Free Keeping Your Head After Losing Your Job by Robert L. Leahy

“information interviews” to find out what was out there, what people were looking for. These were actually people working in companies that did not have current openings. She simply asked friends to give her leads for people working in an industry that she wanted to get into. These information interviews helped her to learn more about the field and more about how she needed to present herself, and they helped her develop a strategy for a real interview. Make yourself into someone who is constantly getting better at job interviews. The better you get, the more likely you are to get a job.
    EXERCISE: BE METHODICAL ABOUT LOOKING FOR A JOB
Use this list to help you create structure in your search for a job.
    •Your current job is looking for a job. Go to work every day.
    •Identify what kinds of jobs would be OK for you. Could you consider being more flexible? Why or why not?
    •List your contacts, potential contacts, and resources for looking for a job.
    •Have a schedule each day, every week, for what you are doing towards looking for a job.
    •Research companies before you consider an interview. Know what they do and what they need.
    •Think of each interview as a step towards the next interview, which is a step towards a job.
    5: Schedule some fun for yourself
    Although you are unemployed, you don’t have to be morose. Keep yourself busy by scheduling daily activities that are interesting, fun or even challenging. Get out your old hobbies or start a new one. Get more exercise. Have lunch with friends, read a book, or travel. I suggest to people that you think of this time as a kind of sabbatical from your previous job. You may as well make use of the time now, because when you are back to work you will kick yourself for not having had some fun while you had the time.
    Having fun is—well, a lot of fun. Some people I have counseled use this time to get more involved in a sport: tennis, golf, biking, hiking, running, or just plain exercise. One man who was out of work thought this would be a good time to get into better shape, so he started taking three-mile walks every day. He had to build up to it, but he was out there most days with his mp3 player in his ear, enjoying being outside. (Incidentally, some people have “seasonal affective disorder,” which means they feel worse in overcast weather, so getting more sunlight early in the day is very helpful. Perhaps you could start each day by taking a walk or jogging. The more sunlight, the better.) Having fun is one of the best protectors against depression.
    Spending time with the ones you love
    Having fun can also include time with your kids, your partner, or your pet. One of my clients, who was a very serious person and seemed to have been wrapped up in his work when he had a job, had previously not taken time to have much fun with his eight-year-old son. I asked him how his son saw the world. “Well, he loves soccer, and he loves kicking the ball around, and making believe that he is a famous soccer player,” he said. He agreed that his son knew how to have fun. I suggested that he spend some time each day trying to learn from his son how to have fun. Playing was the answer. Make-believe could work. So he began playing with his son, getting into the make-believe world, announcing what they were doing like they were on television. He learned that he could get a lot out of being a kid for an hour. And his son got a lot more out of his dad.
    Marie had a dog that she adored. I suggested that having fun might include taking really nice long walks with “Jill” and enjoying Jill’s enjoyment of the city. There were lots of other dogs out there—and, in New York City, you are known as the father or mother of your dog. Getting out with your dog is a way to meet other people—and other dogs. Your dog will love you more. Not only does your dog not care that you don’t have a job but he also might think that taking him out for a walk is the best thing in the world