How do you spend your time?
What are some of the activities (other than job searching) people are doing to keep busy while out of work?
Being fired is not the end of the world... I see it as an opportunity to take a step back and evaluate my career and determine what I want to do. I personally found firednetwork.com quite helpful for discovering employment opportunities and for information on getting an MBA. They also have stuff on starting a business or even buying one and they have all kinds of resources on how to raise money from investors. And you don't even have to register to browse through it. It’s definitely worth checking out.
Lots of free tutorials and web resources I can resort to.
Any specific sites you recommend?
All my working life I've been a hunt and pecker typer (no, I wasn't a secretary when I got let go!)
Now I spend 2 hours every day learning how to touch type---"Peter's online typing" course is good and free.
The other thing i have to do to catch up with the rest of the planet is get myself a US driver's license (I have a UK one). I got the driver's manual and read it on the bus or in the doc's office or wherever I have some time to fill.
Thanks for the great idea. I tried this and was a great way to get my typing skills in shape.
I see more people exercising and getting into shape. I see a lot more people on bikes now.
i had a 700 mile May and want to do 3K miles outdoor this year (chicago - just to give perspective to the riding season)
i am sur
it is a great way to clear the mind.
mark
another great thing to do it find a bunch of people who want to ride together (potentially other people who are out of work). i do this with a few people i know who got laid off. we all need a break during the day so we go bike for an hour. its free! i get to hang out with some people i like. we take advantage of the summer. and take a break from being on the computer.
Other than the obvious (looking for work), I do volunteer work at some of the places that are helping me through this rough time.
I love music so I spend a lot of time watching Myspace and YouTube for new bands. Luckily I live in a good town for music, so I can sometimes find cheap/free concerts too!
I been unemployed for so long im running out of things to do besides look for work, but for the most part I been spending the time with my kids and staying busy with them
I've been working on my art work thinking that maybe if I get some work done I'll be able to sell it and get into some shows.
I've made a list of things I've wanted to do for some time and then prioritized by importance/ cost.
So one thing I'm doing is going through notebooks and old papers and discovering contacts for networking. Also, I'm coming across former interests that I've sort of put aside or never pursued. These are things to follow up on.
I am planting a small vegetable garden.
Bring personal online portfolio, Facebook and LinkedIn pages up to date. Use these and other web-based profiles as prep for easier networking. There's nothing better than remaining at-the-ready for any interested parties who might want to explore your career bio, samples of your work, links to all previous employers, and a other items that will help others figure out who you are and what you offer.
Revamping or creating a personal website can take far longer than most might think. Even a simple 5- or 6-page website can easily entail 20+ hours of work from concept to delivery.
-dem
Looking at online courses can be a good way to spend some of your free time.
Also a good time to brush up your skills in new field.
I started volunteering again at the local hospital. It's been a very rewarding experience.
It's also a pretty great way to get a job. If you find yourself unemployed, it may be a perfect moment for a change in careers. If your resume won't help you get into a new profession as is, volunteering can rebuild your resume in the direction you'd like it to go and nothing shows potential employers your enthusiasm and commitment to work like showing them you've done it for no compensation.
I agree! Especially if you have no other responsiblities, there is no excuse not to find something you are interested in and volunteer. If you are in the TX region, www.greenlights.org is a great place to start your search!
I definitely spend a lot of time catching up on my reading.
I had been unemployed for several months when Summer came. I took a cheap share at the beach and spent as much time there as I could. Stopped looking for work. Started up again in the Fall and was rejuvenated, and soon got a job.
I believe it was all connected.
I've got time for lunch with friends, catching up with people I haven't seen for years. It makes you feel more connected, and may lead to something.