How to deal with unemployment stress (without freaking out)

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How to deal with work and money stress without freaking out

If you're always worried about money, and wondering "How do I get a job?", here are things you can do that help.

You are still a valuable person. It's really easy to tie your identity to your job and a sense of contributing, but job or no job, you are still a person with a whole stack of stuff to be proud of.

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Summary

  • A big cause of the high youth unemployment rate was the Global Financial Crisis of 2007.

  • 1 in 3 young people are currently unemployed or underemployed.

  • 1/3 young job seekers experience anxiety, 1/4 experience depression and almost 1/2 experience stress.

3 things we want you to remember

  • You're not alone - with youth unemployment pretty high in Australia, feeling crap about not having work is pretty common.

  • This is not forever - things in your life will change and you won't always feel this bad.

  • You're still a valuable person with or without a job, and have things to be proud of.

3 things we want you to try

  • Talk to someone about how you're feeling (friends, family, a counsellor, ReachOut forums).

  • Check out our videos with young job seekers who've been there.

  • Have a look at our 'best of the web' guides with practical tips and resources on work and money.

How to stay motivated when you don't have a job

It can be hard to stay motivated if you're wondering what to do if no one will hire you or what to do if you cannot find a job. Hear from these young people on things they did to help them keep going.

For me, doing exercise or reading books or doing whatever you like is the most important to keep you busy.

Read the transcript.

Key tips that helped these young people stay motivated:

  • Have your resume updated and ready to go.

  • Search for jobs on Seek, Facebook, through a desk provider.

  • Even if you don't feel like it, get out of bed.

  • Do what you can to keep moving, by doing things like grocery shopping or putting on high energy music.

How April dealt with not having a job

April struggled with looking for work and wondering "will I get the job?" for a long time before finding a job right for her. Learn from what she has to say about how to find the job for you.

I think it builds resilience because you're constantly at it, all the time, dealing with rejection and every time you deal with rejection you get a little better at dealing with it.

Read the transcript.

What helped April:

  • April tried every avenue to find work: Facebook, the newspaper, online, her network.

  • She applied for pretty much everything you can think of.

  • She struggled with self doubt while waiting to hear back from employers, feeling like she wasn't wanted or needed.

  • Someone's going to want you, and when they do they'll realise how great you are.

  • Surround yourself with positive people, and seek help if needed.

  • Her advice is to keep trying and to do your best - that's all you can do.

What can I do now?

  • Check out our videos of young people talking about work and money.

  • Have a look at our 'best of the web' guides to help you with work and money stuff.

  • Talk to people who get it in our forums.

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