Seek legal advice on how to maintain your residency status while unemployed
First things first, you must ensure that your right to remain in your host country isn't in danger. The best thing is to seek legal advice from an immigration lawyer about your specific situation. If you can't afford one in this financially difficult situation, you may get pro bono legal advice from an NGO that protects immigrants. Fully knowing your rights and options will give you peace of mind.
After losing a job on which your residency status depended, you'll generally have 2 to 3 months to find a new job before being forced to leave the country. However, there might exist legal safeguards that give you more time to find that new job. The US, for instance, recently allowed laid-off expats to get an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) for a year until they can find another employer to sponsor them for a new H-1B (skilled worker) visa.
If you're running out of time, it's wise to take any job you can get – at least on a temporary basis – just to avoid deportation. Once your residency status is safe again, you can take your time to apply to jobs more compatible with your qualifications and long-term goals. The entry requirements of jobs in hospitality (e.g., waitressing, working at the reception) or care work (e.g., babysitting) are often low, so they're relatively easy to get. Tutoring and entry-level administrative jobs might also provide an emergency safety net.
Consider registering for a short course to remain in your current country on a student visa. You can apply for jobs again when this short course is nearing its end. Try to see these temporary jobs or short courses as an enriching part of your journey. Don't despair because they aren't what you originally planned to do. Remember that they are giving you additional skills and experience for your dream job later.
The worst-case scenario is that you'll have to return to your home country for a while. Don't panic, for you can use your work experience abroad to bolster your application for a brand new visa. In the case of expats in the US who've lost their employer-dependent H-1B visa, for instance, they can opt to apply for a brand new EB-5 investor visa or the O-1 visa for individuals with extraordinary achievements.
Seek help from others for the tiring job application process
At first glance, it might seem strange that unemployed people face burnout. After all, they have no tiring workload from a job. Alas, the job search and application process in itself can be as frazzling as the workload of a job.
The stressful aspects of this job hunt process include:
- Gathering all the documents you need to apply for jobs and for visa sponsorship. You might need to "chase" former employers and professors to send you recommendation letters on time. You might need to spend money on a sworn translator to get your foreign qualifications translated into your host country's official language. You might need to re-apply for other documents from your home country, such as your criminal record, which isn't very practical to do from abroad.
- Spotting relevant jobs on various websites and newspapers. You might experience scrolling fatigue from not limiting how much time you spend on websites like LinkedIn.
- Finding networking events and attending them.
- Having to write multiple cover letters and different versions of your CV for multiple job applications. It can be a tedious task.
- Getting dressed for various interviews, preparing and practicing for them, making the transport arrangements to go to the interview site, and feeling imposter syndrome during that interview. All of this can use up a surprising amount of time, money and energy.
However, remember that you don't need to do everything completely alone. While you may be scared of "inconveniencing" people, don't hesitate to ask friends and family – especially those more used to this country – to help you out. They could proofread your cover letters if they're more fluent in the local language, lend you a suit for interviews, drive you to these interviews, or introduce you to their network.
To alleviate your mental burden, you could also outsource some of these tasks to service providers and apps. Even if you don't have a big budget, you can offer a small fee (less than US$30-50) on websites like Fiverr and Upwork to get help writing your applications. Innovative apps like ChatGPT can also be ethically used to write cover letters and CVs or to research background information about the companies you're applying to.
Avoid becoming entirely consumed by the job search process and maintain a balanced life
It's also important for your mental health not to become entirely consumed by this job hunt. You shouldn't anxiously check your email all day or make your social life revolve around networking. It's healthy to set off a designated time every day (e.g., 9 to 11 a.m.) to do tasks like scrolling LinkedIn vacancies and answering emails.
Don't neglect socialization that has nothing to do with networking, either. Even if useful contacts can be made anywhere, when you go to a party during the weekend, allow yourself to simply relax and have fun. Meditate, exercise, journal and do hobbies unrelated to your professional field and job search. Having a balanced life will prevent you from getting drained by your job hunt.
Even if you don't have a lot of disposable income at the moment, there are relaxing activities that barely require any money. Jogging in the park, watching movies online, painting, and swimming at the public pool are low-cost activities that can bring you mental peace at this stressful time.
If you are active on social media, one toxic habit to avoid is stalking the professional lives of friends, family, contacts, or even strangers who have more successful careers than yours at the moment. Comparing yourself to others will only lower your self-esteem, increase your stress and make you more anxious about your job hunt. Focus on your own journey, and don't fall into the trap of judging your professional situation harshly when presented with only the curated online image that others portray of their careers.
Upskill during the time you're unemployed if you need to feel productive
Some people only feel content when they are growing or progressing in some way. If their career is at a standstill, they need to feel like they're growing in another area of life in order to remain in high spirits. For these people, learning new skills or improving their existing skills while unemployed might help their mental health.
Even if you're short on cash, there are plenty of affordable MOOCs (massive online open courses) on platforms like edX, Coursera, Udemy and FutureLearn from which you can learn and get certificates for less than US$50. You can learn the basics of a new language on Duolingo for free. You could also self-teach using open-access resources on the internet and books. There might be affordable classes given by people in the area where you live. For instance, home-based caterers in your area might give cooking classes on weekends.
People who keep busy are less inclined to overthink and to get trapped in vicious cycles of negative thinking. Learning something new will give your life some structure and a purpose at a time when you lack the structure that work used to provide. And, of course, you'll also be able to add some new skills and credentials to the CV you send out to employers.
