Assistance and Guidance for the Unemployed
I got the idea for providing information on being unemployed because some family members found themselves in this position. Unemployment rates have been continuing at an all time high and don’t seem to be declining. What are people going to do? You can’t draw unemployment benefits forever so you need to face the current reality of taking action to somehow earn a living.
One key resource I can recommend is a book titled What Color is Your Parachute? 2010, The Hard Times Edition by Richard N. Bolles. It has been a stable resource for job hunters and career changers for years. It’s packed with lots of tips and guidance for people looking for help.
My mission is not to take you through all the steps you should follow in securing a job. Others have done that job and there are abundant resources to help you. What I am providing is some tips and resources. My expertise is business coaching and my e-books on self-employed entrepreneurs will be invaluable to those who want to launch their own business. I have it outlined and have it ready by the end of the year.
Being unemployed is a lot like running your own business. It’s up to you to find a source of revenue and no one is going to bail you out. The first step you need to take is to conduct a self inventory of your skills and interests. This is a process of conducting a thorough self-assessment and defining yourself and what you really want to do.
If you aren’t sure about your skill set, you can consider taking any number of different tests that are available to help you sort your abilities and aptitudes. I added a links page which lists some of the more popular testing sites.
Always begin with you rather than try to be something just because it’s the latest and greatest way to make money. When you have a passion for doing something, and what you really know, your chances of success and happiness will be much greater. In any event be realistic about what is possible after considering your skills and abilities.
After completing the assessment you’ll begin to have a better idea of whether to pursue a job or begin the process of working for yourself. A tool that might really help with your assessment is Rich Feller’s Flower Concept. Rich is at Colorado State University and the link to his web site is www.mycahs.colostate.edu/rich.feller. He takes you through the following seven step process:
- Salary and level of responsibility
- Favorite interests
- Favorite skills
- Geography
- Favorite people environment
- Favorite working conditions
- Favorite values
Rich uses one piece of paper to condense all the possible thoughts and feelings as a way to gain a sense of direction with your life and career. I have used The Flower in my consulting projects and found that addressing the seven steps and boiling them down on one piece of paper really tells you a lot about where and what should be your future direction.
You’ll find out that you have skills and talent. You have special gifts. The big question is what do you want to accomplish with these skills and your gifts? Good luck as you proceed on your journey.
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