Unemployed and Underemployed: Improving Your Network

Written by Luis Figueroa, Jr.

Co-Host of The Buddy System Podcast

In our most recent episode of The Buddy System Podcast, we discussed the affects of being unemployed or underemployed. In an effort to be fully transparent, we would like to remind everyone that both Teddy and I each have roughly four years of professional work experience in a variety of fields. During that time, we have had seasons of unemployment, in addition to post-college experiences where we felt we were overqualified (We referred to this in the podcast episode as underemployed).  While we may not have a significant number of years of experience in the professional world, our goal for The Buddy System Podcast is to uncover what we have learned. We hope you can resonate and connect with some of what we've shared. 

As we mentioned in the previous episode, finding ways to continue improving your professional experiences and building up a network of support can greatly benefit your growth, especially when you find yourself outside of your preferred field. Having experienced this myself, here are a couple of truths I have found helpful when I felt like I was on the “outside".

Determination to Improve

When you are unemployed it is imperative to challenge yourself to always be doing

something. Assertiveness shows the world, as well as yourself, that unemployment is

only temporary. Although unemployment is inconvenient and discouraging, it's a unique opportunity to use your time to learn something new or find what you are truly passionate about.  Here are four examples of things you can do to make the most of your unemployment and improve your situation:

• Volunteer - Studies have shown that those who take time to help others are generally happier than those who don’t. You can check out a short article discussing the benefits
  
  of volunteering here. Taking the time to volunteer allows you to stay active while investing in your own personal happiness.  Unemployment can quickly and unfairly strip you of hope - you have to fight to stay positive. Volunteering also allows you to naturally expand your network and build relationships with new people who are also volunteering, or are in charge of those organizations.
• Take a Personality Survey - Find an online personality inventory and discover what sort of field would be a great fit for you. I personally enjoyed taking a free inventory that can be found here. At the end of the survey, the results discuss possible positions that would be the best fit for you. Use your unemployment time to learn more about a particular field and what sort of entry level positions match your educational background. If you find a gap in your education with your desired position...
• Enroll in Free Online Classes - Today's technological environment offers a host of options available to you. For example, learning more about Excel, Photoshop, or a new programming language can help fill in those gaps.  At the unbeatable cost of $0, you're able to explore a variety of options to build your resume and continue growing your professional qualifications. 
• Be Mindful of your Next Steps - Find ways to overlap the position you are currently in with your preferred field.  For instance, if you wish to be in finance and are currently working in fast food, ask your manager if you can help out with the budget to find ways to cut down on costs. If you want to pursue a career in marketing and are currently working in retail, find ways to assist management with campaigns that drive growth. The idea is to increase your skill set and improve your marketability if, and when, a position becomes available that you are interested in.

Building a Network of Support

Personally, I think of my “network” as more of a support system, rather than a group of people who can be "used" to advance my career.  Networking should be all about building a system of people who are able to help you in times of need and celebrate with you in times of success.  In addition, a network should be mutual - you should want to help and celebrate with others in their career as well. 

People fail at networking when they only want to benefit themselves. When meeting people with selfish ambition, it comes across as insincere and self-absorbed. Networking should be about candidly meeting new people, getting to know more about them, and building on that friendship - without a hidden agenda. While the concept of networking can be overwhelming, it is essential to growing professionally.  No one can get to where they want to be alone - we are always better together. But that leads to a few begging questions...How do we “network” effectively? Is it deceiving to want to meet someone just for "personal gain"? Here are some ways to rethink networking, as well as consider what the idea of networking means for you.

• Show Genuine Curiosity - Networking is simply meeting someone new. An important part of effectively networking is never being afraid to step out of your comfort zone and build relationships with new people.  You never know how that association could end up benefiting you or the other person down the road. Building your own knowledge about someone else can take time, but if you show a genuine interest in people and are curious about their background, it can help to foster an organic friendship. If meeting someone new is the very basics of networking, then we should try to meet anyone and everyone - the clerk at the grocery store, the new guy a few cubicles down the hall, or the UPS delivery man dropping off your new waffle iron from Amazon.  Showing genuine curiosity and building new relationships opens the doors to so many different opportunities. Learning should never stop, and that includes learning about others - not just things. It starts with asking questions.
• Connect within your Desired Field - Look up people on LinkedIn who are currently in your preferred field and check out their background and how they got to where they are now. If you find anything in common with them, send them a connection request and include that commonality in the message. You may be surprised at how much people genuinely want to provide meaningful feedback and tips. Let them know about the situation you are in and see if they have any insight on free classes or volunteer programs that would continue to build up your skill set and help you become a viable candidate for a position that you want. 
• Ask Your Network for Help - Once you've established a genuine relationship, open up and ask your support system for any insight or knowledge of available positions that you might not know about. If you are under the impression that only close friends do this sort of thing, you may be mistaken. In the book The Tipping Point, written by Malcolm Gladwell, a survey was completed by 700 people in a suburb of Boston. The
  survey focused on employment history.  Results showed that 56% of the participants shared that they found their current job through a personal connection.  Gladwell's book revealed that of those who used a contact to find a job...

• Only 16.7% saw that contact “often” - about as often as they would if the contact were a good friend
• 55.6% saw their contact “occasionally” 
• 28% saw the contact “rarely” 

Gladwell simply states, "People weren’t getting their jobs through their close friends. They were getting a job through their acquaintances." While it's essential that when building your network you remain genuine, this doesn't mean you have to become a close friend to all. Gladwell's study shows that you do not have to be in a deeply invested friendship for someone to help you in a time of need. A mutual acquaintance built on sincerity can make the largest difference. The same could be said if someone were to reach out to you. If they have initiated a genuine introduction and conversation, you would hopefully be more likely to provide them with help.  This means stepping out of your comfort zone, extending a simple hand shake, and getting your name out there.

          The key to everything discussed is discipline. Establishing good habits in the face of adversity through unemployment or underemployment can end up growing your professional and personal well being more than you realize. Discipline takes determination to improve your situation, initiative to make the best of an adverse situation, and the courage and confidence to build a network of support. If you feel frustrated with either being unemployed or underemployed, is there anything you can take away and put into practice today?

The goal of The Buddy System Podcast is to create an environment for us to change the way we think and constantly be challenging ourselves to be better.  We are here to provide a listening ear and would love to connect and help build your network of support. Be bold. Stay Positive. Reach out.