Penelope Trunk  recently wrote a great article with some take-action suggestions for anyone who is laid off or otherwise out of work.  She suggests spending time creating projects for yourself that will lead to increased productivity and networking.  This is very good advice that anyone can use to get moving in the right direction while on the job hunt.

5 Things to do when you're unemployed. Hint: It's not job hunting. | By Penelope Trunk

Let's say you get fired, or laid off, or you quit because after two weeks you know you're at the worst company on the planet. In all of those cases, you will face the interview question: What happened at your last job?

Here's the answer you should always give: "I left to do x." And you fill in for x.

Which brings me to what you should be really focusing on when you are unemployed: Learning and growing. Because this is what you are going to talk about in job interviews.

Most people require about six months to get another job. This is a big chunk of time that you can piss away sending resumes to Monster and wondering why no one responds. But you cannot job hunt for eight hours a day. Really. You'll go nuts. (Wait. Here's a time-saving job hunt tip from my mom.)

So spend the time creating projects for yourself and executing on them. This is good for you mentally - because you are doing something meaningful with your time and that will keep your spirits up.

But this is also good for you in your job hunt. Because when you talk about why you left the last company, you spin it in a positive light by talking about how you are excited about doing what you are doing. Your interview should include you telling a good story about focused personal growth, and no one will get stuck on why you left your last job. Here are five ways to set that story up:

1. Create a job for yourself. These projects can be wide ranging, but they have to show that you are driven, ambitious and focused. During one stint of unemployment, I worked for free for my boyfriend's company for a couple of hours a day. That way I didn't actually have a gap in my resume; a resume doesn't show part-time or full-time and it doesn't show pay or no pay. So volunteering at my boyfriend's company for a couple of hours a day ended up looking like a full-time job on my resume.

2. Focus on ambition and execution and not so much on work per se. Another time I got laid off I spent my days learning to swing dance. I took one or two lessons a day and practiced at night, and after my six months of job hunting, I was good enough to teach dancing just off Broadway. I didn't put that on my resume, but when people asked me why I left my job, I told them about how I gave myself time to fulfill lofty goals as a swing dancer.

3. Start a blog about the industry you want to go into. Blogging is a great way to keep up in your industry, network without looking desperate, and leverage the fact that you have more time on your hands that people who have jobs. Everyone who is unemployed should be blogging as a way to get their next job. Put your ideas out into the world and connect with people that way. This is why you want to be hired, right? For your ideas. So show them. The reason that people who blog have great careers is that bloggers are always thinking about issues in their industry. Show that side of yourself to people. Blogging takes a lot of time, sure. But you have a lot of time. So use it. Here's my guide for how to start a blog.

4. Start a company. Do you have a company idea? Try it now. During unemployment. There's nothing stopping you. You have time, and you can try ideas to see which one sticks. Also, whether or not your company does well, you'll be able to talk about it in an interview as a huge learning moment that will deflect from any problems at your last job. The company that never got out of your parent's basement can sit on your resume as professionally as a stint in the Fortune 500. It's all about how you write the bullet points: talk about accomplishments and learning.

5. Practice talking about yourself with everyone. High performers practice for interviews. So now you know what you're aiming for, but you need to talk about it with everyone - parties, at the gym, on the phone with friends. When they ask how you're doing, talk about what you're doing like you are in the job interview. And the good news is that the better you get at talking like that, the more you will actually believe your story, the story that being unemployed is lucky because you have learning opportunities.

What's important to remember here is that no one can tell you what experience you can gain and what you can't. You don't need a job in order to learn cool stuff and be on cool projects. You control what you do with your time and you can make it useful. Talk about that. There is no reason to talk about why the last job didn't work when you can talk about the great things that leaving opened up to you.

Labels: branding, careers, Job Hunting, jobs, Productivity, Self Improvement, Social Media, Social Networking, web2.0

Ten Ways To Boost Your Time Management Skills

by Ann Rusnak

Want to gain more control over your time? Try these time management tips.

1. Take Time to Plan

Just 15 minutes of daily planning can dramatically improve your productivity. The next time you're tempted to rush right into doing something, pause to plan. You'll also reduce stress and avoid crisis management.

2. Start With a Vision

A vision gives you direction on how to allocate your time. A vision or goal for the today is better than nothing. Knowing what want to get done will keep you focused.

3. Stay Flexible

Allow time for interruptions, distractions and opportunities. Life happens.

4. Energize Yourself in 5 Minutes

Unplug, disconnect and get out of the office for 5 minutes. Read motivational quotes, daydream, or flip through a catalog. You'll be amazed at how energized and invigorated you will feel by taking 5-minute power breaks throughout the day.

5. Kill Your Inner Perfectionist

Perfectionism can really drain your time. Adopt the attitude of Done is Good and remember you can always go back and tweak it later.

6. Learn to Say NO

This is where planning and goals become invaluable. Planning show you how much available time is in your day, making it easier for you to say NO to unimportant tasks.

7. Identify Your Biological Prime Time

Are you morning, a night or late afternoon person? What time of day are you at your best? Knowing when your best time zone occurs, you can plan your higher priority activities during that time.

8. Prioritize

Put the 80/20 rule into effect. Identify that valuable 20 percent that will bring you the highest reward. Prioritize your time to work on those items.

9. Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination often happens when you feel overwhelmed on where to begin. Invest time to take your bigger project and break into smaller more manageable tasks. Break those tasks into smaller 15 minute chunks. You can fit those smaller task chunks easier into your day and will see progress happen much faster.

10. Give Yourself a High Five

Even the smallest wins deserve a celebration. Before you begin a task, promise yourself a reward when you finish. Then keep that promise. You earned it.

About the Author:

Author, Ann Rusnak,Time Management Expert,advises overwhelmed entrepreneurs how to Get More Done in Half the Time. Sign up for her free 4 part Time Management video series "Control Your Day in 15 Minutes

Subscribe to this feed . Email this . Add to del.icio.us . Share on Facebook . Stumble It! . Email the author . Digg This! . Tweet this!

Labels: Self Improvement, Time Management