From June 2005 to August 2007 and ever since September 2010 I have been unemployed. That short stint between 2007 and 2010 was me trying my hand at university studies (which I later found isn't really for me. I love the research. I just hate the grades hysteria).
During my time as unemployed I have discovered a few things that have helped me regain my confidence and self-esteem, even though society at large is trying to punish me for not having a job (I still pay taxes on my welfare, you know). Many people still believe that if you're unemployed you don't want a job. This is complete bullshit. I have applied for close to 900 positions and I have finally landed a temp job at a museum, thanks to a friend of my parents. Then I hit the proverbial wall in April and now I'm busy regaining my equilibrium. I still want a full time job and I really hope this blog will turn into that. I'm already spending 4-6 hours per day on it, even if I don't post things everyday, but I'm derailing. Back on topic.
So, I've decided to make a list of things I have learned so far. I hope you'll enjoy it.
1. As unemployed in Sweden, make sure you have at least seven copies of every single paper, because if you're without a full time job for more than 4 months, you will start the New Contact dance. During my five years-and counting I have had 11 contacts at the employment agency, and nine of those have asked me to verify my CV by bringing in copies of my previous jobs, my school diploma etc, because they're not allowed to ask my previous contact for the information. Because, you know, having others do your job for you is so much better and more efficient than having a joint database.
2. You will get summoned to information meetings giving you the exact same information two or three times. Make sure you take notes on the first meeting. That way, you can do more constructive things on the following two. You know, like knitting or making a complicated blue print of Hobbiton on notebook paper.
3. At some point during your time as unemployed people will start to criticize the way you look. You can dress as perfectly as Jackie Kennedy and they will still find faults in you. I got told that no one would employ me as long as I wore blue nail polish and electrically red hair. Two days later I got a job interview and I got the job (Sadly, it was a short term fundraiser that needed extra people, so it didn't last.) My point is, be yourself, be polite, be straightforward, and your hair and nails will become irrelevant.
4. Don't, for everything that's holy and some that's not, tell any officials anything that might compromise your chances. The "anything you say can, and will, be held against you" apply in slews. Do not bring up hobbies. Do not bring up studies. Official hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Anything you do outside these hours is no one's business.
5. DO NOT LIE! I have never had this problem, or a reason to deceive, but I know people who have tried it and failed. It's not worth it. Be honest.
6. Come prepared. Drown your contact in options you have produced and they'll leave you alone for a while, while they try to find an option they can justify. If you play your cards right, that will also be the option you wanted as well.
7. Set a schedule. When you are at home all day, time tends to blend together and the days get lost in a whirlwind of self-hate, guilt, and a messed up sleep schedule. My schedule included four hours of job search in the morning, lunch, then 2 hours of sending out applications, and two hours of school work.
The most important thing to remember is that your worth is not based on your job. If you have loads of time to kill, do volunteer work. Help people with homework/yard work/cleaning/baby sitting etc. There are people around me who sneer and huff when I tell them I am a blogger, because to them, blogging isn't a real job. To me, this is what I want to do for a living, so their opinion isn't relevant to my life.
Find something you love, incorporate it into your working life somehow, and if people try to degrade you because you don't have a 9-5 job, politely walk away. Being unemployed is really really tough, especially on the psyche. People who have never been unemployed have no idea how tough it is. The constant sneers, disdain, and disgust aimed at you, without even a pretense of disguise. The guilt gnawing on your soul. The self-loathing burning away any chance at confidence.
A person's worth is not defined by their job. Raise your head and walk tall. Find your thing, be it volunteer work, blogging, gaming, payed work, sports, or whatever, and do that to your heart's content. Everyone is valuable.
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