Newly Unemployed? Six Strategies To Kickstart Your Job Search

You’re unemployed, believe your days are numbered, or need to find a new job before you go insane. Now what? Here are short and long-term resources you may consider, whether or not you’re actively searching for a job.

• Networking – In the digital age, your professional network is more important than ever. The easiest way to break through the digital no man’s land that characterizes the modern job application process is to circumvent it altogether through people you know. Nurturing your professional relationships has no downside, and a professional contact may end up being the difference between getting a job offer and being the runner-up.

• College/University Career Centers – the “frozen” job market is even more frozen for recent graduates. Employers are not only biding their time due to economic uncertainty, but the one area AI is having a very real impact on the job market is entry-level jobs (World Economic Forum, 2025). For recent graduates, lean hard on your college’s career center. They will do their best to help you – recent graduates develop into productive alumni, and who often either hire other graduates, or who may also donate to their college or university. Developing a constructive relationship with a member of your career center is not just a short-term move. Deep into your career, you can always return to the fold of your alma mater’s career center to take advantage of more experienced alumni-centric resources and events, as well as dipping into the talent pool if you become a hiring manager!

• Government Resources – federal, state, and local governments provide jobs (working for the government) and government job resources (information, programs, and financial aid to work in the private or non-profit sectors). Typically, government jobs do not offer the same compensation as the private sector, but in an unpredictable labor market, government jobs can develop vital transferable skills that should help land a role in the private sector in the future. Also, each state and local government has job resources that may help you. For example, California has the Employment Development Department, and the city of Austin, Texas, has Employment Assistance. The resources are out there and easy to find.

• AI Career Tools –First off – we do not recommend submitting a resume or cover letter that is 100% created by AI; Don’t be fooled by all the crazy things AI can do; AI-generated language is often mediocre, awkward, and inauthentic. But with some knowledge of how AI works, you can use AI tools to brainstorm and take an initial stab at producing a resume or cover letter. Then, rewrite the AI-generated content to make it your own. And fact check it! AI has an imagination, and will often fill in the gaps with facts you may not have provided. In the end, it’s your resume – you need to own it. Anything less will hurt you more than it helps.

• LinkedIn Learning– Always be training. LinkedIn has so many courses, included with a LinkedIn Premium subscription, it would be difficult not to find one that would benefit you in some way. It could be preparatory steps, like writing or updating a resume, or more advanced subjects like (use some real title examples). Why not learn how to craft effective prompts before tinkering with ChatGPT by taking one of LinkedIn’s 940 AI courses (not to mention their professional AI certification program). Always move the needle forward, and you can accomplish that through continuing education, while providing new and interesting credentials for your resume.

• Continuing Education – LinkedIn is not the only option. You can take online or adult in-person classes offered by colleges and universities, enroll in professional certification courses, or explore local government programs and/or financial aid.

Photo credit: iStock Photo – fizkes

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.