Even though I got a great internship, I'm still not making any money! I'm absolutely broke and it doesn't help that I've decided to go on vacation to LA in May! :)
I've been exploring different ways that I can make some money or get freebies during unemployment--both conventional and unconventional ways. I stumbled upon Swagbucks from a friend who was telling me how she has been winning all these Amazon gift cards through it and that piqued my curiosity. I like free things!
I'm still new to Swagbucks but I'm learning. You earn swagbucks by searching (like you would on Google or Yahoo) & buying things on certain sites. There are a ton of other ways that you can earn swagbucks but I'm still learning the ropes. I'm hoping that some of YOU can help me learn! Are any of you on there? Any tips? Is it worth it?
Anyways, I'll keep checking out Swagbucks and give you all the latest on whether it is worth doing to make some extra money/get free things!
Go here to sign up and get 30 free swagbucks: SWAGBUCKS!
Showing posts with label ways to pass the unemployed days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ways to pass the unemployed days. Show all posts
Monday, March 29
Saturday, January 30
Give back.
I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.
Mahatma Gandhi
All you have to give is your time. And, as we unemployed folks know, we have plenty of that to spare. As I was selfishly moping and sulking about being jobless, I realized that there was a solution to the issue of feeling as though my days were wasted. I realized there was a way I could get out of the confines of my house AND make connections with others that want to make a positive impact on society. I could volunteer! It's not a novel idea or rocket science. However, when you are consumed with moping and sulking, helping people may not be on the forefront of your mind. I began my arduous task of picking just one volunteer opportunity that matched my skills and passions. I happened to find an organization in my area that needed some help with administrative duties and event planning. I can do that for sure! I filled out the application today and am excited to see what kind of experience it will be.
I just think that volunteering would be a really great way to pass those unemployed days. Here's why:
1. You are getting out of your house! For me, it doesn't help to be sitting at home just feeling all the more miserable about my jobless status. Get out of the house!!
2. You are doing good for people. I firmly believing in giving back to your community and to the world. I just think about all the times I've been helped in my life and what a difference that has made. Depending on what you are volunteering for, you are going to be helping people directly or indirectly (what I'll be doing) but either way you will be creating change and serving society in a better way.
3. Helping=Happiness: I've always noticed that every time I've volunteered for something or did something for another human being, it has always boosted my mood--even if I was never recognized for it or it was an anonymous type of thing. Doing something useful with your time can help fight those unemployment blues and help your community at the same time!
4. Resume Booster: Obviously this isn't the only reason you will be volunteering but the reality is that it is something to put on your resume and can be a possible reference. Work as hard as you would if it was a paid job. In a time when you can't find someone to pay you for your skills, volunteering is a great way to get experience to put on the resume. And if you are like me, you need all the resume boosting you can get! So find an organization to volunteer at that is a good fit and work hard!
5. You never know who you will meet: By volunteering, you are expanding your social circle. This is some of the best type of networking you can do. Make sure you maintain relationships with these people and remain professional while volunteering. Work hard and refrain from complaining! You never know who these people might know!
Have any of you had some great experiences volunteering? Do share!
A few great resources:
Volunteer Match
ServeNet
Idealist
Mahatma Gandhi
All you have to give is your time. And, as we unemployed folks know, we have plenty of that to spare. As I was selfishly moping and sulking about being jobless, I realized that there was a solution to the issue of feeling as though my days were wasted. I realized there was a way I could get out of the confines of my house AND make connections with others that want to make a positive impact on society. I could volunteer! It's not a novel idea or rocket science. However, when you are consumed with moping and sulking, helping people may not be on the forefront of your mind. I began my arduous task of picking just one volunteer opportunity that matched my skills and passions. I happened to find an organization in my area that needed some help with administrative duties and event planning. I can do that for sure! I filled out the application today and am excited to see what kind of experience it will be.
I just think that volunteering would be a really great way to pass those unemployed days. Here's why:
1. You are getting out of your house! For me, it doesn't help to be sitting at home just feeling all the more miserable about my jobless status. Get out of the house!!
2. You are doing good for people. I firmly believing in giving back to your community and to the world. I just think about all the times I've been helped in my life and what a difference that has made. Depending on what you are volunteering for, you are going to be helping people directly or indirectly (what I'll be doing) but either way you will be creating change and serving society in a better way.
3. Helping=Happiness: I've always noticed that every time I've volunteered for something or did something for another human being, it has always boosted my mood--even if I was never recognized for it or it was an anonymous type of thing. Doing something useful with your time can help fight those unemployment blues and help your community at the same time!
4. Resume Booster: Obviously this isn't the only reason you will be volunteering but the reality is that it is something to put on your resume and can be a possible reference. Work as hard as you would if it was a paid job. In a time when you can't find someone to pay you for your skills, volunteering is a great way to get experience to put on the resume. And if you are like me, you need all the resume boosting you can get! So find an organization to volunteer at that is a good fit and work hard!
5. You never know who you will meet: By volunteering, you are expanding your social circle. This is some of the best type of networking you can do. Make sure you maintain relationships with these people and remain professional while volunteering. Work hard and refrain from complaining! You never know who these people might know!
Have any of you had some great experiences volunteering? Do share!
A few great resources:
Volunteer Match
ServeNet
Idealist
Thursday, January 28
Non-Job Searching Ways to Pass the Unemployed Days!
It's easy to get the unemployment blues. Trust me. I've been there. It's easy to throw yourself a perpetual pity party that nobody (and I mean nobody) except yourself wants to attend. It doesn't even matter if there is a pinata. Nobody wants to come. I had to start finding ways to keep myself occupied and ward off those feelings of failure, self loathing, discontentment, & boredom. I wanted to use this time I had productively.
What are your favorite things to do to pass your unemployed days? (Past or present)
1. Read! I've always been a reader but I've been spending alot of my days reading. I read pretty much read anything. I've been knocking out some classics, some "fluffy" light reading, memoirs, self help, and of course reading related to the field I want to get in. I like to read outside when it is nice, in a cafe, a bookstore, a park, etc. I'm pretty addicted to Goodreads . I even started an online book group for College Students that is extremely active and has almost 800 members! It's a fun group. It's been fun to use all the things I know how to do for something I love (organizing, starting discussions, marketing the group in different ways, planning events and book giveaways, etc.). I'm all about stimulating my mind while I'm unemployed.
2. Vocab Sushi: I promise you I'm not a nerd. Ok, well, I can't promise you that. Anyways, has become my latest obsession. You take a little test and then it figures out where you stand vocab wise and then gives you an appropriate list of words to learn. You can see the words used in articles and sentences and do little word games. It's a really great way to keep your brain stimulated, build for yourself an extensive vocabulary, and, hey, you might even be able to through in a $3 word in an interview and sound extremely smart! Just make sure you are using it properly! :)
3. Learn How To Cook: I have considered myself one of those people who can cook or bake. I had never really done it before. Unless you count my little stint with my Easy Bake Oven as a child. However, through my own attempts out of unemployment boredom (and a little lesson from the movie Ratatouille) I soon learned that "anybody can cook!" Cooking can be expensive but luckily for me I still live at home with my stepdad and sister, neither of them who like to cook, so I'm given the money to buy groceries and they get a home cooked meal! You can find recipes that aren't too costly when you go to the grocery store. Always be on the lookout for specials going on and cut those coupons! Anyways, I just started picking things from allrecipes.com that sounded good and after my first experiment in cooking was a success I decided to keep trying. It's been fun and it feels really nice to cook something good for other people. It's also a nice skill to have for when the boyfriend and I get married! :)
4. Blog: I like to write so blogging is pretty fun for me! I have a few blogs that I write on and I've been enjoying the process. If you are passionate about something that relates to your particular career, blog about it! If you are into fashion, create a fashion blog. If you are a photographer, blog about the photography world and share your own shots! You never know who is going to stumble upon your blog. And at the end of the day, it's really nice to have documented your life.
5. "Spring Clean" Your Room/House: : I loathe cleaning. However, I have found that really tackling my room has been a productive and useful way to spend my day. I have been purging my room of clutter and trash and things that are no longer used or useful. Then I start organizing like a mad woman. It's just really nice to have an uncluttered headquarters here at camp unemployed. I've found some great tips and methods on a few blogs and websites. Let me know if any of you are interested in the links!
Anyways..those are just a few of the ways I've been spending my unemployed days. More to come!
XH5WMYEDYSMR
What are your favorite things to do to pass your unemployed days? (Past or present)
1. Read! I've always been a reader but I've been spending alot of my days reading. I read pretty much read anything. I've been knocking out some classics, some "fluffy" light reading, memoirs, self help, and of course reading related to the field I want to get in. I like to read outside when it is nice, in a cafe, a bookstore, a park, etc. I'm pretty addicted to Goodreads . I even started an online book group for College Students that is extremely active and has almost 800 members! It's a fun group. It's been fun to use all the things I know how to do for something I love (organizing, starting discussions, marketing the group in different ways, planning events and book giveaways, etc.). I'm all about stimulating my mind while I'm unemployed.
2. Vocab Sushi: I promise you I'm not a nerd. Ok, well, I can't promise you that. Anyways, has become my latest obsession. You take a little test and then it figures out where you stand vocab wise and then gives you an appropriate list of words to learn. You can see the words used in articles and sentences and do little word games. It's a really great way to keep your brain stimulated, build for yourself an extensive vocabulary, and, hey, you might even be able to through in a $3 word in an interview and sound extremely smart! Just make sure you are using it properly! :)
3. Learn How To Cook: I have considered myself one of those people who can cook or bake. I had never really done it before. Unless you count my little stint with my Easy Bake Oven as a child. However, through my own attempts out of unemployment boredom (and a little lesson from the movie Ratatouille) I soon learned that "anybody can cook!" Cooking can be expensive but luckily for me I still live at home with my stepdad and sister, neither of them who like to cook, so I'm given the money to buy groceries and they get a home cooked meal! You can find recipes that aren't too costly when you go to the grocery store. Always be on the lookout for specials going on and cut those coupons! Anyways, I just started picking things from allrecipes.com that sounded good and after my first experiment in cooking was a success I decided to keep trying. It's been fun and it feels really nice to cook something good for other people. It's also a nice skill to have for when the boyfriend and I get married! :)
4. Blog: I like to write so blogging is pretty fun for me! I have a few blogs that I write on and I've been enjoying the process. If you are passionate about something that relates to your particular career, blog about it! If you are into fashion, create a fashion blog. If you are a photographer, blog about the photography world and share your own shots! You never know who is going to stumble upon your blog. And at the end of the day, it's really nice to have documented your life.
5. "Spring Clean" Your Room/House: : I loathe cleaning. However, I have found that really tackling my room has been a productive and useful way to spend my day. I have been purging my room of clutter and trash and things that are no longer used or useful. Then I start organizing like a mad woman. It's just really nice to have an uncluttered headquarters here at camp unemployed. I've found some great tips and methods on a few blogs and websites. Let me know if any of you are interested in the links!
Anyways..those are just a few of the ways I've been spending my unemployed days. More to come!
XH5WMYEDYSMR
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