Working Mom, Interrupted. 4 Tips to Help You Keep Your Work Game on Point When You're Not Working (But Want to Be)

Up until the end of June this year, I’ve been a working mom since Madeline was born four years ago and that’s the way I love my life; unapologetically, confidentially, an enthusiastic working professional. However, with our move to Pittsburgh, my work mojo has been put on pause as I get used to a new city and look for a job. For now, I’m a SAHM until the right offer comes calling.

If I’m being honest, not being employed full time has been a hard transition. To be fair, I have enjoyed being home with my daughter. I’ve been able to experience all the wonderful and amazing things she learns, does, and discovers on a daily basis that I would have missed out on if I’d been in the workplace but still in the back of my mind, I long for the days of the 9 to 5, fast-paced work environment and outlets to use my creativity that I just don’t get being home all day with my child.

When you’re unemployed, whether it’s because of a move, unforeseen circumstances or the decision to make life changes, it can be challenging to break into a new work scene, especially when you’re new in a big city. I’ve been fortunate to be gainfully employed for the majority of my professional career but I’ve also been met with times of uncertainty and unemployment.

During these difficult times, it’s easy to become discouraged and lose hope but DON’T. Truly, every cycle of employment and unemployment is a season so today, I’m sharing four of my best kept secrets to help you keep your work game on point when you’re not working but want to be.

LinkedIn Should Be Your Best Friend.

This one should go without saying but it never ceases to amaze me how many professionals don’t have a LinkedIn profile. I know that not everyone is into the social media scene; if you don’t want to keep up with a Twitter, Pinterest or Facebook account, fine, I get it but if you are a working professional, especially one who is job hunting, you should have a LinkedIn account and here’s why…

LinkedIn is a robust social media tool that offers you free marketing and exposure of your resume, skills, background and experience. You have the opportunity to upload samples of the work you’ve done, accomplishments and most importantly, gives you the chance to receive written recommendations from peers and supervisors regarding your work prowess. This can be a huge plus when you’re job hunting and interviewing because you can direct any potential employers to your page for these recommendations and samples. The important thing to remember here is if you’re going to have a LinkedIn profile, you need to make sure it’s a complete profile. This is not something you can do halfway as it’s a reflection of your business acumen. As a hiring manager, there is nothing worse than finding your profile on LinkedIn only to see that’s it’s incomplete or missing information. To get an idea of how your LinkedIn profile should look, I invite you to take a look at mine here.

LinkedIn also offers the following programs for job hunters:

A.      LinkedIn Answers & Group Conversations. This is the perfect way to keep up with what’s going on in your industry while getting the 411 on who’s hiring, which companies are the best to work for and for purposes of networking.

B.      Recruiters. A large majority of LinkedIn’s membership is comprised of head hunters and job recruiters who do nothing but look for their next perfect addition to the workplace. I’ve been contacted several times from recruiters and while the positions haven’t worked out, I know that I’m being found.

C.     Job Search Function. Gone are the days of companies spending thousands to advertise their open positions in newspapers. Where are they posting? You guessed it – on LinkedIn. The job search function is amazing and for Premium members, you can refine your search to salary range, specific job titles, cities and even specific companies.

D.     LinkedIn InMail. For Premium members, you have the opportunity to contact the hiring manager directly regarding jobs you’ve applied for and to find out additional information on a specific position you’re interested in. I’ve done this numerous times and have even received a job interview from contacting the hiring manager directly. It does make a difference!

Wake Up, Get Up and Show Up.

Being unemployed does not mean you’re on vacation. I know it’s tempting to sleep in and enjoy a little leisurely time in bed but don’t. Set your alarm to wake up around the same time you would if you were waking up to go to work. This helps to keep your body in its routine but more importantly, helps you to stay focused for the day ahead.

Get up and get ready. Shower, dress, make your bed and coffee and do all the same things you would normally do in the morning if you were employed. Since I’ve been home with my daughter, I’ve found that if I get up and get going like I normally would if I were employed, I have a greater sense of accomplishment and drive for the day ahead.

Show up. Set a daily goal for yourself on how many jobs you’re going to apply for and follow through. For me, I make it a point to apply for 3 jobs per day. You may want to do more but try not to overload yourself. By the time you research a company, write cover letters and actually apply for each position, it can all be very time consuming and draining so make sure to set a daily goal that you can accomplish.

Clean Up Your Social Media Presence.

When you have a job and a steady paycheck it’s easy to become complacent with how you conduct yourself online but this can be to your detriment when you’re unemployed. It’s a 99.9% guarantee that any potential employer, boss or HR manager will be doing a Google search to find out who you are online. What will they find? You shouldn’t be posting these types of things anyway, but no potential employer wants to find pictures, tweets or status updates from you talking about how drunk you were at a party last weekend nor do they want to see your private domestic squabbles being played out in a public forum.

Clean up your act.

Choose profile pictures and cover photos for all of your accounts that are professional and friendly, and while you can never 100% delete anything from the Internet, go through the feeds of each account to see what things you may want to consider removing from your pages and profiles. These things may be found anyway through other sources but trying to minimize the risk is worth the work. Don’t be naïve in thinking that potential employers will not look you up online. This is a foolish and stupid mistake. As someone who has been a hiring manager, I can tell you that when I receive a resume, the very first thing I do is Google you to see what I find.

Think of it this way…

If you’re applying to be the social media manager for my company’s social media accounts, do you really think I’m going to hire you to be in charge of my company’s online presence and manage its online reputation if I see that you’re a hot mess online yourself?

Bottom line, grow up and clean up your act.

Network! Network! Network!

When I worked for the Chamber of Commerce, the one most important thing I learned about business was the power and influence of networking. This couldn’t be a more important tactic to utilize on a daily basis then when you’re unemployed and looking for your next opportunity.

Pull your contacts and resources to find out who you’re connected to and who may know someone in your industry that can help you get introduced to the decision makers for each position for which you’re interested. Again, this is where having a LinkedIn account becomes very beneficial. For each position listed on LinkedIn, there is a graph to the right side that shows how you may be connected to the company with either the hiring manager or other employees from the company through connections you already have. If you see that there is a potential connection, email the contact you already know to see if they will introduce you online. If I receive a message from someone I know and respect highly in my industry who wants to recommend someone they know for a position open within my company, I’m ten times more likely to listen and take notice. Never underestimate the power of your connections.

If you’re new to a city, visit your local Chamber website to find out what business networking events are going on in town that you are able to attend. Simply showing up to events, meeting new people, introducing yourself and making connections in person is a great way to get your foot in the door while cultivating business relationships. You never know who is looking to hire or if a company is in the middle of a reorganization and looking for new talent, you may be just what they’re looking for. Chance favors the prepared mind. Often times, many companies hire in this way before a job is even posted so stay connected and get out there!

Being unemployed and having your work game interrupted is never easy but with a few basic skills and resources as the ones mentioned above, you can be on your way to securing that next great gig. What tips and advice would you share for other working moms who are unemployed but looking for work?