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5 Ways You Can Bounce Back From Being Unemployed During a Pandemic
by Isaiah E. Bailey | Revised on 5 January 2021 | Originally published on LinkedIn 8 January 2020
Key Points:
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The true shout of victory is in your ability to come out on the other side with a story to tell and a testimony to share with others on how you battled and defeated the ugly beast we call unemployment.
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You may get several rejections along the way, but it's important you remember to relax and continue to adjust your approach and interview techniques until you’re back on payroll.
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Passing one or two parts of the CPA exam shows your dedication and commitment to the profession and employers will consider these achievements when making hiring decisions and calculating compensation packages.
The financial and career ripple effects of COVID-19 have just begun for some and for others there seems to be no end in sight for what has amounted to a complete overhaul of the American workforce as we once knew it.
You’ve completed one job application after another only to be disappointed with that dreadful email: "Unfortunately, there are other candidates who better match our needs at this time." Maybe you haven't heard back from anyone at all - this can be the case in many instances.
Whether you’re wrapping up your senior year of college and worried sick about landing a job offer or you were recently let go and find yourself back at the drawing board, here are 5 ways you can bounce back from being unemployed.
Stay True and Never Deviate
As a pre-teen attending summer Bible camps I remember one summer’s theme was S.T.A.N.D. - Stay True and Never Deviate. While the message for me then took a more religious and spiritual tone, I encourage you to grasp the universal concept planted in me that I still hold true today. Come what may, stay true to your goals and remain steadfast in your pursuit of happiness.
Sure you may get knocked off the horse here and there (probably more than some care to admit publicly), but the true shout of victory is in your ability to come out on the other side with a story to tell and a testimony to share with others on how you battled and defeated the ugly beast we call unemployment.
Measure 10 Times and Cut Once
The key concept here is to relax and strategize. Before you kill yourself looking for your next job (or after you take a moment to dry your tears - which is completely human and fine), take some time to digress and relax. Breathe. Clear your thoughts. Relieve any frustration and negative energy. For some this may take a few days and for others it can take a few weeks. There is no right or wrong time. Your journey is yours to define.
Once you feel confident and ready to get back into the game, update your resume, go through your contacts and devise a game plan for how you will attack the job market. In this process don't hesitate to seek networks and resources (discussed below) to help you on your journey).
Hit the ground running and don’t stop until you find your next best opportunity. Sure, you may get several rejections along the way, but it's important you remember to relax and continue to adjust your approach and interview techniques until you’re back on payroll.
Create a Competitive Advantage
Don't just scroll through your LinkedIn feed watching the highlight reels of all your friends and collogues. Use your time wisely!
Don’t sit around playing video games, watching Netflix and sobbing your life away. Get your CPA license or whatever credentials are applicable to your field. As time goes on you may spend months unemployed which is valuable time you could have used to pass exams and make yourself a stronger candidate for employment.
It will be incredibly hard to for some to study, manage personal responsibilities and worry about employment at the same time, but think about how passing your CPA exam will make you look to prospective employers. It’s a commitment worth the time.
Even passing one or two parts of the CPA exam shows your dedication and commitment to the profession and employers will consider these achievements when making hiring decisions and calculating compensation packages.
This Above All
Above all, stay positive! Constant denial can indeed be frustrating, but remember it’s all part of the process to shape and groom you to become a persistent and resistant individual who can overcome obstacles in the face of great pressure and adversity.
Your next best experience is just around the corner. Whether or not you can see it just yet doesn't change a thing.
Spend time with family and friends. Do things you don’t usually have the time to and go get that job!
Look Beyond Membership Associations
The goal is connect with more than just a member association or social media group but an ecosystem of thriving people and resources who all have a genuine interest in helping you position your life and career for the next great victory.
If you're reading this article then you're already just a few clicks away from tapping into a network as the one described above (completely free of charge).
We all need somebody to lean on as the late Bill Withers so eloquently and honestly put it for us and the Black Accountants Talent Network (BATN) is committed to being shoulder for students and professionals across the nation to lean on for many years to come.
Things to Consider
Can you return to a previous employer? Do you have any friends, relatives or school mates who can refer you for a position? Is your resume up on all the job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster job hunting for you as you sleep? When's the last time you updated your resume and had an independent pair of eyes review it for you? What do you want to do with your career? Do you want to relocate? Change industries? Go back to school perhaps?
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Isaiah E. Bailey
Founder, Black Accountants Talent Network (BATN)
I am passionate about creating constructive conversations aimed at improving and implementing actionable and impactful diversity and inclusion strategies applicable to all industries. I am also a dedicated mentor to high school and college students across the Greater New York City and Philadelphia areas.
I am an experienced accounting and auditing professional with over 5 years experience auditing financial statements and documenting, validating and assessing financial systems, strategies, and controls that significantly improve business operations. I have a strong ability to analyze and organize data and communicate results across all levels of an organization both verbally and written.
I have experience providing financial statement audit, carve-out audit, single audit, audit of internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR) and IFRS quarterly reviews for engagements both domestic and international, ranging from start-up to billion dollar companies both private and public.