How to not go stir crazy when you’re jobless

How many times in the working day do we wish we could be somewhere else? How many times, when that alarm goes off at 7.30am, do we wanna turn back over, sleep for a bit, then spend a day at leisure? I tell you what, I’ve had that thought countless times in the last 8 years. No matter if I enjoyed my job, I’d rather be laying on a beach in my swimmers, lazing the day away. Well, as luck would have it, I’ve got my wish! So, why am I bloody complaining?!

I didn’t expect the job hunt to be this long or this hard in Sydney, and sometimes it can be difficult to take a step back and recognise the situation for what it is – 24 hours each day to call my own and literally spend it exactly as I wish - when I’m used to a daily routine and the promise of a monthly income, and for the first time in my adult life, I’ve not got these things. I’ve had to remind myself, and have had some friends back home remind me, that until I can’t afford rent/bills/food, I need to enjoy this time, cos I’ll be begging for it back once I’ve secured a job.

So, in between cover letters and email alerts, what can you do to stay sane, but not spend a ton of money cos #unemployed? Well, I’ve got some suggestions, based on what I’m doing right now…

Refine your craft or hobby

Like, literally what I’m doing right now: writing. For me, it just so happens my hobby is closely linked to my day job, and if you’re in the same boat, capitalise on that! I have been told by previous employers and recruiters that this blog right here is the main reason they called me, so I’m making sure to update it regularly for both my job hunt’s sake and because I enjoy it. Make sure you mention it on your CV too!

If your hobby isn’t linked to your career, that’s okay too. Spend the time you don’t normally have to truly indulge and immerse yourself in it. Now’s the time to get even better at whatever it is you love.

Free/cheap sightseeing

We all know it costs a bomb to dine in the Shard in London or watch a full-on operatic performance at the Sydney Opera House, but there’s also plenty you can do for free or on a small budget.

For one, walking is a great way to explore your surrounding – and it’s great exercise too (which is needed for me, as I UberEats churros after being good and cooking dinner… oops). You can take things at your own pace, or join a walking tour. I’m Free Tours offer three-hour-or-so walking tours around Sydney (and Melbourne) for free - yep, it’s in the name - starting at Town Hall. You don’t even need to buy tickets if you’re less than a group of 10; you just rock up around 10.30am or 2.30pm and look for the person in the green t-shirt. It’s a really great way to get to know the city - I learned loads - and chat to different people too. While on the tour, the guide recommended visiting the Hyde Park Barracks to learn more about the city’s history, which is a truly immersive museum, relying solely on visual and audio, triggered by your location in the museum. It’s one of my museums in the city and is $20-odd dollars (a little over £10) - I would say this is pretty cheap, but it depends on your budget! If you want to learn even more about the convict history, hop on the ferry to Cockatoo Island, where pretty views and prison barracks await.

If you like your solo time, or have a pal at your disposal, head down to the beach. It’s around a dollar, aka 50p ish, return on the bus from mine to both Coogee and Bondi beaches, and I’ve spent many a day taking advantage of this so far. Just pack some water and some snacks, and you can have a pretty cheap day out. Alternatively, splash out (hehehe), and buy a AUD$9 guest day pass (less than a fiver) to the Bondi Iceberg Pools, which offers the same sea view, but less sand, and an outdoor pool. I got there early and it was pretty empty until like 11.30am. If you don’t wanna spend those dollars, the coastal walks of Sydney are pretty famous and absolutely gorgeous. I slowly ambled along the stunning route between Coogee and Bondi, taking pics and videos, and video calling peeps back home to boast #sorrynotsorry.

Also, on Sundays, all public transport, including ferries, caps at $2.80, so you can travel far and wide for next to nothing.

Volunteer

Giving your skills to a company for free might seem like you’ve regressed back to your uni years, but sometimes you’ve got to give a little to get a little, right? On the advice of a Sydney-sider pal based in London, I looked into it and found the Seek Volunteer network. Volunteering means giving back to your (new) community, learning a little more about a specific cause, and gives you the chance to meet new people, which can help with any loneliness you may be experiencing while everyone else is at work. Also, it’ll bring some routine to your week, giving you a sense of normality. I have specifically applied for volunteer positions that relate to my career, so I can get some Aussie companies on the ol’ CV, which has required me to send a CV and covering letter too – don’t be put off by the fact that it’s a similar process to paid work. I also volunteered at the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, which was an INCREDIBLE experience, and enabled me to see the lead up, with everyone getting ready, plus get a front-row view when the parade was going on.

Be proactive

You can feel pretty demotivated and helpless when you’ve applied for over 100 jobs (yep, true story; the WHV’s restrictions do ya dirty sometimes) and not received a call back for any of them, so sometimes it helps to feel like you're doing something about your situation that is otherwise a bit out of your control. I chatted to a couple of recruiters who had some suggestions for my CV and LinkedIn – one in particular really made me feel passionate about the job hunt again – and spending time implementing those changes made me feel as though I was being more proactive (in between actually applying and waiting to hear back from potential employers).

Create future plans 

I love a list and I love a plan, so make a list of everything you wanna do when you have a regular income again. Dream big, but realistic; and realistically, a budget airline from here to Hawaii or Bali is within my budget. Obvs, I have big exploration plans on my doorstep too… Port Stephens sand dunes, here I COME. Once you’ve secured a job, you’ll have more than earned these treats.

Five tips for job searching abroad

Finding a new job in this day and age is hard. While roles are more niche than the generation before us - there seems to be a job for every talent and taste - competition is fiercer, potential employers scrutinise harder at interview stage, and adequate pay is another matter altogether. Now, throw in a lack of experience in the country you’re applying… yup, it doesn’t look like an easy ride.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom! Working in a different country is an exciting opportunity to make some money while you’re discovering a new place, it offers new insight into a familiar industry (or the chance to get a taste of a new one) and it will give you unrivalled skills for when you return to your home country; you just need to get your foot in the door. If you’re looking for a new role abroad, read on for some pointers I have learnt (well, am learning!), or have been recommended by the people around me.

*The below is based on my experience searching for content writer roles in Sydney.

Sign up to all job alerts

This is something you can do before you’ve even set foot in the country. A month before I arrived in Sydney, I set up email alerts for every combination of content writer, digital producer, content editor, digital writer, etc, I could think of. I’ve found Seek, Indeed and LinkedIn the most helpful with this tactic, but I also check the Mumbrella jobs page regularly, and go directly to the websites of dream employers to send them an expression of interest or just see what they’ve got going on on the job front.

Get on the books of recruiters

Research the best recruiters in your industry; a simple Google search will do the trick, or ask for recommendations in relevant Facebook groups. Also, everyone knows a recruiter, or knows someone who knows a recruiter, so just ask in your circle! You never know what contacts you or your friends/colleagues have out in the wide world. Speaking of…

Talk to people

I am genuinely humbled by the amount of help my friends, family, colleagues, ex-colleagues and friends of friends have offered during my job search so far, from pointing me in the direction of specific people, contacting acquaintances on my behalf, suggesting companies to register interest with, ‘putting a good word in’ when I’ve applied to a company they work for, and more. I didn’t even realise some of these people had links to Sydney, so speak, speak and speak some more as you never know who you have in your midst.

Become a Faffer

… which sounds a lot ruder than it is haha. Find a Finder’s Fee, aka FAFF, is an international Facebook group with people posting job opportunities spanning a range of industries. These include in-house roles, permanent roles, contract roles, freelance roles, remote roles, everything really.

Keep positive

It’s disheartening getting rejection after rejection, or simply not even hearing back, especially after you put time and hope into the hundreds of applications you send out. It can feel personal, but remember it’s not. With regards to my visa, the working holiday visa, the six-month restriction on working in one place is a big deal-breaker; no one wants to train someone up to have to do it again in six months’ time. I changed tactic and now am applying solely for contract jobs. Similarly, on some good advice, I dropped mention of my visa in my cover letter, so it doesn’t put off potential employers in the first instance. Similarly, the time of year plays a big part - post-Christmas (and Australia Day here) is pretty quiet on the job front, so February onward, things should pick up. Now is not the time for shame either: follow up on emails you’ve sent, if you’ve not heard back.

In my panicky times in the month leading up to my move, when I was applying for jobs and getting nowhere, I was reassured that things would get moving once I was physically in the country. At the time, I didn’t understand that - my CV would show the same experience after all - but it’s the little details that can make all the difference, for example, the Australian address and phone number on your CV.

I was also given a good piece of advice: sit down, open Excel, and work out how long you can survive without getting a job. Take your moving abroad savings, note down regular outgoings (rent/hostel payments, bills, etc), any extras like travel insurance, give yourself an ‘enjoy the new country’ fund and be realistic. You might be prematurely panicking and not taking time to enjoy the amazingness of moving abroad.