Unemployment can be an extremely stressful experience. Panic is a perfectly natural response to being made redundant, but instead of throwing yourself straight into the hunt for a new job, it may be useful to pause for a moment, take a breath, and consider your options.

Perhaps you've heard that old factoid about how the Chinese word for 'crisis' can also mean 'opportunity'. This isn't really true, but it's a good way of looking at things: losing your job is a crisis, but a brief period of unemployment can also be a great opportunity to change your career trajectory and get closer to achieving your life goals.

To help you make the most of that opportunity, here are ten unemployment tips from the team here at Hyper Recruitment Solutions.

6 Things to Do While You're Unemployed

1. Apply for JSA. Hopefully it won't be long before you find a rewarding new role, but it's important to keep some money coming in until then. If you live in the UK, you may be able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) to help tide you over until you get a new job - visit gov.uk for more information.
   
   
2. Consider temporary / contract work. If JSA isn't enough to cover your cost of living, temp jobs can be a useful stopgap while you're looking for something more permanent. Get in touch with a temp agency and find out what sort of work is currently available. Contracting with HRS >
   
   
3. Think about what you want from your working life. What do you want your career to look like? A period of unemployment is the perfect time to change the path you're on and start making progress towards your goals. Whether you want to win awards for your work or just make enough money to live comfortably, be sure to keep those dreams in mind as you consider your next move.
   
   
4. Polish up your CV. If you're going to be applying for jobs, the first thing to do is look at your CV and make sure a) that it's up to date, and b) that it does your talents justice. For help with improving your CV, visit our CV Tips & Advice page.
   
   
5. Get interview-ready. That smashing CV of yours will hopefully make lots of employers eager to get to know you, so make sure you're prepared for a job interview! Rehearse some common interview questions with a friend or family member, and ask them to make up a few questions of their own to keep you on your toes. You should also make sure you look the part: get a haircut if you need one, and keep your smartest clothes on standby just in case you hear from a potential employer.
   
   
6. Don't fall out of routine. If you don't currently have a job to get up for, you may be tempted to fall into bad habits: sleeping in late, staying up until the wee small hours, keeping your pyjamas on all day, and so on. To keep yourself in a productive, work-ready frame of mind, we recommend sticking to a daily routine as much as possible - see our working from home productivity tips for more information.

If you are looking for a new job right now, Hyper Recruitment Solutions can help! We have a huge variety of scientific vacancies listed on our website - click here to browse and apply online.

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