find that no more how organized you are something always comes up to make you a few minutes late for work. Prepare for this by ensuring, as much as you are able and have control over it, you do not schedule meetings first thing in the morning or have important deadlines to meet immediately. Give yourself a break and ease into the most demanding parts of your day.

5. Accept help. This tip might even be more effectively to "ask" for help. Perhaps a neighbor or grandparent can take the children to school, or pick them up. Even if this is done only one or two days in a week it can go a long way toward reducing your stress and helping you achieve a sense of work-life balance. There is no shame in seeking and accepting help.

Finally, be sure to enjoy this time. Before you know it, you'll miss these opportunities with your children. Take some time to sit back, relax, and experience some joy for the good things in your life.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Tips for Networking Your Way to a Job on LinkedIn

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

• 5 Ways to Instantly Connect with Everyone You Meet: "It doesn't matter your title or experience, if you want to connect with someone or influence them, you must make them feel valued."
• 4 Rules for Making a Flexible Schedule Work: "Most of us have trouble sitting still and working for eight hours at a stretch without taking some kind of break. That holds true, even if you’re working from your couch."
• How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking: "Nothing helps you feel more confident than thoroughly preparing for your presentation. When you know the subject matter well, you'll feel more comfortable and confident."
• 9 Tips for Creating a Stress-Free Work Environment: "If your workspace stresses you out, it might help to add personal items to your desk, cubicle or office that have some special meaning to you."
• 5 Tips for Networking Your Way to a Job on LinkedIn : "Start connecting with classmates, alumni and professors, plus former bosses, supervisors and colleagues. Then branch out to less obvious potential connections, like your neighbors."

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Planning and Preparing for the Day Ahead

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The video below from Early to Rise provides tips on starting your day effectively, from a brief meditation to goal planning and reviewing your tasks for the day.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Super Success Before 8 AM

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 5 Things Super Successful People Do Before 8 AM: "Maximize your potential by mapping out your schedule for the day, as well as your goals and to dos. The morning is a good time for this as it is often one of the only quiet times a person gets throughout the day."

• 7 Job Search Rules You Should Be Breaking: "It’s more important to find out how company regulars dress on a daily basis, and then step it up just a notch for that first meeting. You’ll easily prove that you can fit right in."                                                      
• 5 Things to Consider Before Accepting a Job Offer: "If you have been promised something verbally pertaining to your employment, make certain that it is included in your offer letter."


• 3 Proven Ways to Make Tough Job Decisions: "The idea is simple: create a grid based on criteria that matter to you, and then score your potential career choices against those criteria. Sample criteria can include anything that you believe is important."


• The Good News About Career Wipeouts: "Defeat still hurts, but you know you'll get through it and be better for it. You realize that what they say is true. That what doesn't kill you really does make you stronger."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Ready to Leave Your Job?

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 14 Signs It's Time To Leave Your Job: "When you find that you’re spending less time with your family because of work, or you cannot commit the necessary time to your job, you should consider looking elsewhere."

• Tips for Merging on to Your Career's Smart Track: "To gain respect, you have to deliver. Do you consistently produce outstanding work, exceed expectations, go above and beyond what is expected, take initiative and simply work hard?"                                                      
• Please Stop Complaining About How Busy You Are: "If you're really up to your neck, it's very easy to find a scheduler, virtual or otherwise, to help put things on your calendar. Sometimes it's a matter of freeing up that time used for coordinating plans to actually doing them."


• 4 Ways Older Job Seekers May Circumvent Hiring Fears: "Demonstrate that your energy level and intellectual curiosity remain high. Talk about how import it is to be a top producer and why. At every step along the way demonstrate that you are up to date with your skills, and that you don't sit on your laurels."


• How These Famous Motivational Quotes Can Help You Succeed: "The only way you can become a leader is by setting a great example and by putting together a team that is pulling together in the same direction and towards the same target."

Looking for a Flexible Work Arrangement

Many job seekers desire a flexible work arrangement, particularly those wishing for a better work/home-life balance. Advancements in technology and remote access to office networks, systems, and people have made flexible work arrangements more feasible for many employers and employees. Some employers are even discovering advantages to these arrangements, for example, by saving money on office space, being able to attract top job candidates, and improving employee retention.

Making Work Arrangements More Flexible

Following are some of the most common arrangements for flexible work schedules:
• Part time: Working less than 40 hours per week (typically between 17 and 25 hours).
• Flex time: Adjusting daily start and end times to accommodate earlier or later arrivals (based on a standard 9 to 5 shift). An example: Working a 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. shift.
• Compressed work week: Working a 40-hour, full-time schedule within a compressed work week, for example, a four-day week.
• Telecommuting: Working from a remote location, usually a home office.
• Job share: Sharing job responsibilities with another employee by splitting hours in a work week.

Searching for Opportunities


To research whether companies of interest offer flexible work arrangements, look for careers and job postings on the company website. Inquire within your network and explore other websites, like glassdoor.com, that provide company reviews based on anonymous employee feedback.
If a company recruiter arranges an interview for you, ask about the company’s work schedule, which may lead to an informal inquiry about whether the company allows flexible work arrangements. If you interview for and are offered a full-time position but are still interested in a flexible arrangement, consider exploring the topic during negotiations. If the employer seems skeptical, propose starting small–maybe suggest a trial period or working a half day from home each week. If the employer opposes any flexible work arrangements, carefully consider whether this is the right job for you.