Being in between jobs can be discouraging, but it gives you a chance to regroup. Here are 5 tips to help.
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS — Being in between jobs is a difficult period in anyone’s life. It can leave us feeling stressed, dejected and even embarrassed.
Being in between jobs can be stressful and discouraging. (Photo by Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels)
But you are not alone. Most people have found themselves in between jobs at least once in their lives. And it doesn’t mean you are powerless.
Experts recommend that you look at this break as a positive time in your life where you can set yourself up on a trajectory to be exactly where you’d like to be in life.
You don’t have to sit at home feeling upset about it. Instead, you can take action to make sure you’re set up for success.
Our team of HR professionals here at Caribbean Employment have put together the top most recommended list of actions you can take while in between jobs to put yourself in the best position to succeed once you’re ready to move forward again.
Five things you should do when you’re in between jobs
- Rethink your career goals
- Revisit your resume
- Network
- Upskill
- Take advantage of resources
1. Rethink your career goals
Many times, we wind up on career paths out of convenience or availability and not necessarily because it’s where our skills or passions truly lie.
Being in between jobs gives you some downtime to actually think through what you want out of your career.
Career coach and award-winning author Marlo Lyons says, “Determine what you want to do, not just what you can do.
“We all have skills and experience that can translate to a multitude of jobs.
Keep your resume updated and ready to go. (Photo by Thirdman on Pexels)
“But understanding your next career move starts with aligning your job with your values, which represent what’s important to you, because when your values are fulfilled, you will be fulfilled.”
2. Revisit your resume
This can be especially helpful if you were at the same job for a long period of time. Your resume may not have been updated in years, and may not reflect your most recent experience, training and skills.
Use this time to refresh it and tailor it to suit the career goals you have in mind. If you feel rusty or unsure, you may want to enlist the help of a professional resume writing service.
Jamaica-based The Career Doc., for instance, offers career consultation and can help you craft a winning resume.
3. Network
Many Caribbean cultures will say that getting a job is a matter of who you know and not what you know.
Network or enroll in new programmes or groups to improve your employability. (Photo by fauxels on Pexels)
We at Caribbean Employment Services disagree, but networking can still be a valuable way to build connections and better market yourself so that when your resume comes across someone’s desk, they are already familiar with what your background is.
4. Upskill
There are many training programmes available throughout the Caribbean, and several of them are offered free through government initiatives.
Whether it’s technical training, soft skills or any other specialty, now is a good time to boost your employability by adding skills that are lucrative or in high demand.
5. Take advantage of resources
In this digital age, there are countless resources available at your literal fingertips. Free training courses or leadership webinars are available online at a click.
And, you can use online job boards and placement services like ours at Caribbean Employment to make sure you’re the first to know — and to apply — when a new job in your field of interest becomes available.
Find the latest jobs in the Caribbean via Caribbean Employment Services Inc.
