Even when the job search seems fruitless, there are still a few things you can do:
Consider part-time or temporary work. Full-time employment can be hard to find these days, but many employers are still hiring on a part-time basis. Sometimes it’s better to take work when it’s available, just to stay active and keep your skills sharp. Even a few hours a week gets you out of the house, gives you social interaction and provides you with some good stories to tell at your next interview for a full-time job, and even a temporary job outside your preferred career field looks better than a gap on your resume.
Be a freelancer or consultant. If you have skills in “knowledge work” – writing, design, programming, accounting, business administration, and others – you could hang out your own shingle as a freelance worker or consultant. It might sound odd, but in today’s job market, it’s often easier to find multiple small project "jobs" than it is to find “a job” – if you have good skills and you’re willing to work hard at marketing yourself and hustling a little to find clients, you might even find yourself earning more money as a freelancer than you did as a full-time employee. There are online freelance marketplaces like Elance, Odesk and Guru where you can bid on projects from clients all over the world, and other sites like MediaBistro where the work comes to you.
Start your own business. If you can’t find a job, maybe it’s time to create your own. Many people start small businesses during tough times in the job market – many of these businesses are only intended to help their owners survive until a new full-time job opens up, but some of them go on to be wildly successful. Do you see the solution to a problem that you’d love to solve? Do you have a passion that you’ve always wanted to explore? Do you have an entrepreneurial streak, and you’ve been waiting for the right time to take the leap? Maybe running your own business is the answer. But be sure to do some research first – and you can still keep looking for a full-time job while you investigate your options. Good places to look for information on starting a small business include Inc.com, the federal Small Business Administration, and SCORE (the Service Corps of Retired Executives).
Volunteer. Have you ever wanted to work at a museum, at a library, at an international aid organization or on a political campaign? Even if you can’t find paid work, or aren’t willing to take a paycut to work part-time, you can still keep your skills up to date by working for free at a non-profit organization whose mission you admire. Just being out in the work world, even as a volunteer, can open the doors to opportunities; the non-profit staff can introduce you to their board members and spread the word about your good work. There are many organizations that are always looking for talented, motivated volunteers.
Ben Gran is a freelance writer based in Des Moines, Iowa. He is an award-winning blogger who loves to write about careers and the future of work.
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