How to Thrive after Graduating, even when You’re Unemployed

Congratulations to all who graduated from university recently. 

For some of you, welcome to the employed world. For most of you, welcome to the Unemployment Sector. Sorry to burst your bubbles, but there aren’t enough paying jobs out there for all of you. That’s the reality. But what are you going to do about it? Just pout about it, and plonk yourself in your parents’ or relative’s couch, or get out there and make it happen for you?

Here's a few tips to making it happen:

Keep searching

I want to encourage you all who are still looking for work to not give up. If you’ve applied to 10 places that’s not enough. Apply for 20, 50, 100! If you’ve attended interviews and been rejected 9 times, attend the 10th, the 11th, the 20th, the 100th. Don’t stop going to interviews. You never know if the next one is the one unless you TURN UP.

Work/Serve for Free

Also, go work. Just because companies can’t pay you doesn’t mean they don’t need you. Offer your services for free if you have to. Reading Rich Dad Poor Dad recently, I’ve learnt that the best way to get ahead is to learn to not work for money but to have money work for you. The best way to learn this is to work for nothing! As Robert Kiyosaki himself had to do when he was young and being taught by Rich Dad. You don’t have to be employed to work. But maybe you have to work to be employable.

If you have acquired a special expertise or trade from your studies, offer it for free while you’re looking for employment opportunities. There’s a saying in business: “Give others what they want, and they will give you what you want”. Biblically it’s said simply “Give, and it will come back to you.” 

Are you afraid of surviving? But you’re surviving anyway without a job. You might as well do something and have no income, than do nothing and have no income. If you’re working without being paid you’ll be learning and growing, and you’ll be exposed. You’ll start building a network, which any successful businessman or professional will tell you is invaluable to being successful.

Invest Your Time and Money in Yourself

If you want people to eventually invest in you, you have to be willing to invest in yourself. Whatever money you have, use it to improve yourself. Buy and read books. Attend workshops and seminars on personal growth, leadership, or whatever field you’re interested in. Get a coach. Get a mentor. Hook up with good friends and acquaintances from who you can learn how to grow as a person, as a professional, as an entrepreneur. While you’re unemployed you have all the time in the world to learn. To study and grow. To meet people who may change your life. 

Generate Income Yourself

Being employed isn’t the only way to generate income. The age-old thinking of working for money is out-dated. Maybe it was never true, but we took it as the only reality regarding generating income. Most times we don’t want to try to make money ourselves by doing little things because we’re too proud. Too proud to sell hot-dogs. Too proud to take menial jobs. Other times it’s just lack of creativity. But if you spend time thinking about possible ways to make money, I’m sure you’ll find a dozen ways to make some money. Here's a hint: spend an hour every day brainstorming ideas to generate income. The more ideas you come up with, the more plausible it is that you'll land on a life-changing idea. 

Having just graduated, you might be thinking that getting a job is the mandatory next step you have to take in life. Who said so? This ancient mentality is obviously flawed. Many successful people didn’t even complete college and went straight into serving an idea to the world.

So don’t wait for life to happen to you, get out there and make life happen.