Geekspace for Women

Posted by ubergeeke on June 19th, 2008 in blogpost

A friend of mine is currently out of work, and there but for the grace of the gods go I, so I got to thinking about how I would spend my time if I suddenly found myself booted from my current job. For folks who are racking up the unemployment stipends, consider these alternatives to soap operas.

1) Work the hobbies. My current job actually sprouted from some experiences I had in a hobby of mine. It just so happened that my hobby included some work that was similar enough to the job that things just developed naturally, but consider this: if your favorite hobby is comparable to your desired job, you’re basically chalking up work experience during your unemployment. Don’t have a hobby? Find one! Spend some time working on something you’re really interested in. Even if it’s in no way connected to your profession, you might meet someone with the same hobby who knows someone who’s looking for a new employee in your line of work.

2) Learn something new. Learn a new OS, or programming language, or hardware package, or whatever it is you’re interested in. There’s bound to be something about your field that you don’t know and haven’t had the time to learn. Now’s your chance! Turn off the daytime Star Trek reruns and check out something for a couple of hours a few days a week. Come interview time, you’ll be able to talk about what you’ve been doing since your last job without shrugging and trying to cover up how much time you spent at the pub.

3) Network, but not in the usual sense. Some folks might go for the “networking breakfasts” or the meetups where professionals try to schmooze their way into their next job. How about networking where you already spend a lot of your time? There are forums online for everything from underwater basket-weaving to brain surgery. (Okay, that’s an assumption, but I bet you could find either.) Join a few that are related to your profession, and read around and lurk a bit. Learn more about your field in a casual environment. Check out local conferences in your area. If you don’t live in a big city, consider making a trip to one just to catch a convention. But don’t be one of those folks walking around conventions and conferences with your resume. Does that ever work? Then quit it! *Do*, however, walk around to see what technologies folks are using that are close to your field. Do some social networking, but remember - this is kind of like looking for a date. The more desperate you sound, the more you’ll be spending days without a job.

4) Re-learn your tools. If there’s software that’s related to your new desired gig, learn it! Can’t afford it? Guess what? Someone on those forums you’ve been recently chatting up has access to that software and for a song, I bet they’ll send you some screenshots. Take a look at the app - get a feel for how it works. Download some trial software. There are ways of learning new software without running straight to the “For Dummies” shelf (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Surf for online tutorials. You’re spending hours a day surfing the ‘nets anyway; make that time work for you. Brush up on the stuff you’ve already been using, and learn something new about the old stuff.

5) Most importantly, don’t forget to unplug. I mean, really unplug. Sure, you can spend hours a week working on new software or hardware or surfing or interviewing, but make sure you take a few days during the week to do something completely different. Get outside, go for hikes, visit a museum, go to the movies - whatever it takes to get you away from the job search. Use some of your unemployment time to rejuvenate yourself. Treat these days as vacation and try not to sweat the job you’re supposed to be looking for. When you get the job you want, you’ll be refreshed and ready to dedicate yourself to your new environment.

Sure, some of this might take some money you don’t have. Still, as a friend of mine would say, “Adapt and overcome.” If you’re going to a conference, for example, just check out the expo floor instead of going to the spendy workshops. There’s always some work-around that will help you save cash. Bottom line: you’ll probably feel better about the job search if you’re actively doing things to both improve your skillset and our quality of life. Good luck!