Maintaining optimism during my unemployed COVID job hunt.

I was unemployed In the early days of the pandemic when most companies were consolidating for fear of the unknown.

I was new to my industry and felt that I might have to reconsider my career choices if I couldn’t find work soon.

Luckily, I started finding strategies for maintaining optimism, and it helped me gain traction in a new industry.

Connecting with people who’ve been in my shoes gave me hope

I made it a full-time job to network, learn, and workshop my portfolio.

I learned I could use the internet to find people in similar positions, grabbing calls with coaches, mentors, managers, and industry leaders. I came out of every meeting with enthusiasm and ways to improve my case studies.

I reviewed my portfolio with a design manager at a global company, and I remember him saying, “I would hire you.” Although it wasn’t a job prospect, it was the first indication that I was growing and getting better.

I’d given my shpeal hundreds of times to strangers, so when recruiters eventually called I knew what to say.

It took eight months of unemployment to make it to the second round of an interview.

I was dying for the interviewer to ask “tell me about a time..” because when they did, I took the screen share, smiled through a well-rehearsed case study, and was overjoyed by the opportunity to present to a creative director at a public company.

When I saw my soon to be director smiling back at me, I realized how infectious enthusiasm could be

This story helped me realize that people know how you make them feel more than your work or your experience.

Use your community and network as a source of hope, and when you’re able to pay it back, be that source of optimism for folks whose shoes you’ve worn before.

Read this post and more on my Typeshare Social Blog