Day 1: When You Need a Job NOW

Today you will learn the reality of today's job market, why job search skills matter, and how to get a job fast!

Summary

What is the Reality of Your Situation?

You may be here because any of the following:

• You're trying to better understand yourself and what you have to offer to this world.
• Maybe the recent turmoil created by the pandemic has impacted your work situation.
• You're out of work and want practical help
• You're trying to understand how the world, and particularly the world of work, really works these days
• You've been out of work for a long time and you think that now you're permanently unemployable
• Maybe you're on the edge of poverty, dealing with a disability, or don't have much education
• You're trying to figure out a new career or your first career
• You're just trying to figure out what you want to do next with your life trying to work out a better work life balance, or maybe you're stuck in a role that you hate and you need a way out

Whatever the situation, you are in the right place.

Why Learn Job Search Skills?

If you're currently out of a job, you know exactly why. but the reality is, is that you're not likely to stay in one job for a long time.

• About a third of people that go into new jobs are going be out of that job in under a year and over three quarters of people will be out of that job in two to five.
• Full-time jobs are getting harder and harder to find
• The number of temp or part-time jobs continue to rise as more employers hire workers for short term projects or specific tasks.

So all of this means that you were always job hunting.

In order to be successful in job hunting you need to do six things:

• Mastering job search skills
• Improving the way you present yourself in interviews and elsewhere
• Being more aware and confident about your skills
• Taking action
• Setting goals
• Getting help when needed

This course is going to help you do all six of those things.

What Do I Do if I Need a Job NOW?

First off, there's no silver bullet, but if there was one, it would be your network.

• These are the people you know and that know you and know your skills and capabilities.
• If you're in need of a job right now, reach out to the people that you know. Ask them what opportunities they may know of right now.
• Reach out to the people that are your weak ties, people that are acquaintances, are strangers that you may have one or two common interests. Weak ties usually don't run in the same circles as you do, which means they have access to information and opportunities that you don't.
• Using your network is going to help you skip most of the application process and give you better chances. So if you need a job now, start there first.

Next, you can start freelancing or doing other short term gigs.

• If you have a certain skill set, like being able to design websites or copywriting, you could do some freelance gigs for companies
• You can get temporary gigs using Uber, Lyft, or Doordash
• You can take a temporary job like working at Starbucks as you try and figure out something that's better for your career.

Being able to know that money's coming in will allow us to calm down enough to be able to focus on our long term career and to get into a job that helps us reach our goals.

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Activity

Download today's worksheet and complete the exercises inside of the worksheet.

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Skill Lesson Mastered

Demonstrate mastery of the knowledge and skills presented in this lesson by applying it to the above activity. If, and only if, you have a full understanding and have mastered the knowledge and skills presented in this lesson, select the next lesson in the navigation.