Don't be idle when out of work

Being out of work is not vacation time. You should be engage in some useful task, even if you're not being paid, such as community voluntary work, a course of study, looking after a baby, or caring for a sick family member.

And when you start applying for a job, state clearly in your resume what you have been doing. There's nothing wrong with being out of work for whatever reason, so don’t apologise.

Prospective employers want to know how you used your time away from the workforce as opposed to why you were unemployed.

So, in your resume, don’t talk so much about the reason for losing your previous job – layoff, company closure, job termination, etc. Instead, highlight the fact that you are using this time period productively to acquire new skills, expand your industry knowledge, engage in worthwhile community service or cultivate your contacts.

Get busy

So, get busy. Search for activities or programmes that will gain you further experience, expertise and knowledge in the industry and profession that you are in (for instance, attending workshops, seminars, trade fairs and networking events).

Read more in NS Portal on the list of structured activities that can brighten up your resume.