Job applications can be a “tough job” for anyone. There are a lot of variables which make it a tedious process. While people are going through this what else can they do so that they may have a better chance of landing the job and earn some money for day to day expenses? This article focuses on such little tips and tricks to help you utilize that buffer time productively.
- Apply to be an Ambassador for a company/service
There are a lot of companies which have this new form of involvement from individuals where they don’t hire you as an intern or an employee but still make a part of their organization in a way that you promote their services and products. They help you out growing professionally or personally and connecting you with like minded individuals. So its a win-win situation for the individuals and the companies. There are Ambassador programs being offered by a lot of companies like Hootsuite, Microsoft, Google and more. All you have to do is do your research and find such opportunities. It adds great value to your CV because it shows you are a multi tasker and someone who values time and utilizes it in constructive way. Being an ambassador shows you were always involved in something creative and working instead of being out of the job market.
- Learn courses online from any of the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course)
Lately there has been a great push to utilize the power of internet to achieve social good and promote causes which are beneficial to the society at large. With the penetration on internet worldwide there have been the development of MOOCs (as they are popularly known as) to provide free education worldwide. These courses are offered from the most reputed universities of the world like Harvard, Stanford and most top universities of every country free of cost online. All you need is internet access and the will to complete the courses. There are websites like edx, Udacity, Coursea, iversity and many more which provide courses on any topic possible and offer you certificates too on successful completion of these courses. Needless to say these certificates and courses will make you more employable and give you a competitive edge over the other applicants.
- Learn a new language
There have been researches done and it has been proven that speaking multiple languages is a great sign of being intelligent and it keeps your brain active. And again, unless you are born to parents from different countries or in a country like India where everyone speaks 3-4 languages quite easily, you might need the help of internet and use tools like Duolingo, Livemocha, Busuu or the whole list of 40 resources present here. learning a new language or knowing multiple languages helps you to be more employable because you can work with multiple nationalities and in multiple countries easily thus proving an asset to the organization. Moreover, knowing some languages actually can get you a fat check.
- Volunteer or join a NGO
Once you start working you normally won’t get much time to follow your dreams and find time for stuff you are passionate about because work hours can be long and then these days it also means traveling and more. Plus you need time to relax and rejuvenate and find time for your family and loved ones. This leaves less or almost no time for working on something like a cause you really find worthy for your time. Maybe you want to help poor children study, maybe you want to help refugees or join a NGO which may work for any other cause. This is the time when you should devote time to such causes. Also, volunteering can be regarded as a great skill and can add value to your CV.
- Spend time doing something you love
We all have hobbies. Listening to music, playing video games, reading books, playing guitar to any thing more random someone can think of. Most jobs wouldn’t leave time for pursuing hobbies and it is a sad fact that people lose their interests and hobbies because of the lack of time so they have a great excuse for doing what they love while they are not busy.
- Gain knowledge from websites like Quora, Wikipedia and more
There are a lot of amazing websites which help increasing one’s knowledge. Wikipedia has been one of the oldest known websites but there are a lot of the recent additions like Quora, Reddit and more where you can learn something new from real people. Whether it’s celebrities, sports person, politicians or famous people from any background they all frequent such sites and answer questions directly. Internet has made it very easy for us to connect with the most famous people who would probably be out of our reach in real life and we can make the most of it through these platforms. There is also a lot of knowledge on howstuffworks and more such websites.
- Travel if you can
There is a lot written on how travel enriches a human being. The internet is full of articles on how amazing it is to travel. Challenging yourself to be out of your comfort zone, meeting strangers, being on your own in an unfamiliar world, unfamiliar place with strangers. How to manage your time, finances and how every small decision you take makes you more independent. Also, you might think if I don’t have a job how am I supposed to travel? Well very valid point. Try and explore your own country in that case. I am sure we take it for granted but our own countries have a lot to offer and it’s not always necessary that we have to fly to another country to travel.
We hope you had some great ideas through this article and would try and judiciously use your time while you are in between the application process and landing a job. Do let us know if you have more creative ideas on the subject. We are always happy to hear from our readers.
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