Job Search and Unemployment Activities

The job search is a full-time role in and of itself and the rejection part can sting really bad, especially if you’ve been on the hunt and unemployed for a significant period of time. 

Finding a new role is basically a numbers game and interviews are a very unpredictable way of gauging your chances since the job can be lost due to a number of unforeseen reasons.

You may have answered all of the employer’s questions perfectly and passed their written exam, but you got the job pulled out from under you because it simply got canceled. 

These types of rejection scenarios could make you want to punch a hole through your wall, especially if you’re married with a family and are desperate for that next paycheck.

You need to keep yourself occupied during that time and make sure your mind isn’t stuck in the obsession of finding a new role. Here’s a few ways to cope with a job rejection. 

Get Busy With a Hobby/Small Business

The job market is volatile and unpredictable and no one should be relying on one stream of income in 2019.

Even when you are working, you should be thinking of some type of hobby of yours that you could potentially turn into a business. This way, when you do get rejected, you have something you could turn your attention to after you finish punching your pillow repeatedly.

The more time you put into this side business, the better chance you have at growing and making money from it. It can also be a stress reliever for people who don’t know what to do with themselves when they are not working. 

Workout 

Exercise is one of the best stress relievers, and when you’re frustrated about a being rejected from a position, you can hit the gym and take out your anger on some weights.

This is a lot more of a productive activity then brooding in your home in front of your loved ones. Even though they support you, people who haven’t been in your position will have a hard time relating to the job hunt woes and might say something to set you off even more.

It’s better to relieve your anxieties while improving your body at the same time in the gym. 

Do Something Kind for Another Person

This is great advice for people who are unemployed with lots of free time on their hands. There’s no more rewarding way to spend your day than helping out someone who is disabled, or just needs a simple favor.

This will help you focus on someone else’s problems instead of your own. It should shift your focus enough to relieve the frustration you might be dealing with after receiving a cold rejection email. 

Spend Quality Time With Your Loved Ones

This one seems like a no brainer, but unemployed job hunters often get caught up in the vicious cycle of obsessing over their next role and neglect their spouse, kids, and other family members. This is a mistake!

Having an intimate dinner with your spouse, or finding a reasonably priced activity to get you both out of the house will help you to stop thinking about your unemployment woes.

Don’t allow this moment of frustration to define who you are. You should still operate your personal life as you would when you have a job. It’s ok to be angry and talk about it, but you need to keep busy so that you don’t fall into the trap of depression and self-loathing. 

Think of Ways to Abolish the Interview Process 

Most companies use an archaic interview process that is basically a popularity contest that isn’t effective at all. In my experience, most people put on a show during the interview sessions, including the bosses, and then switch to a completely different person when the job begins.

Companies need to come up with new ways of finding talent. Some of which could be offering trial runs to multiple applicants and giving the job to the best performer. Or even allowing the applicant to join an apprenticeship program that will help them learn the specific needs of the company.

And for companies looking for short term workers, they should offer contract roles instead of sneakily hiring people and laying them off once the budget gets cut.

You guys probably have even more ideas you can add to this so feel free to drop them in the comments.