Being in the middle of a career change doesn’t have to be bad. In some ways, it may provide you the needed time to reflect and reestablish your goals.
Making sure you redeem the time with productive activity is a critical part of gaining the most from each minute. It’s okay to sit on the pity pot every once in a while, but at some point you need to stand up and get involved again. Volunteering is a great way to help other organizations grow, meet new people and improve or enhance your skills.
If you are out of a paying gig, i3 recommends you spend 40 hours a week this way:
- 10 hours a week regularly volunteering at a not-for-profit or in community service. Be dependable and excellent.
- 10 hours a week cleaning up your own crap. That means deep cleaning and organizing your living space. Get rid of things you don’t use or need. It’s a time for “out with the old to make way for the new”. A cluttered home is a cluttered mind. It also means restoring and repairing broken relationships. Having time off can be a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with people. Don’t let bitterness or resentment hinder you. Learn. Love. Forgive. Traveling emotionally light will help you prepare to do your best at your next job.
- 10 hours a week just relaxing. Read a book, see a movie, watch tv or sit outside enjoying nature. Enjoy life on purpose.
- 10 hours a week “smartly” looking for your next paying position. Check your email every day. Make sure you always have a quality resume on hand since you never know who you might meet when you’re out in the world. Make sure you’ve set up keyword specific job alerts so you’re the first to apply for the positions you want. Be proactive about searching online for jobs, just as you learned in “How To Get A Good Job and Make It Better”. Remember, it takes 30 – 90 days and several interviews to be offered a high paying job so you have to stay on top of managing the process.