Long-term unemployment can potentially wreck a person’s sense of self-worth and happiness. Unfortunately, some recruiters and employers discredit job seekers who have been out of work for a while, assuming something must be wrong and viewed as undesirable.
Here are some tools to end long-term unemployment.
Stay Up To Date With Your Industry.
You must prove to potential employers that you’re still working even though you’re not employed. Staying current with new trends in your field will show you are as qualified as someone currently employed. Take an online course, enroll in school, or volunteer. Be sure to use the additional education to your advantage during your interview to explain your long-term unemployment gaps.
Be Open To Change.
If you’ve been waiting for your dream job for over six months, it’s time to change tactics and consider positions you would not have had. Be willing to look outside your city for jobs, even if this means entering a new career field or taking a lower-level job. While you may not want to relocate for a job, you go to them if the jobs are not coming to you. 
Continue to stay active in your professional and personal networks. Tell people you are looking for a new job; you never know who may have information on a position, and be open to every lead you get.
Update Your Resume and Sharpen Your Interview Skills.
Tailor your resume to show your value. You want potential employers or recruiters to see the results you have produced. As previously mentioned, you can also use the time gap to your advantage and fill it with any additional education or courses you have taken and volunteer work. Don’t forget to customize your resume for the job you are applying to. One simple trick is changing up your skills. Highlight the most relevant ones to help you stand out.
Interview skills are necessary when you have been unemployed for a long time. The best way to set yourself apart from the other applicants is to show that you came prepared, focused, and had a positive attitude.
Stay Positive.
Dealing with long-term unemployment is challenging. Staying positive and hopeful will help you stay strong and ready when a job opportunity comes.
Some ways to maintain positivity are meditation and mindfulness. Both are great ways to reduce your nerves and focus your mind. You can also increase your positivity by practising gratitude. Being grateful for what you have will help you remember all the good things in your life.
Ending long-term unemployment could be challenging initially, but following these tools will make the process much more manageable.
Looking for more?
Check out this blog for five things successful people never say.
