Getting Back Into Work

In these times of global recession, lots of us find ourselves out of work through no fault of our own. It can be a distressing and depressing time and it can often seem like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But, whatever your reasons for finding yourself out of work, there is always hope, and the first step is thinking positive.

It might sound easier said than done, but if you are feeling low and down on yourself then this could well be coming across in job interviews, and could be jeopardising your chances of getting that all-important job offer. Begin to believe in yourself and you may well find that your luck begins to change.

One easy way to begin to feel more positive straight away is to begin every morning by writing down one thing that you are grateful for or happy about. You could create a noticeboard and pin your daily positive thoughts to it on sticky notes; it doesn’t matter if you repeat some.

Part of feeling better about yourself is the feeling that you have a use and purpose; something which can be eroded through not having a job to go to. Volunteering is a great way to feel productive and get back into the routine of being somewhere for a set time, performing a useful role and interacting with people. Often voluntary work means charity work and so you get the added benefit of feeling good about yourself for helping people.

Volunteering could well be the path to a new paid job as it not only introduces you to new people and potential new opportunities, it looks fantastic on your CV and it gives you something to talk about in job interviews, showing that you are a proactive, positive person who has not lost touch with the world of work.

There are also lots of people you can turn to for support; your local career advice service, friends and family, or even having a career reading at TheCircle can be very beneficial. The main thing to remember is not to feel disheartened if you don’t get that amazing job offer straight away. Particularly in the current economic climate, there is much more job competition however this doesn’t mean you can’t make yourself stand out from the crowd.