As I noted several times in my blog posts and even in my vlog, I lost my work due to budget cutbacks caused by the pandemic. So, I, like many others, have had the unfortunate task of job hunting during this time. It can be challenging.
Every day I log onto LinkedIn, I notice more people posting about how they were just laid off from their jobs. I apply for jobs daily with little to no response from employers. I get the same job description in my email each day from multiple different recruiters, all the time with the job title and company redacted. The whole situation can hurt someone’s self-confidence and lead to depression. I have been there before.
When I was first laid off in 2018, I suffered silently and bottled in the feelings, but that did nothing but cause health issues. Many people do not realize the physical damage they do to their bodies from ignoring emotions or trying to “suck it up.” That does not mean I want it to be easy; I enjoy working and staying busy but having the maturity to understand yourself is essential in finding a job that will help you grow.
For those who also find themselves unemployed during this pandemic, my advice is simple. Do not give up hope; do not bottle up your emotions. Find someone that you can talk to honestly that will not judge. Losing a job in this situation is not indicative of your self-worth. Use the time to work on yourself and make things better in your life. If you are like me and in marketing, there are plenty of free certifications you can achieve to help build up your resume. Start a blog or vlog if you can. Writing and talking about your experiences can be very therapeutic and might help someone who is going through the same thing.
The job market is tough. There are thousands of qualified candidates for each open position. Then there are the phantom positions, those that are being listed by companies and recruiters to just harvest resumes for their databases. It can be easy to get depressed when you are faced with the challenges facing those who are looking for work. Just don’t give up. You will find something.
I am lucky; I am now starting to get freelance work again. The work is not much, but it is enough to help me out on my journey. I hope in the next few weeks to find a new full-time position, but if I don’t, I will keep trying because the only thing we can control right now is our work ethic.
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