77 days ago I was fired. Today I start my new job at a great company. The company I wanted to work for.
But this post is not about how to land your dream job. This post is about my experience over the last two and a half months being unemployed and the one thing you must never lose in your job search.
8 days after I was fired, an old supervisor helped me land an interview where he now works. The interview went ok, but I have to admit, I was a little rusty. Even so, I thought for sure I would get the job. I was wrong.
Days turned into weeks and before I knew it, it was Thanksgiving. I had done some more interviews, but even when I was pretty much being offered my next position, it just wasn’t the right one.
Then, after interviewing with a couple of more companies, I again thought that I would land something with one of them. But again, I was wrong.
During this time, the company that I had first interviewed with, the one that I now wanted to work for most, had another opening. I called them up and was scheduled for an interview the next day. Then a second interview. Midway through the next week they made me an offer and I accepted.
Wow, I’m glad that’s over with!
The scary thing is that my experience of unemployment is way shorter than average.
Did you know that the average time a person spends unemployed is 40 weeks! That’s just over 9 months or 280 days. I was only out of work about a quarter of that time and this was the longest I have been unemployed in the last 15 years. I couldn’t imagine 280 days.
You see, I didn’t mention the emotional roller coaster, the confusion and inner questioning, or the feelings of despair.
Unemployment is way more than not getting a pay check.
It is a painful experience that affects you to the core.
This brings us to the one thing you must never lose in your job search. Without it, you are going to have a rough time. With it, you can make it through even the toughest of times. That one thing is hope.
If you or someone you know is currently unemployed, email me at drew.tewell@gmail.com and I’ll send you a free copy of my book, The Dream Job Program.
Question: What book would you recommend to someone who is unemployed? Write the title in the comments below.
