3 Tips for When Youre Between Jobs

3 Tips for When You’re Between Jobs 3 Tips for When You’re Between Jobs In a dry spell with your contract work, or recently unemployed and looking for that next opportunity?  Being between jobs is never easy, but you can still make your extra free time count.   Here are some strategies to try to make the most of your time when  between jobs: 1. Network, network, network. Many job opportunities come about through connections with people we already know. In an age of social media, this has become much easier than it used to be. While in the past, in-person networking events were one of the only ways to pass your business card around and meet/greet new professional contacts, we now have LinkedIn and other networking sites to help grease the wheels and open doors to potential new clients and employers. If you’re feeling light on your freelance load, that means you likely have extra time to do some additional networking. Get involved in more professional groups on social media, participate in industry discussions online, and network using your personality. 2.  Get ahead with what you’ve got. Whether  you’re a contractor, freelancer, or self-employed person, you likely have some irons in the fire even when others die down. If you’re in a period where some clients have moved on after you’ve completed their projects or have lost clients for other reasons, that’s no reason to sit on your hands and worry. In addition to increasing your networking, use freed-up hours to work ahead on projects with your current clients. For example, if you’re a contract art director who lays out a weekly newsletter for one client but you’ve lost your other main client, can you get ahead of the curve with your current client and prepare additional layouts in advance? Or if you’re a freelance writer, can you write a few posts ahead of schedule for a monthly blog series for a client while looking for new opportunities? That way, when you do get more work, you won’t be scrambling to keep up (the feast or famine syndrome). 3.  Boost your marketing efforts. The other piece of the puzzle is marketing. When you have plenty of business, you may let your marketing initiatives slide- but once you are short on clients, it suddenly becomes imperative to get your name out there. Use your time between jobs or gigs to explore some creative marketing ideas, like writing thought leadership pieces on social media forums or for industry publications, or creating a podcast about your area of expertise and making it available for download from your website. Lean times are never easy, but try to remember that they come with the territory of the self-employed or freelance life. Do what you can do, and soon enough, the “famine” phase will pass and you’ll be back in the feast! Find a Freelance Job Readers, what tips do you have for when youre between jobs? What strategies do you use? Tell us in the comments below!