“I was surprised by how high (unemployment) is for millennials…Unemployment is becoming a youth problem” – Andrew Hanson, research analyst at Georgetown University
It’s a day like any other.
You get up, pour your first cup of coffee, and hold your breath while you scan through your email.
Maybe this is the morning.
The one where you hear back about one of the jobs you applied for.
Just one…please, just one.
But it’s not to be. Not this morning, anyway.
You heave a sigh, take another sip of coffee, and resign yourself to sending more applications into what seems to be a black hole.
Don’t they have to hire someone? Why can’t that someone be you?
Though unemployment is high among millennials, there’s a way you can give yourself an edge. I’ll show you how.
Let’s dive in.
There’s A Reason Many Millennials Are Unemployed
If you were born between 1981 and 1996 , you’re considered one of the millennial generation. There are a lot of you; over 83 million, more than one-quarter of the US population. More even than the baby boomers!
According to a special report compiled by the Economist magazine, millennials are “the brainiest, best-educated generation ever”. About 61% of you have attended college, in comparison to 46% of baby boomers.
This doesn’t seem like a problem at first. On the contrary, it sounds very positive.
However, your college degree now feels worth about as much as your high school diploma because the supply of educated workers is much higher than the demand for them in the workforce. As many as 39 percent of people under 25 are either unemployed or underemployed.
U.S. census data shows that 40 percent of our nation’s unemployed are millennials.
In other words, it’s not your fault if finding a job has been tough.
Don’t Be Daunted By High Unemployment Statistics
First, I want you to flip your perspective: 40 percent unemployed means 60 percent employed.
While it’s easy for your focus to be drawn to the unemployed number when you’re bombarded with by media reports day after day, when you choose to acknowledge the employed figure, you’ve already started strengthening your mindset and intent.
And a positive mindset is one of your most important tools for successfully finding work.
Each day, take time to deliberately focus on the positive aspects of your life. Sit for a few minutes and write a list of what’s right in your world. You’ll find over time that keeping yourself in an optimistic outlook will enhance your job search, leading you to being open to new ideas and inspirations.
Get Clear On What You Love To Do
Rather than looking for just any job, get clear on what you really love to do.
I get it if you’ve got to take a job to pay the bills. If you do, acknowledge to yourself that it’s a bridge to something you truly love, so that you don’t end up feeling stuck and hopeless
You’ll find a number of tools you can use In my book, Happiness, Passion, and Purpose,A step by step guide on how to nourish the patterns of your life into the job you will love and land it!
Here are a couple of them:
Campbell Interest and Skill Survey:
The Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS) measures self-reported vocational interests and skills. Like traditional interest inventories, the CISS interest scales reflect an individual’s attraction for specific occupational areas.
The Strong Interest Inventory (SII) is a popular career assessment tool. Psychologist Edward Kellog Strong, Jr. developed the test in 1927 to help soldiers transitioning out of the military find jobs. Despite it being nearly a century old, it’s still quite relevant today.
You can also get direct, hands-on experience. One way people often overlook is to take a job through a temporary placement agency. This is a low-risk way to explore a career without a major commitment, yet while getting paid.
As well, another option is to volunteer in a field which interests you. This is a great way to test the waters and gain valuable skills. You’ll often receive useful training that will support your skill development. Another upside is that your volunteer work could become long-term employment since you have an edge on any opening that may arise in the organization.
Now Find An Underserved Niche
Once you’ve landed on a profession that interests you, do some research to find specific niches within that profession that are underserved.
For example, if you want to be a fitness coach, coaching seniors is a niche that’s currently in demand.
Other careers that in general are underserved, are:
● Personal financial advisor
● Counselor, therapist, social worker
● Scientists
● Mathematicians
What niches might you discover within these fields that need you, and which you’d love?
You Can Give Yourself An Advantage
It sucks to apply for job after job and hear nothing back.
Like wandering through a barren desert shouting for help.
But you don’t have to go through each day feeling discouraged.
Now that you know the steps to give you an advantage, you can turn around your search in your favor. Not only will you feel more optimistic, your optimism will overflow into and enhance the rest of your life.
You’ll feel more cheerful. You know the right career is out there for you; it’s simply a matter of harnessing the power of your focus and intent.
Raz Coaching specializes in helping people with executive function challenges associated with ADHD, PTSD, Stress, TBI’s and ASD find careers they will love and land them. Read more at www.razcoaching.com/about Or sign up for the weekly blog or purchase my new book Happiness+Passion+Purpose.
