10 Ways To Change The World (..and Find a Job)

Are you struggling to find a job despite all the time and effort you're putting in?

Well here's some advice for you - stop looking.

That's right, stop spending your whole week job searching and instead spend part of your week doing something completely different. And I don't mean watch TV or 'do lunch' with friends.

 

Instead, go and do something of value, something that would make a difference to someone else.  By spending more time helping others, and less time on your own search, you'll paradoxically find that you improve your chances of finding work. 

If you're out of work, here are 10 suggested projects for you: 

1.  Volunteer your time and skills to a charity or non-profit 

2.  Start a blog and share your opinions on a topic or subject you care about 

3.  Teach your kids, neices or nephews something of value (e.g how to manage money, how to cook, about other cultures and religions)

4.  Learn how to play that musical instrument you've always wanted to learn - and then entertain a small audience for free

5.  Enter a charity walk or run 

6.  Give a talk at a local college or university about a subject you have expertise within

7.  Share everything you're learning about job searching with other job seeekers who are out of work 

8.  Teach your parents/grandparents how to use the internet, email and SMS text messaging (it will give them a new lease of life)

9.  Help an immigrant family to improve their English (or whatever the main language is in the country you're in). You'll help improve their lives and enable them to make a bigger contribution to the community and wider economy

10. Create and share something that would bring joy to others - e.g. a poem, a script, a dance, a sketch, a sculpture or a painting maybe 

The costs to you? 

Nothing.

All that's required is your time, some focus and the right intention.

The benefits to you?  

- You'll have a sense of purpose and achievement each week (something that's difficult to achieve if your whole week revolves around chasing leads, applying for jobs and handling rejections). 

- You'll consequently see your self esteem increase (which often gets crushed when you get laid off). Increased levels of self esteem improve your chances of securing a job. 

- You'll meet new people and widen your network. The wider network improves your chances of finding a job (particularly in a recession when a large percentage of roles are being filled via contacts and referrals)

- You'll have a unique answer to that interview question: "So what have you been doing with your time since you finished your last job?"

- You'll become a much more interesting person to be around - after all, there's only so many times friends and family can ask "So how's your job search going?"

- You'll develop some new skills (e.g. speaking, writing, mentoring, teaching) which can give you another edge in the job market

- You'll develop some new hobbies and interests for the future

- You'll look back at this period with few regrets. You'll know that you didn't waste the time you had between jobs and that instead did something of value.

- You'll enjoy some good karma. What goes around, comes around. 

 

The benefits to the world?

Huge.

Just think what would happen if every single person that was laid off invested part of their week (or month) to at least one of the 10 projects listed above? And then inspired other people to do something similar. What impact would that have?

If you've been made redundant in recent months, you may be low on cashflow, confidence and job opportunities. But one thing you do have is that commodity we all crave: *TIME*. 

So go put that time to good use and, who knows, in addition to changing a small part of somone else's world, you may also change yours - by landing that elusive job.

By Sital Ruparelia from 6 Figure Career Management

 

Comments

[rajiv]

from where the money will come to survive if all time is invested here.

raj

[Zoosa]

Great story! I absolutely agree. Volunteering is an excellent way to increase your chances of finding a new job. When you volunteer, you can build new professional skills while keeping your existing skills fresh. If any of your readers are looking, we just launched a new website which should make it easier for professionals to find these skills-based volunteering opportunities! Mike

[Sital]

Zoosa - thanks for the comments

Rajiv - couple of points in reply:

1. I'm not suggesting anyone does ALL 10 of these. Their just 10 different ways that you can do something of value. Just pick ONE activity from the list (or your own list) that most appeals to you and invest one just hour a week.

2. We reep what we sow. If you want opportunities and the money to come to you, you've got to get out there and give some value to someone else and be visible in the market place instead of sitting behind a computer applying for the same jobs everyone else is. These are 10 ways that will help you do just that

[Karina Chavez]

I can't wait to start!!! I'm on my search for a volunteer group. :)

[Sital]

Karina, brilliant! be sure to come back to this post and update us on what you decide to do. It may just inspire some others :)

Mike, just looked at your volunteer services site - looks great

[UK Dissertation Help]

Blogs are so interactive where we get lots of informative on any topics nice job keep it up !!

[Dan Eustace]

this is an astute post pointing out the
need to be proactive and honest.

Just like our mother's told us: say please
and thank you, too...

[custom dissertation]

Excellent Blog every one can get lots of information for any topics from this blog nice work keep it up.

thanks

[Custom dissertation]

Nice post keeps on posting this type of interesting and informative articles.

[Dissertation writing]

Excellent post and wonderful blog, I really like this type of interesting articles keep it up.

Nice job keep it up again!

[custom dissertation]

Very nice Site number one topic Thanks you..