Losing your job is one of the most stressful experiences. If you stay unemployed for some time, the situation becomes even more difficult, especially if you live in a city like London, where the costs of living are high. However, you should not despair. It might sound like a cliché, but you should regard this setback as a new opportunity that can bring a lot of benefits in the future. Instead of staying home and feeling sorry for yourself, you can readily do a number of things to increase your employment chances.
There are now plenty of opportunities for the unemployed to get additional training. You can readily find a range of state sponsored courses in your local job centre. You should not hesitate to sign up for one that will be useful to you. You might also want to check out a few paid courses and see whether you can afford to take one or two. The additional training will certainly increase your chances of getting a job.
A lot of people think that they have excellent professional skills and they do not need to improve them. However, you can always learn something new and become better at what you are already good at. Furthermore, the additional training will give you more flexibility in the employment market. You will be able to apply successfully for different positions in different industries. In addition, learning another language or improving your computer skills is something that can help you immensely in securing a job, irrespective of your qualifications and experience.
A common mistake a lot of unemployed people make is to look for permanent job positions only. You should not hesitate to apply for temporary positions. You can sign up as a temp worker in any program available from job centres or recruitment agencies. Temping gives you the opportunity to network, to gain experience and to get paid. Moreover, you will have the chance to be offered a permanent position. Alternatively, you can consider taking a part-time job as well. The benefits are similar, but you have to be careful when signing a contract as you would want to leave once you find a full-time position.
You should not hesitate to do voluntary work either. It is true that you will not get paid, but if you have nothing else to do the experience will certainly be rewarding. Furthermore, you will have yet another work experience to add to your CV. Employers are more than happy to hire applicants who have done some charity work. This shows commitment and ability to work in a team. Working as a volunteer can also help you network and find new job opportunities.
Generally, you are highly recommended to rely on networking as well as on job ads when looking for vacancies. This will certainly increase your employment chances. Instead of staying at home and getting frustrated, you can always arrange a few meetings with your friends and ask them if they know about any vacancies in their company or industry.