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Abstract

ref="https://online-learning.harvard.edu/catalog/free">Harvard University</a>, <a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera</a></p><h1 id="bc65">Learning a new language</h1><p id="e97a">I am Egyptian and my country is very popular amongst tourists. Tourists from all over the world fly to different cities in my country to see the Great Pyramids, go on possibly one of the best cruises on the Nile, or simply go to the breathtaking beaches with the soft sand and the perfect warm weather.</p><p id="c2f6">What has always fascinated me is how tour guides speak so many languages and can communicate with tourists from different countries, while I have studied French and German and tried to practice them, yet I am still not able to communicate smoothly. Most of the tour guides haven’t learned the languages through traditional means. Rather, they heard foreigners speak the language way too many times in front of them, and had to catch as many phrases as possible. One trial after the other, and they become equipped to speak the language better than most.</p><p id="e132">There are tons of language apps out there to learn the language with set goals. I’m not saying these apps don’t bring value, I am saying that listening to the language will get you moving faster on track. For example, if you’re learning German, watching a film or Netflix series in German with English subtitles, listening to YouTube German stories, or German songs with translation are ways to get you more familiar and comfortable with the language.</p><p id="f890">This works perfectly well regardless of which level of the language you are in. Talking from experience, I took German classes for a year where I got quite comfortable with words and Grammar, but I just couldn’t have a more-or-less smooth conversation in German. The only thing lacking was practice. Practice to hear people speak the language, and in return to respond to them.</p><p id="c173">Ideally, there needs to be a mix between getting introduced to the language through learning words and basic Grammar at first AND being very used to hearing dialogues and conversations and trying to make sense of it. We all do the former when we learn a new language. However, dedicating more time and effort to doing the latter is what will make a difference.</p><h1 id="328d">Dedicating a specific time and means to apply to jobs</h1><p id="fdf1">While it sounds simple that if you’re unemployed you’ll already be looking for a job, it doesn’t always come so easily.</p><p id="c248">Successful people are efficient people. More often than not, many people apply to jobs randomly with no specific timing of the day or week where they’re inevitably waiting to get lucky, find a job that they like, and find a company that likes them in return. While that sounds like a reasonable thing to do, what’s even more reasonable is to set a clear schedule on when and how you’ll apply.</p><p id="0ba6"><b>When?</b> — It depends from one person to the other, but an example is to set, for instance, 2 hours every weekday from 5–7 pm after finishing your daily dosage of skill-learning through an online course. That way, your brain is already trained to finish one task and go on to the next in an organised, productive manner.</p><p id="f079">Sticking to a routine will lead to consistency. And the best way to land the job you’ve wanted for so long is to be consistent and focused on finding the right job for you.</p><p id="be62"><b>How?</b> — Think of all the different platforms and tools recruiters

Options

consider. Don’t stick to what everyone else does like searching on LinkedIn and that’s it. There are other means of being out there in the market and helping recruiters find you. LinkedIn, company websites, recruitment agencies, and dropping emails to the hiring manager of your dream company are all ways to get you noticed.</p><h1 id="e5a4">Find yourself a part-time job or a freelancing job to keep the income flow working</h1><p id="ec08">Keep yourself busy while allowing some cash to roll into your pockets through freelancing or a part-time job. There are tons of freelancing or part-time work from home you can do. To state a few, you can do blogging, copywriting, marketing and PR, transcription, data entry, or online tutoring. Whatever it is you’re most passionate about, make sure to enrol in it.</p><h1 id="20da">Reading</h1><p id="6038">I’ve become an avid reader for the past 3 years now. I can say with confidence that this new powerful activity that I’ve implemented has been life-changing, to say the least. Here are 4 ways in which reading has empowered me and changed me for the better:</p><ol><li>I have my own thoughts and my own opinion. I became an independent thinker</li><li>I have more confidence when I’m speaking. I’ve always faced the challenge of not being able to communicate clearly. I had to do so much work when it comes to speaking. But through reading every day, I found myself more confident in terms of vocabulary and the amount of knowledge that I have. I became more able to communicate and articulate my feelings in a way that is true to what I was feeling. The thing is, you’re not going to feel much of a difference overnight until there comes a moment where your skills are going to be tested.</li><li>I excelled at leadership. You want to learn as much as you can, especially in your field. You want to be in a position where you feel like you are a master and an expert in your field. Through active reading, you become a leader.</li><li>I witnessed paradigm shifts where I got to see the world differently. When you read every day, you start perceiving things differently. You start thinking and acting more open to things that happen to you on a day-to-day basis.</li></ol><h1 id="ec37">Meditation</h1><p id="f4dc">These times are oh-so-stressful. Not having a job is stressful. Not knowing how the next couple of months will look like is stressful. But if there’s one thing that worked well for me, it’s meditation.</p><p id="e460">Meditation didn’t help me to solve my problems, but it is helping me stay calm in tense situations. I am having better sleep and I can focus my energy on things that matter the most.</p><p id="7e8c">I have this morning ritual when I wake up at 6 am and go for a run, and I see almost no one the roads, I feel I am ahead. When I come back, take a shower, meditate, and have a mega breakfast, I feel I have conquered the world. I feel I am pumped up to take on every challenge that comes my way during the day and determined to complete whatever I decide to do. By the time I finish this, I feel like a winner. I feel unstoppable.</p><h1 id="b6b1">Conclusion</h1><p id="608c">Making the most of what you have is a great way to get yourself back on track with work, diversify your income, and start paying some bills. You’re not limited to just one skill. Adding more to your arsenal means you can get through the tough times. All you need is a commitment to see how the teachings above can help you get through the worst of times.</p></article></body>

Things to Do When You Don’t Have a Job During the Pandemic

Some months ago, our lives drastically changed and yet continue to take a new form and shape. Thanks to COVID-19, we’ve all had to look at things differently, with some people coping better than others.

Let me share my story. Exactly one year ago, I left my country and flew to Belgium to do my postgrad studies. I had specific expectations in mind like what the course would be like, the challenges and opportunities of living abroad, alone, in a new country, and most certainly the need to make new friends. What I did not know, however, was how my life was going to be post-graduation. I had no idea what kind of job I would have, in what sort of company it would be, nor in which country. I wish it had stopped there. Little did I know! Thanks to the pandemic, a lot of the plans I had for myself have changed.

I did graduate, but I still do not have a job. To give an idea about my background, I worked as a full-time marketing analyst at one of the biggest FMCGs for three years before I decided to leave to pursue my postgraduate degree. If you’re anything like me, you would know that it’s not an easy phase to be unemployed, especially after you’ve had that stable life and a stable career before.

I have to admit that I spent the first month or two in some sort of denial, waking up every day saying it will get better by the end of the week. One day, I woke up feeling like I needed to rethink everything. I started doing things differently and became more focused to accept reality and move forward.

I’m sharing with you a list of the things I started working on and that made such an improvement in the way I see and achieve things. But for this to work, you need to make your plan actionable.

Here’s how:

Have a set goal of what you want to achieve. Divide it into reasonable chunks and start working on one chunk at a time. Don’t pursue it all in one go. To feel productive, you need to keep track of that. Make a checklist of what you want to accomplish in your day, assign time slots to finish those tasks, review your checklist before you sleep, and if you miss out on anything, be harsher on yourself the following day.

Learning a skill that will help you at work

Maybe you need that one essential skill to move you places in your next job. Maybe you even want to switch careers, so you need to learn something in particular. Find yourself an online course that will help you advance in your career. Trust me, you will feel an instant motivation just knowing you’re working towards something that will make you much more in demand.

There are tons of online courses you can take on different topics for free or at a relatively low cost. Some of these will even grant you certifications upon completion. Consider Udemy, LinkedIn, Harvard University, Coursera

Learning a new language

I am Egyptian and my country is very popular amongst tourists. Tourists from all over the world fly to different cities in my country to see the Great Pyramids, go on possibly one of the best cruises on the Nile, or simply go to the breathtaking beaches with the soft sand and the perfect warm weather.

What has always fascinated me is how tour guides speak so many languages and can communicate with tourists from different countries, while I have studied French and German and tried to practice them, yet I am still not able to communicate smoothly. Most of the tour guides haven’t learned the languages through traditional means. Rather, they heard foreigners speak the language way too many times in front of them, and had to catch as many phrases as possible. One trial after the other, and they become equipped to speak the language better than most.

There are tons of language apps out there to learn the language with set goals. I’m not saying these apps don’t bring value, I am saying that listening to the language will get you moving faster on track. For example, if you’re learning German, watching a film or Netflix series in German with English subtitles, listening to YouTube German stories, or German songs with translation are ways to get you more familiar and comfortable with the language.

This works perfectly well regardless of which level of the language you are in. Talking from experience, I took German classes for a year where I got quite comfortable with words and Grammar, but I just couldn’t have a more-or-less smooth conversation in German. The only thing lacking was practice. Practice to hear people speak the language, and in return to respond to them.

Ideally, there needs to be a mix between getting introduced to the language through learning words and basic Grammar at first AND being very used to hearing dialogues and conversations and trying to make sense of it. We all do the former when we learn a new language. However, dedicating more time and effort to doing the latter is what will make a difference.

Dedicating a specific time and means to apply to jobs

While it sounds simple that if you’re unemployed you’ll already be looking for a job, it doesn’t always come so easily.

Successful people are efficient people. More often than not, many people apply to jobs randomly with no specific timing of the day or week where they’re inevitably waiting to get lucky, find a job that they like, and find a company that likes them in return. While that sounds like a reasonable thing to do, what’s even more reasonable is to set a clear schedule on when and how you’ll apply.

When? — It depends from one person to the other, but an example is to set, for instance, 2 hours every weekday from 5–7 pm after finishing your daily dosage of skill-learning through an online course. That way, your brain is already trained to finish one task and go on to the next in an organised, productive manner.

Sticking to a routine will lead to consistency. And the best way to land the job you’ve wanted for so long is to be consistent and focused on finding the right job for you.

How? — Think of all the different platforms and tools recruiters consider. Don’t stick to what everyone else does like searching on LinkedIn and that’s it. There are other means of being out there in the market and helping recruiters find you. LinkedIn, company websites, recruitment agencies, and dropping emails to the hiring manager of your dream company are all ways to get you noticed.

Find yourself a part-time job or a freelancing job to keep the income flow working

Keep yourself busy while allowing some cash to roll into your pockets through freelancing or a part-time job. There are tons of freelancing or part-time work from home you can do. To state a few, you can do blogging, copywriting, marketing and PR, transcription, data entry, or online tutoring. Whatever it is you’re most passionate about, make sure to enrol in it.

Reading

I’ve become an avid reader for the past 3 years now. I can say with confidence that this new powerful activity that I’ve implemented has been life-changing, to say the least. Here are 4 ways in which reading has empowered me and changed me for the better:

I have my own thoughts and my own opinion. I became an independent thinker
I have more confidence when I’m speaking. I’ve always faced the challenge of not being able to communicate clearly. I had to do so much work when it comes to speaking. But through reading every day, I found myself more confident in terms of vocabulary and the amount of knowledge that I have. I became more able to communicate and articulate my feelings in a way that is true to what I was feeling. The thing is, you’re not going to feel much of a difference overnight until there comes a moment where your skills are going to be tested.
I excelled at leadership. You want to learn as much as you can, especially in your field. You want to be in a position where you feel like you are a master and an expert in your field. Through active reading, you become a leader.
I witnessed paradigm shifts where I got to see the world differently. When you read every day, you start perceiving things differently. You start thinking and acting more open to things that happen to you on a day-to-day basis.

Meditation

These times are oh-so-stressful. Not having a job is stressful. Not knowing how the next couple of months will look like is stressful. But if there’s one thing that worked well for me, it’s meditation.

Meditation didn’t help me to solve my problems, but it is helping me stay calm in tense situations. I am having better sleep and I can focus my energy on things that matter the most.

I have this morning ritual when I wake up at 6 am and go for a run, and I see almost no one the roads, I feel I am ahead. When I come back, take a shower, meditate, and have a mega breakfast, I feel I have conquered the world. I feel I am pumped up to take on every challenge that comes my way during the day and determined to complete whatever I decide to do. By the time I finish this, I feel like a winner. I feel unstoppable.

Conclusion

Making the most of what you have is a great way to get yourself back on track with work, diversify your income, and start paying some bills. You’re not limited to just one skill. Adding more to your arsenal means you can get through the tough times. All you need is a commitment to see how the teachings above can help you get through the worst of times.