How to Continue Professional Development While Unemployed

If you are unemployed, your full-time job is finding a new job. You have to scour every website, leverage your professional network, and devote time to running down job leads. When you are out of work, you dread the growing chronological gap on your resume. It inevitably leads to questions about what you have been doing while you were unemployed. Here are six inexpensive steps you can take to continue your professional development while you are unemployed.

First, if you are unemployed, you can finally catch up on your professional reading. If you've subscribed to industry journals, you'll finally get a chance to read them cover-to-cover. You can also visit vendor websites and read their sales literature, white papers, and training materials. You may also be able to buy used professional books via Amazon.com. This professional reading will help you talk about recent developments in your field.

Second, if you have the time and expertise, you can keep your skills sharp by writing an article or book review for a professional journal. If it is accurate, useful, and written well, a professional article can enhance your professional reputation, showcase your ability to communicate, and keep your mind attuned to developments in your field. Your biographical information and article content could also help you make professional connections and generate job leads.

Third, you can exercise. You aren't in the car on a long commute. You aren't staying late for a meeting and you aren't arriving early for a conference call. You have the time to take the dog for a long walk around the block. Of course, if you don't have health insurance, you shouldn't exercise so hard that you hurt yourself. A walk provides exercise and gives you time to breath deeply, meditate, mentally rehearse interview situations, and reduce your stress level. While a long walk doesn't sound like professional development, it can provide an excellent opportunity to chart out your professional future.

Fourth, pursue extra income. If you are unemployed, you'll need to bring some money in. This is a good time to pursue extra income from online auctions, writing, photography, and other side projects. With luck, your side projects can blossom into a new profession that provides significant income and even full-time self-employment. If you run online auctions, you can transform your old junk into usable money. You may be able to apply your professional skills to your side projects and gain additional experience for your resume.

Fifth, attend a webinar. Many vendors and professional groups provide free webinars to show off their products. These webinars can help you keep your professional skills sharp. If you register for a webinar, the worst that can happen is that you'll get a call from a sales representative. In the meantime, you'll get to learn more about cutting edge technology in your profession. Some webinars are even freely available on Youtube.

Sixth, you can volunteer your time to further develop your expertise. While volunteer work is not an income, you may be able to keep active in your field by participating in volunteer projects. If you were in a construction trade, you can apply your skills to a Habitat For Humanity build. If you were in a legal field, you may be able to keep busy with your local Legal Aid society. If you are an IT professional, you may be able to volunteer your skills on an interesting open source project via Sourceforge.net or specific project websites. Many open source projects need programmers, software testers, project managers, and technical writers. These volunteer efforts can help you develop professional skills and explain a gap in your resume.

Ultimately, as a job seeker, you need to focus most of your energies on getting a new job. However, if you spend a little time on professional development activities, you will continue to grow and develop in these difficult times. You will also be well positioned to discuss your profession and explain a resume gap. You'll also remain active and involved in the fight for prosperity in a difficult job market.