Career Advice to Combat Long-Term Unemployment

The Great Global Recession has left many professionals of all ages struggling and looking for career advice on how to avoid long-term unemployment.  This is a real concern, especially given the worrisome statistics from the Department of Labor data showing that long-term unemployment (i.e. remaining unemployed for over 6 months) has increased by over 400 percent, from 1.3 million from the start of the recession in December 2007, to 6.8 million this June 2010.  Career advice that are generally provided to unemployed workers generally include sending resumes and staying involved in a scheduled routine.  An additional piece of career advice that I would like to provide relates to volunteering.  Indeed, contributing to projects that are bigger than themselves can provide unemployed workers of all experience level and age groups with valuable experience and an opportunity to feel better about themselves.  At the same time, cash strapped nonprofits and social enterprises are hungry for capable volunteers that could provide them with the much needed help they need to generate a bigger impact.

Of course, volunteering to a new job is not a new trend.  However, few unemployed workers know where to look for meaningful opportunities that can leverage their clerical, managerial, or technical skills to both keep their skills fresh and provide unemployed workers with an opportunity to connect with new people, which in turn might lead to learning about new paid opportunities.  Some volunteer opportunities will require to commute to an organization, but a growing number of opportunities can also be done at home or at the local library through an online connection.  Through volunteering, unemployed workers can meet employed professionals that can provide them with valuable future connections, which in turn might lead to new opportunities.  Here are a few ideas and insights that might help unemployed professionals find a new balance by positively contributing their skills to help nonprofits and social enterprises through volunteering:

VolunteerMatch - Through this user friendly website, you can find an outstanding array of volunteer opportunities.  Anyone from teenagers to retired professionals to unemployed workers can find a great opportunity to make a positive difference as a volunteer.  VolunteerMatch offers a database that you can use to search for volunteer opportunities based on various criteria (e.g. virtual vs in person, one-time or over a few months, specific cause or focus), as well as resources and services that help future volunteers make an informed decision regarding what they can do and how much time they can commit to a volunteer project.

The HandsOn Network - Through their website and the local action centers they partner with throughout the country, the HandsOn Network offers a number of opportunities for potential volunteers to go from intention to action by matching them with projects ranging from building accessibility ramps to tutoring programs to watershed protections projects.  In terms of career advice, I would recommend that you look for your local center and gain more information about the current projects you can get involved in.  Bring your resume and ask for current and future projects that leverage your past experience.

The Taproot Foundation - If you are a management professional or a consultant, you can contribute your skills through these pro bono consulting projects designed to help a local nonprofit grow and better serve its constituents.  I would suggest that you read a few of their case studies and browse their current available projects.  These steps will help you further articulate how you can add value and which types of projects are a better fit for your skill set.

Through each of these online portals, you might be able to find projects that you can dedicate a few hours a week to.  I would suggest that you focus on projects that help you keep your previous skills sharp.  The more you capitalize on your previous skills, the more your new co-volunteers will appreciate your contributions and will be willing to make introductions to new contacts that might know of paid opportunities that will leverage your experiences and skills.  In addition, you can list your volunteer assignments on your resume, which will help you showcase how you have made the most out of your unemployed time to make a difference and keep your skills sharp.  Finally, these volunteer activities will help you keep a positive outlook on your future.  The longer you remain unemployed, the harder it is to stay positive and to remain confident about your skills and the results you can generate through your skills.

What other career advice do you have to combat long-term unemployment?

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