Not so long ago, there was this special
case of a graduate who committed suicide for the mere fact that he could
find a job. That is the extent extreme depression will take you if you
are not careful.
We’ve all been job seekers in one time or the other, even those who are still working. You will all agree with me that, unemployment can be depressing. For many, especially fresh graduates, those who are fired or retrenched; the initial news can be followed by days of laying on the sofa, eating and watching TV.
Perhaps you just can’t believe that you no longer have somewhere to go in the morning. And the idea of putting in the energy to get another job sounds overwhelming. Characterized by numbness, disbelief and even weariness.
For fresh graduates, most of them experience challenges entering in the job market. Getting an internship is even a problem and one wonders why an employer’s does not want free labour? Others search for jobs and may be lucky enough to get it but most stay for months and even years without jobs.
The result is you either get any job that comes your way and get more frustrated in it or just get resigned from job searching.
People in this situation (especially men) are extremely vulnerable to
depression as they: deal with the loss of identity from not having a
steady job, deal with the constant rejections from potential employers,
struggle to find a reason to get up in the morning, tighten the belt
financially, live with the regrets of decisions that have led them to
this point, and sometimes lose hope and wonder if anyone will ever give
them a chance.
There are some strategies that can help you to deal with depression when you’re unemployed and looking for a job.
1.Don’t isolate yourself. One of the easiest traps that people fall into when they’re unemployed is to spend less time with others. This can be due to embarrassment about their situation or not wanting to give the impression that they’re not being industrious about looking for work, but whatever the case is, it’s extremely important to maintain contact with a positive group of peers.
More so, sharing your challenges with others, spending time with people can give you a network that can help you to find the job that you’re after. Therefore, keep going to church, join a sporting club or gym, stay connected to your friends and start accepting those invitations that you get.
2. Volunteer your time- Visit a children’s home, clean up exercises, volunteer in community education/ sensitization. I have seen quite a few people who were unemployed for a long time volunteer once or twice a week in the community and it made a significant difference to their mindsets. It got them out of the house, broke up the tedium of the week, helped them to feel useful again and gave them a different perspective as they assisted people who were worse off than them.
3. Build your skills- One of the other advantages of volunteering is that it can give you the opportunity to develop new skills. Of course, this isn’t the only way to do this. Study a short course, read great books and blogs or start working on a project by yourself that can hone the skills that will be of assistance to you in the long-term.
Learning and growing is great for your mindset, giving you a greater sense of control over your future that can be difficult to maintain during periods of long-term unemployment.
4. Keep applying for jobs- Don’t fall for the trap that because you’ve been rejected on multiple occasions that you will never be given a chance. Remember that the only guarantee in job hunting is that if you don’t apply for a job, you won’t get it. Therefore, apply for as many roles as can even when you don’t meet every criterion on the job advertisement.
You’re not in control of what recruiters are looking for, so don’t say no for them, if it’s a role that you are interested in and you think you can do it, send in your application and see what happens.
5. Look after yourself physically- People who are in the throes of depression find it a challenge to exercise and eat right, but this is a dangerous trap. Continuing to maintain a consistent exercise regime, eating healthily, maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene and dressing smartly has a dual effect:
1. It helps you to feel happier and more confident.
2. It makes you more attractive to potential employers, not because you look better (although that doesn’t hurt), but because you feel more positive about yourself.
I know that it’s difficult to maintain a positive mindset when you’ve been unemployed for a long period of time, but I hope that at least one of these strategies is helpful to anyone who finds themselves in that situation.
We’ve all been job seekers in one time or the other, even those who are still working. You will all agree with me that, unemployment can be depressing. For many, especially fresh graduates, those who are fired or retrenched; the initial news can be followed by days of laying on the sofa, eating and watching TV.
Perhaps you just can’t believe that you no longer have somewhere to go in the morning. And the idea of putting in the energy to get another job sounds overwhelming. Characterized by numbness, disbelief and even weariness.
For fresh graduates, most of them experience challenges entering in the job market. Getting an internship is even a problem and one wonders why an employer’s does not want free labour? Others search for jobs and may be lucky enough to get it but most stay for months and even years without jobs.
The result is you either get any job that comes your way and get more frustrated in it or just get resigned from job searching.
Don’t let depression get to you as you job search
There are some strategies that can help you to deal with depression when you’re unemployed and looking for a job.
1.Don’t isolate yourself. One of the easiest traps that people fall into when they’re unemployed is to spend less time with others. This can be due to embarrassment about their situation or not wanting to give the impression that they’re not being industrious about looking for work, but whatever the case is, it’s extremely important to maintain contact with a positive group of peers.
More so, sharing your challenges with others, spending time with people can give you a network that can help you to find the job that you’re after. Therefore, keep going to church, join a sporting club or gym, stay connected to your friends and start accepting those invitations that you get.
2. Volunteer your time- Visit a children’s home, clean up exercises, volunteer in community education/ sensitization. I have seen quite a few people who were unemployed for a long time volunteer once or twice a week in the community and it made a significant difference to their mindsets. It got them out of the house, broke up the tedium of the week, helped them to feel useful again and gave them a different perspective as they assisted people who were worse off than them.
3. Build your skills- One of the other advantages of volunteering is that it can give you the opportunity to develop new skills. Of course, this isn’t the only way to do this. Study a short course, read great books and blogs or start working on a project by yourself that can hone the skills that will be of assistance to you in the long-term.
Learning and growing is great for your mindset, giving you a greater sense of control over your future that can be difficult to maintain during periods of long-term unemployment.
4. Keep applying for jobs- Don’t fall for the trap that because you’ve been rejected on multiple occasions that you will never be given a chance. Remember that the only guarantee in job hunting is that if you don’t apply for a job, you won’t get it. Therefore, apply for as many roles as can even when you don’t meet every criterion on the job advertisement.
You’re not in control of what recruiters are looking for, so don’t say no for them, if it’s a role that you are interested in and you think you can do it, send in your application and see what happens.
5. Look after yourself physically- People who are in the throes of depression find it a challenge to exercise and eat right, but this is a dangerous trap. Continuing to maintain a consistent exercise regime, eating healthily, maintaining a high standard of personal hygiene and dressing smartly has a dual effect:
1. It helps you to feel happier and more confident.
2. It makes you more attractive to potential employers, not because you look better (although that doesn’t hurt), but because you feel more positive about yourself.
I know that it’s difficult to maintain a positive mindset when you’ve been unemployed for a long period of time, but I hope that at least one of these strategies is helpful to anyone who finds themselves in that situation.
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