Bank Holiday for the Jobhunter

Rather like a lot of the jokes which appear on Facebook about Monday morning blues and the anticipated joys of Friday and the weekend, do job hunters have Bank Holidays ?? Its very easy to feel guilty about being tempted to be in the holiday mode when you are not working, but actually to take a bit of distraction is very important. I have often written about the importance of staying in contact and circulation, indeed only yesterday I wrote about staying in the loop. It is indeed very difficult on an extremely limited income, which is why I have often posted on the subject of free or cheap ways to have fun. However, staying in touch with the outside world, other than sitting on front of a computer 24/7 sending off your CV can actually help you to get a job by making and keeping contacts to whom at the right moment , you can mention your job search....so, if you get invited and can afford any associated expenses, do go to that barbeque.

 
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 On the other hand, if you have indeed as is so easy to do when living on a very limited income, got a bit out of touch ,  and the psychological effects of unemployment are well documented, it is very beneficial to make and keep friends, the very fact that you are reading my blog just now suggests that you may have your own PC and therefore have unlimited access to the web. There are a million and one free online ways to widen your horizons and make new friends ...or discover unknown links with the friends you think you know !! Again, to have contacts and interests and have your interests known can help in the job search, but  it is also important for yourself to be able to talk about other things than the Job centre. Not only do you come across as a much more interesting person, but to be able to talk and share with others...and indeed to listen, shows that you still care about other people. They have interests and concerns too and nobody wants to hear about your job search and financial problems at every opportunity you think you get

Some of my favorite web discoveries that I share with friends, both those I know personally and those I have yet to meet  but with whom I have shared a lot of thoughts and experiences and who have enriched my life so much  are  Spotify, where you can listen to loads of music tracks for free that you just might not be able to afford to buy at the moment, and discover also what your friends are listening to. Also of course is the classic original and much loved Youtube.

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Another very useful free discovery is free Ebooks.. Although there have been other formats and cheaper Ereaders on the market recently, Kindle still is the most popular, quite possibly because it has the largest market of free books via Amazon. I have downloaded loads of free books on subjects as diverse as writing prompts, blogging, starting a business, freelance writing and .....to change the subject from making a living....novels to read including classics I have missed reading or favorites I read years ago,  new authors and genres I would not have normally noticed.. If it turns out that you are good at writing book reviews you can earn some money doing so.On sites such as Goodreads you can share your reading lists with friends old and new..

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Another site I have mentioned as being great fun, useful and also great for networking and finding people with whom you will share interests is Pinterest   Consider too. Pinterest and your job search  and the surprising ways of how Pinterest can help your job search

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Maybe  take some time over the long weekend to go through your emails and  job alerts and perhaps work on your CV, but don't feel guilty about having a good time ....all work and no play and all that as the saying goes but also that play can actually help your job search.