Restaurant and Food Service Blog

I always say it: When you’re in between jobs, your full-time job is looking for a job. You should be dedicating as much time as possible to a well-planned job search. For the lucky ones, this period of time is very short. But as the economy and job market worsens and the unemployment rate continues to rise, this period of time is lengthening by a significant amount for many.

So, aside from looking for a job, you may wonder if there are other things you should be doing in order to increase your chances of landing a position when you get the opportunity to interview. When the potential employer looks at you and asks, “What have you been doing from December 2007 until now?” you want to have an impressive and truthful answer. So, here are the things I would recommend for your consideration:

• Go back to school: Using the time for self-improvement is always an impressive move. It shows that you are willing to better yourself and learn the latest in your field of study so you’ve got one-up on the rest of the competition.
• Networking: While this effort should actually be part of your full-time job search, I include it in this list because you also need to think of it as an extracurricular activity as well. Keep in mind that you never know where you are going to meet your next potential referral (at the park, in a grocery store, at a friendly gathering, etc.). So, be prepared to spend extra amounts of time leveraging your networks.
• Take up exercise: Studies have shown that individuals who invest time in working out are more productive on the job…an attribute that certainly appeals to potential employers.
• Focus on new hobbies: When I say “new hobbies,” I don’t necessarily mean scrapbooking. I am talking about mind-expanding activities that will show you didn’t simply sit at home watching TV. Think about learning a new language, working with the disabled, or volunteering your extra time at an animal shelter. The additional areas of interest look great on a resume.
• Freelance: The last thing you want to have happen when “in transition” is for your mind to go soft and to begin forgetting your tools of the trade. There are many sites out there such as Guru or eLance that will help you keep your talent and skills fresh while you’re searching.