10 Recession Survival Tips for Young People

It’s been said that young people are one of the hardest groups hit by the recession with unemployment levels soaring to 17.4% according to the ABS. But it doesn’t need to be as bad as they say. Here are 10 tips for using your youth to your advantage and making the best of more difficult times:

1. Be flexible. Older generations tend to be already settled down with families and obligations. Take advantage of the fact that being young means that you are as free as a bird. You can be available for your employer – whenever they need them.
2. Be tech savvy. Being able to seamlessly adapt to new technologies and computer equipment makes it quicker and easier to integrate you into a company’s systems. Even knowing your way around Facebook and Twitter can be to your advantage.
3. Know what skills employers are looking for. You can stay ahead of the game by keeping in touch with what skills employers are looking for and making time to learn these skills. This makes you a more attractive package to employers.
4. Stay energetic. One thing employers love about young people is that they are full of energy and enthusiasm to drive the company to success. Don’t lose this characteristic no matter how many rejections you’ve had. Your drive and passion may be the thing that pushes you to get the job.
5. Remember each opportunity is different. Don’t let the job hunting blues get you down. Each interview you go to is a new opportunity so you need to be refreshed and put your best game on for each and every meeting.
6. Tailor your resume. Take the time to tailor your application for each job. Perhaps you have an interest or hobby that may be relevant to the company. Facebook user? Great for marketing! Good at organising your allowance? Great managerial quality! Think about how your everyday skills can be applied in a workplace environment.
7. Stay organised. Keep track of which companies you’ve sent your resume to. It’s always a hassle doing the paper work but when you do eventually get a call back, you don’t want to be saying to them, “Errr, where are you calling from again..?”.
8. Don’t be afraid to show a bit of personality. There’s nothing more boring than looking at a plain resume. Even if the content is good, you will not stand out if you don’t have a good look. The importance of a good image still applies in the workplace. Put those years of sitting in front of the computer to good use and take time to create a nice layout that represents you. Use easy to read fonts, section your resume and use some colour (keeping in mind that there is such a thing as too much colour!).
9. Keep in touch. Make sure you keep in touch with your old employers, not only are they good friends to have but you will need them to give you a good reference for your future jobs. Have a look at what new things they are doing every now and then. Send a compliment their way (only if you mean it!) or maybe share some suggestions they can explore to grow their business.
10. Do something useful with your free time! Don’t just sit on your ass at home watching television or feeling sorry for yourself because you don’t have a job. Think about what you could do with your time that will make you more attractive as an employee. Maybe you can take a class at a community college. How about starting a blog about your professional interests – it might help you keep up to date with your industry. Do some volunteer work (philanthropy is a good trait to have). Whatever it may be – make sure it is not a waste of your time. Because once your time is gone, it’s never coming back!

Charm Wijesooriya is a professional marketer. She studied in Brisbane, Australia. After working in Sydney for a company in the hairdressing industry, Charm moved to New Zealand with her partner. She is currently working in New Zealand as a Senior Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Visit Charm's blog: Teacup - Marketing for fashion, beauty and luxury industries

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