How to Best Use Your Time After Quitting

Roman Drits;Barn Images

So, you just quit your job, and you’re feeling stuck. You don’t know what the next steps are. However, the first step is the hardest and instead of being down, be proud of yourself — you knew you deserved better and got out of a rut to find a job more fitting for you.

Putting in your two weeks’ notice and packing up your desk isn’t the most pleasant experience — but it can lead to something better, if you use that time to grow.

Here are three ways you can embrace the time off to really discover yourself and find your dream career:

Find yourself

Some people think that once you quit a job, you have to find another one ASAP. Instead of rushing into a rebound job, use the break to better yourself. Once you figure out who you want to be professionally, you can pinpoint a career that fits your personality and interests.

Whether you quit your job because you were were paid too little, worked too many hours, didn’t get along with the employer, etc., the point is: you were unhappy. You need time to clear your head or the job search is just going to be more stressful.

Try writing in a journal or picking up an old hobby. Committing to a stress-relieving activity is good for your general well-being. The goal is to self-reflect and find yourself during this break.

Travelling, backpacking in particular, is great way to discover your strengths and weaknesses. In between jobs, activities that challenge you beyond sandwich-fixing decisions give you the opportunity to follow your intuition and strategically use the resources you have — sharpening the professional mentality and skills you’ll need when you’re ready to land that new job.

Stay on track

Just because you have some time off doesn’t mean you should lose track of time. The end goal is to find a job that you can make into a dream career, and that takes a great deal of time management.

As tempting as it may be, avoid getting too comfy in those pajamas or attached to that bed — making sure you keep a normal working routine is crucial. Stay in the habit of waking up early, getting dressed and structuring activities to keep focused.

Even during this down time, you’re responsible for keeping yourself organized. A simple way to do that is to use online or mobile tools to stay on top of tasks you want to complete, events you want to attend and opportunities you want explore.

And most importantly, seize any opportunity to network! Keeping track of new and old contacts will keep you in the loop of any amazing job opportunities that arise.

Ask yourself: Is this is a job or a career?

You don’t just want to make ends meet — you want to find a job where you can climb the ladder. Well, you’re not alone. Seventy-five percent of people quit because of a lack of opportunity, according to 9,699 full-time employees surveyed by EY between November, 2014 and January, 2015.

It’s important to be in a career that you see yourself growing in. There is no straight line to find a job that will become a career, but there are many paths that can get you there.

If you’re unsure of what path to take, online tools are a great place to find direction. For instance, the career exploration tool PathSource offers an assessment which leads to career recommendations based on your interests and personality. Utilizing tools like these will help you narrow down a career path that is fitting for you.

After you’re done researching, don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! One way to test the water is trying different jobs. Once you gain a better understanding of the options in the field you’re in, you can decide if you want to move on or stay and grow.

If you realize you no longer want to pursue a job you already have a degree for, another option is to go back to school. The time you’d spend earning your new degree may seem like a setback now, but once you finish school, you’ll be more marketable because you’ll have training in two fields and twice as many career options.

The bottom line is, to fill the gap between your old job and your career, you must get outside your bubble and explore all your options! Find yourself and figure out what you want to narrow down possible career paths.

What are other important things to keep in mind when job searching?