HANDLING UNEMPLOYMENT

‘It’s not what happens to you that determines how far you will go in life; it is how you handle what
happens to you.’
…..Zig Ziglar

The period of unemployment is a very critical period in the life of whosoever is unemployed. An individual is unemployed when he or she is unable to be gainfully employed for a job he or she has been trained to do or has the skill, knowledge and capability to do effectively and efficiently.

This period could be a very difficult period depending on your age, educational background, circumstances and position. For somebody who is still living with the parents, the challenge may not be intense since parents are still responsible for meeting the basic needs of such an individual. But for a married individual whose spouse does not earn enough to take care of the home front by meeting the needs for food, shelter, school fees, clothing and utility bills, being unemployed to such a person is like living in hell. When the bread winner of a family suddenly become unemployed, such a family is bound to face difficulties, most especially in developing economies like Nigeria , where no provision exists for unemployment benefits.

In some developing countries like Nigeria, a university graduate could remain unemployed for a period of ten years. Unemployment is a serious and a global issue. The developed economies of Europe and United States are presently having their own share of large scale unemployment due to the current global economic meltdown.

We are looking at how this unemployment problem can be tackled using a personal or individual approach rather than using a national or global approach. The suggested approaches are detailed below.

BE POSITIVE
That anything that has a beginning must surely have an end is a statement of fact. There are cases of people who committed suicide while passing through the stress of unemployment. Cases of unemployment induced suicide abound in many countries of the world. This experience is always aggravated by thought of hopelessness. The first thing you should know about being unemployed no matter your age, educational attainment and status is that being unemployed is not the end of life. Whether you’re a fresh graduate or an experienced worker, be positive. Assure yourself by telling yourself repeatedly that a better offer is on the way. The benefit of remaining positive is that it makes you think less and remain open to opportunities.

DO SOMETHING
The period of unemployment is not a period to be idle. No, never be idle. It’s a period you must find something doing, even if for free. You could offer yourself up for volunteering work. You could reflect on your past experiences and write excellent newspaper articles that could benefit others. You could offer to help do some cleaning job in your community for free.

As an unemployed career person you could walk up to a nearby school and offer to give the student a career talk. Also as an unemployed fresh graduate you could organize extramural classes for students preparing for internal and external exams in your neighborhood for free or at a reduced fee. Who knows your might be attracting some high placed parent’s attention through all these activities. This is a period you must never be idle. Think of something you could do to affect live, then do it.


OPEN UP
This is a period you must never be a pretender. Let people know what you can do and what you are passing through. Some people are retrenched or made redundant due to their organization’s dwindling fortunes but they won’t tell close associates who could be of help. You are the architect of your own misfortune by not opening up. Never die in silence, open up. This is not the same as telling every Dick, Jack and Harry about it. Only confides in few close confidants.

Some people even kept it from their spouses and continue to pretend to go to work on a daily basis believing that the experience is shameful and should be kept as a top secret. No, never kept your spouse in the dark. Learn to open up.

LEVERAGE ON YOUR EXISTING NETWORK
This is a time you have to go back to the drawing board by leveraging on your existing contacts. Put calls across to your old school friends; use your alumni network to connect people. Call friends that are doing well in other industries. This is the time you must be regular at your Professional association’s meetings. Be regular at these gatherings and make superb contribution to interesting intellectual discuss. Be relevant. Show off your stuff. This will attracts the attention of most colleagues who could be of help.

Always be in constant contact with colleagues who are currently working to find out about possible job openings in their company or industry.

ADD VALUE TO YOURSELF
This is a time you really have all the times in this world. Learn new things. You could learn to play a musical instrument. You could learn about web designing. This period must be used to gain knowledge. Read more books in your chosen field; develop your writing and oral communication skills. Do research on how to pass job aptitude tests and interviews, most especially if you are a fresh graduate. Go back to your MBA reading materials and digest them for knowledge as against reading to defend a term paper or to pass exams. You must set aside a minimum of one hour each day to develop your skill, knowledge and capability in your chosen field of study.

Adding value to yourself through diligent study and learning new things if taken with all seriousness will make you sound like an authority in your next job interview.



WATCH OUT FOR OPPORTUNITIES
Never close your ears and eyes to happenings around you. Be inquisitive and be on the look out for opportunities. Opportunities that could make you a job creator rather than a job seeker could present itself.
The period of unemployment is never a period to see yourself as having little or nothing to offer. This should be a period to reflect on your God given ability by believing in yourself and be confident that you have all it takes to get an even better job than the one you have lost. Are you a fresh graduate and presently unemployed? Keep trying, you’re almost there.

Ajiboro Seth Ayodeji (ACIPM) could be contacted through dejiconsulting@yahoo.com or through jibdej@gmail.com for enquiries and suggested future topics.