Dealing with Youth Unemployment – Where to Get Help

If you are young and unemployed in Australia, you are certainly not alone. There are thousands of youths that have been struggling to find employment since the global financial crisis. Many industries that would otherwise provide numerous job opportunities have collapsed.
Even years later, multiple sectors have not rebounded and finding work for Australia’s youth has been difficult.

If you are one of many young people unable to find work, below are proven tips on how to make yourself more employable and find work.

Start with Cash flow
Take advantage of different government incentives to help you along with your career. If you live in a location with a dying industry, look for jobs in other sectors and take on an apprenticeship or other training – when doing so, take advantage of the Youth Allowance to ensure you have money to live on.

In addition, the Australian government recently announced a new program to support the transition of unemployed young people into the workforce. This new program is to be set up by July 2016 and provide specialised training, mentoring and help for youth job seekers. The Youth Employment Strategy is meant to help you overcome specific obstacles to your job search with individualised help.

 
Consider moving
If you are in a situation where moving is an option, there are relocation grants for students and job seekers. Learn more about assistance with moving to areas where jobs are plentiful and get financial help in doing so.

Consistent Activity
Even when you are unemployed, the one aspect that will lead to a job is activity. This activity includes a range of strategies that can in the end lead to employment, even if the activity itself will not do so right away.

The Preparation
The first activity a job seeker should do is to ensure their resumes, cover letters and interviewing techniques are up to current standards. Develop a clear resume that outlines your previous experience in a succinct way. Have a professional look over your resume to help you in developing better language to get noticed. Next, custom-tailor every cover letter to the actual job you are applying to. Finally attend a seminar, webinar or local training session on interviewing techniques to help put you at ease when taking an interview.

Be Diligent
Finding a job will not happen overnight. It takes time and persistence. It also will generally be more forceful for your first impression if you can get a face-to-face with any hiring decision maker. Be sure to have your resumes on hand when you are calling on businesses personally. Make a habit to stop by your preferred job locations on a weekly or fortnightly basis. Learn their first names and ask when an opening may be available, how you might better position yourself for a position and finally be courteous and respectful. With the world of social media, follow up with in-person visits with reminders on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and by email. A consistent effort will show that you are diligent, professional and determined. Lastly, activity also refers to conducting a consistent job search every week.

Network Management
The axiom that it is ‘who you know and not what you know’ can still be useful to a job search in your local area. One of the easiest ways to connect with hiring decision makers may be to reach out to friends and family for introductions. Let your own connections know that you are looking for work and what type of work you are interested in to facilitate a networking strategy. This networking strategy can be enhanced with volunteer hours at a personal passion or through non-profit agencies in your area. With more connections and more people advocating on your behalf opportunities may present themselves faster than simply emailing resumes to faceless companies.

Financial Assistance while unemployed
A major issue for anyone who is unemployed is that of finances, especially if you have bills. Dealing with financial problems that arise from no income can lead to serious stress, depression and loss of confidence. To help reduce the financial pressures of unemployment, there are different benefits, money help and bill assistance programs, not to mention financial hardship, which can be applied for.

 
Whether you have been looking for a job for a year or only a few weeks, take the time to learn a new skill in relation to your intended job, start networking to widen your advocate pool and find out if you qualify for the new government programs. These simple and effective tips can help you deal with unemployment. Review a full list of programs to help you get through unemployment here.