I was talking to a career coaching client recently whose husband works at a large rental car corporation. He has been posting for a job opening for over a month. They have received very few, if any responses to the job listing. I know that most people don’t want to take a job they don’t like or one that would lower their morale. It can be frustrating to think you have to settle with any old job, especially something that is lower paying, and feels possibly menial to you. Another thing to consider is if you start working again, you won’t qualify for unemployment.
I give my career coaching clients this advice, if taking a lower paying job is going to make you more frustrated and lose your unemployment benefits then maybe it’s not the best thing to do. Having a job, even if it’s not your dream job, can still be a good thing though. After all, it’s income, it gets you out of the house, it can boost your self esteem in many ways, and it’s a networking opportunity. So it may not be what you want to do long term, but worst case scenario you can try it out.
In this economy, to have a job opening go unfilled is very unfortunate. I encourage you to be smart and strategic about your options, but also consider things you have not considered before. Even if it means taking something just to take it for the time being. If it serves a purpose for you, so be it.
Hallie Crawford
Job Search Coach
