It’s a competitive job market out there and that means it can be hard to find a job. Unfortunately the job search may take weeks, months, or even longer. The long term job search is not fun. And the longer you are unemployed, the harder it is to find a job. It’s a vicious cycle.
As time ticks by, you may start to wonder if it’s better to take any job vs having no job at all. When you start to feel this way, it might be time to take a survival job.
15 Tips To Help You Survive The Job Search
A survival job is a temporary job taken as a last resort during a long term job search. Survival jobs are typically gigs that you are overqualified for. They provide a steady paycheck that can help to keep you afloat financially.
The goal of the survival job is to provide you with a living wage during a long term job search. Even if you budgeted for unemployment and you’re living frugally, you still need to stay on top of your finances during the job search. A survival job can help you do just that.
There’s no shame in taking a survival job. Ideally you can find a survival job with a quality employer where you can still build transferable skills and potentially get your foot in the door for a different job. Best case scenario you get a cool survival job and discover an entirely new career path. At the very least, a survival job will help you to collect a paycheck that will help to cover your living costs and avoid any debt.
The only real problem with a survival job that you need to be aware of is that it detracts from what’s really important – finding your ideal job. Survival jobs create a juggling act between your life, work, and job search. It’s your responsibility to stay focused on your job search while working a survival job. If you don’t, you might get stuck.
Do You Qualify For Unemployment Benefits?
Always stay positive throughout the long term job search process. The right attitude combined with the right job search tactics will help to ensure that you find a job in no time.
Need job search advice? Stop by the JobMonkey Blog anytime to get the latest and greatest advice that will point your job search in the right direction. Need a job? The JobMonkey JobCenter features 1000’s of job listings with cool employers located all over the world. Search and apply for your next job today.
See Also: Your Living Wage Calculator