How to survive unemployment

I finished my master’s degree five months ago. Since then, I’ve been trying to survive the notorious period of ‘Of course you’ll find something. You have a master’s degree!’

You can also name this period: ‘Over a hundred applications, only five Linkedin resume views, and one miserable interview with a company that said it needed a promising marketing manager but was only looking for a telemarketing sales thing.’ Just a suggestion.

So, not a motivating scene for a fresh International Studies graduate with a proud ‘Now, I’m gonna change the world’ face. Nope, because I was wrong. I should have saved the world first, and then applied for jobs–that’s what all those recruiters are truly looking for. Job ads might as well read: “We’re looking for someone age 22-26, with 30 years of experience.”

The story is all the same. As you keep on creating the most eloquent pieces of literature in those cover letters, recruiters overlook your hard work and enthusiasm. Friends and family give you excessive numbers of pats on the back that translate into “it’s all gonna work out fine,” but it is really, really hard to stay strong. Although you know you’ve put enormous effort into your so-far achievements, you enter into a cycle of hopelessness where you start doubting your choices.

Why did I study this? Why didn’t I try even harder? And as if your feelings of self-doubt and self-pity weren’t enough, it’s as if recruiters sense your emotional state and never even view your LinkedIn profile, call for interviews, or read your goddamn cover letters. When you don’t find a job, you don’t feel good; and when you don’t feel good, the chances of finding a job lowers. That’s why we need to stay positive, my friend.

Here are some tips I’ve gathered for survival during my five months of unemployment. I’m sure you’ll find them useful too:

Find someone even more miserable than you are

Take on the project of healing someone who is more miserable than you. And they exist! International people are always a great help in this matter. I’m sure you can find some doctor around you who has spent all his/her time working crazily and suddenly can’t work due to some green card problems and spends time knitting or something. When you give them advice you will benefit from that. When you heal them, you heal you!

Get one of those To-Do notebooks and start your day with plans

If you give yourself the autonomy to decide what to do when the day arrives, you basically give yourself the autonomy to bore yourself to death. Try approaching all your errands as important parts of your day instead. Get a notebook and write down your plans for the next day before you go to bed. If you have nothing to do other than take a walk and get some vacuuming done, there is nothing to be ashamed of. Just write it down and you will notice the difference.

Stay away from home as much as possible during business hours

Someone said to me once “If you’re home alone long enough, congratulations, you’re the Devil’s next lunch.” Homes are like huge dark holes that pull you into their darkness and make you think there’s nothing out there that’s gonna do you any better. It’s not true! Malls are full of people to stalk, cafes are full of new sandwiches to enjoy and people to meet! Stay away from that creepy dark hole called ‘home.’ Life is outside!

Organize inspiring movie nights

Movies will teach us a thing or two about determination. Invite your friends over for an Erin Brockovich screening and get inspired. Erin started off with nothing! You at least have a degree!

Periodically ask your friends to tell you their job-finding stories

Remind yourself that no one has found their jobs overnight. You’re just going through a natural phase. Distancing yourself from the real stories will make you set unrealistically perfect standards for yourself, a hotbed for depression!

And remember: If you had a twin Drake would still choose you

If you wrote a sincere cover letter and tried reaching out to people who work in that company via LinkedIn, you let them know you exist somewhere, waiting for some good news, and that is enough. You’ve done a great job. If they don’t feel like sparing the shortest time to meet you in person, that’s their loss. Don’t measure your self-worth by the amount of people you get to impress. When the time comes, there is going to be someone out there like Drake to appreciate your skills, and even choose you over your hypothetical twin!