8 Ways to Sharpen Your Mind During Unemployment

You’re dull if your mind is not sharp for job interviews and meeting important people. There is no excuse.

Many people go to the job interview unprepared, and others are just not ready to respond directly to areas of competency. I’ve seen it happen too often. Long-term unemployment can make you dull. So can lots of free time. You don’t need to drag a dragging mind to an interview or meet someone who can introduce you to key people.

Here are suggestions to keep your mind active and engaged:

1. Read articles, blogs, and tweets related to your industry

If you do not target a career and are just looking for a job, you are missing an opportunity to expand your perspective, know the latest technology, and engage in industry-related hot topics.

2. Read books, I mean the 200-400 pages or more books!

We become pretty dull keeping up with the latest television show or catching up on seasons missed of our favorite show. It’s an excellent time to read 200-400-page books that go into depth. You choose the subject, but read something you can implement immediately and often.

3. Hit the Gym/Catch up on health-related appointments/Take care of health

Improving your health will constantly shift your mind and heart. Memory retention and cognitive reasoning. More importantly, stay healthy for the right reasons. If you are unemployed and extra income opportunities are sparse, then it is best to take care of yourself first.

4. Update certifications and computer skills

There is no excuse for failing to find courses (even college level) to take (wait for it, wait for it) for free. MIT and Cambridge are just two universities offering free college courses. If you look around enough, city and community colleges offer evening classes worth $70 for introductions to new skills. But for industry-related skills, you’ll need much more. Research how vital they are within the industry before spending the money. Go as far as thinking critically about getting the credentials. If you’re following others in the field, they are your best resource.

5. Iron sharpens iron relationship

It helps when there is a professional relationship that will help you become sharper, more innovative, stronger, and better all the way around. Partner with someone you consider to be on the same professional track, and help each other with your goals and aspirations.

6. Networking

Everything is networking at this point. You turn to the person behind you in line and start talking. That may mean dressing like you will not vegetate on the couch for the rest of the day when running to the store for milk. Yes, holiday parties can suck, but they can be the way to be generous with your time as others do the same.

7. Listen to podcasts, use YouTube

Good podcasts in the unemployed phase in your job search seem like classes or webinars. That is what my podcast attempts to do–educate. Good podcasts engage your thoughts and drive you to improvement and empowerment.

8. Spend time with Artificial Intelligence (AI software)

How are your peers using it in the industry? How will it improve your productivity? It seems as essential as knowing how to use search engines and keywords and broaden your learning.

Suggestions? How are you staying sharp during your job search? Let us know.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Mastering the Art of Interview: How to Take Control and Impress the Interviewer

When candidates prepare for a single job interview, they must have intel about how the job and industry work and what makes the hiring manager and team tick.

Control of the interview is to create a conversation to make the interviewer feel you’re easy to work with daily and exchange ideas. You’re not controlling because you’re asking the questions. You guide the conversations with the answers and responses you give, making the interviewer want to know more.

1) How does your experience resonate with what the team does regularly? Through rapport, you look for times to trade stories with the interviewer(s) about departments, conferences, and training.

2) You can control the tempo of the conversation by getting the interviewer to engage in your stories. Storytelling is the best way to accentuate your strengths and how you implemented solutions. Engagement gets them involved in sharing some of their stories and challenges.

3) Show you can gather, analyze, and manage data to customize to the company’s needs based on what’s discussed in the interview. They want to preview your work behaviors and crisis reactions. Most interviewers consider their work challenges unique and want to know how the candidate faces adversity.

What about candidates who are nervous or shy during the interview? How can they take control without coming across as too aggressive?

A good candidate connects with the interviewer through storytelling, but if you want to positively persuade them to like you, control the pace of sharing your experiences.

Great stories convey peaks and valleys, intrigue and suspense, the protagonist (that’s you), and an antagonist (the problem). Ultimately, you share the solution, but it doesn’t mean you must tell it all in one shot.

You can pause and ask the interviewer if they faced similar experiences or challenges.

You can interject how you feared or failed in judging the outcome.

You can also draw some parallels between the company problems and the ones you’re about to share and how you solved the issues you faced.

I have interviewed and hired many call center reps in my management career. The best interviews were ones where the candidate was a great listener. Throughout our conversation, they were able to repeat the needs of our call center through specific examples of how they handled similar experiences.

Even short stories can have all of the elements told in a way that generates interest and conveys value. When people see themselves in a scenario, they’re intrigued.

You can always stop a story to see if people identify with the storyteller, the audience, or both. If the experiences are shared, the interviewer may share their knowledge. The exchange and conversation where everyone involved is learning and conveying interest is the best gauge of how your interview went despite the hiring outcome results.