A common tough transition many people face during this economic downturn is joblessness. When unemployment rate remains high, those without work suffer a great deal of psychosocial consequences.
Professor Gordon Waddell is an internationally recognized expert in psychosocial and disability research. In “Is work good for your health and well being?” he summarized his review this way, “… long-term worthlessness is one of the greatest risks to health and society. It is more dangerous than the most dangerous jobs in the construction industry, or the North Sea, and too often we not only failed to protect our patients from long-term worthlessness, we sometimes actually pushed them into it, inadvertently…”
Until the government is able to turn the economy around, what can job seekers do?
1. Be flexible. Be willing to take lower pay and lower level jobs. At least you’ll bring home a paycheck for take care of your bills.
2. Be realistic. This is not the time to wait for your dream job. View each not-so-ideal job as a stepping stone to the ideal.
3. Be humble. I personally know some college graduates who, in their mid-fifties, are working at McDonalds. I also know an immigrant medical doctor who worked this type of jobs for several years because no options were available to him until he got better at English. This is not the time to let pride get in the driver’s seat.
4. Be involved. Jobs are often found because of networking. In a competitive job market, many jobs are not advertised in newspapers but in the networking grapevine. Get out in the community to volunteer so you’ll be in the grapevine.
5. Be hopeful. Employers will not hire depressed applicants. Look for at least one positive thing in each day and be grateful.
What have you found to be helpful when you navigate this kind of transition? What insights can you share with others?
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