I lost my job of 15 years on May 22, 2025 and started a new job on February 2, 2026. So I was out of work for a little over eight months. That wasn’t how I planned to spend last year, but I’m grateful for the experience it gave me. I needed to go through that get to where I am today. And now I’d like to share 11 things I learned to help you if you’re unemployed or otherwise looking for a job.

1. God Is in Control

I was afraid when I was thrown into the job market for the first time in 15 years. All sorts of horror stories were swirling around about how it’s impossible to find a job because of AI filters, international competition, ghost jobs, and other factors outside my control. Rather than giving into that fear, I prayed for God’s help. That’s what the Savior did in the Garden of Gethsemane while performing the Atonement, a job no one else could do. I prayed for patience and the ability to get the right job. And I learned that I would only find a job when the time was right. Put your trust in God, and you’ll see miracles come in big and small ways.

2. You Could Do Everything Right and Still Lose

Trusting in God helped me through many dark moments when things seemed hopeless. It’s a strange feeling to have great interviews and still be rejected. I’d come prepared with knowledge of the company and share solid examples of my work. Yet it wasn’t enough. At times, I felt like maybe I wasn’t enough. I had to learn that even if I did things seemingly perfectly, there was no guarantee I’d get the job. This humbled me and softened my heart. Try not to take rejection personally, rather continue to believe in yourself.

3. Use This Time to Overcome Personal Struggles

Being unemployed for eight months gave me a wonderful opportunity to work on myself. I was able to overcome several personal flaws during this time. I’m still not perfect by any means, but I’m a better man for this experience. I recommend taking a look inward and finding weaknesses you have been wanting to work on. There’s no better time than when you don’t have a job and you’re alone with your thoughts to notice things about yourself you’d like to improve. This might just make you a more productive worker when you do get a job.

4. Love Spending Time with Your Family

Don’t just turn inward when you’re hurting. I recommend talking to your family more, whether that’s your wife, children, parents, siblings, or cousins. The day after I lost my job, one of my nieces got married. I got to attend the wedding and reception, and I saw many of my family members there. I felt numb in some ways, but being able to talk about my pain with people I love was a balm for my soul. And I got to spend more time than ever before with my wife and children over the next eight months. We did things that weren’t possible when I was working a regular job, like going on long walks and having deep conversations at any time during the day or night. Love every minute you get with your family because times like these don’t come often.

5. There’s No Perfect Way to Get a Job

Advice is easy to come by when seeking employment. I heard about STAR and CARL methods, how to dress to impress for interviews, what kinds of questions to prepare, how many stories to have in my back pocket, and much more. When it came down to it, though, I couldn’t be anyone but myself in job interviews. My wife helped me find jobs to apply for, and I would do my best to apply for each one in a personal way. I didn’t use AI to amplify my resume or generate a cover letter for each job, even though I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad idea to do that. It just wasn’t for me. Do things in the way that works for you.

6. Use Numbers and Results

I know I just said that there’s no perfect way to get a job, but one thing I found that works quite well is to use numbers and results from previous jobs. Employers don’t seem to care too much about where you went to school or what assignments you completed. They want to know the aftermath If you can demonstrate results, you’ll look a lot better to them. Thankfully, I held onto monthly reports from my old teams that showed exactly how I had made a positive impact on the company’s financial results. I think that helped a lot in making employers take me seriously. Save copies of reports that demonstrate your worth as a worker. They might prove invaluable in obtaining a job.

7. Do Your Best, Even When You Think It’s Unwarranted

Right before Christmas in 2025, I had three interviews at a company. I got to meet the team, and it looked very promising. I thought I was going to be offered the job, but I needed to wait a few weeks until the decisionmakers got back from vacation. On January 2, while I was still waiting to hear back from that employer, I got a call about a different job. I could have said, “Thanks, but I think I’m about to start a job,” but I didn’t. I agreed to an interview. Then I researched that company like I would any other and put my all into the interview. A few days later, I learned that I didn’t get the job I had thought I was going to get. It was heartbreaking. But the other employer asked me to do a second interview and then a third. And I got that job! Don’t stumble at the finish line, but keep running as hard as you can until you finish.

8. Follow Wherever the Spirit Directs

I actually got two job offers during my search. The first one came last Halloween. It was for a company I only interviewed with once, though I must have made a good impression on them. The offer was nice, but I didn’t think I could accept it for several reasons. I felt bad for even thinking that. Can a beggar be a chooser? I prayed mightily to know the will of God on this matter, and I felt the Holy Spirit whisper that that job wasn’t right for me. I promptly turned it down and then faced two months of rejections and a dearth of prospects. There were times when I wondered if I had made a mistake, but the Spirit confirmed I hadn’t. The job that I accepted came at exactly the right moment, and it proved to be much better than the one I turned down. Don’t just take a job without asking God if it’s right for you.

9. Prepare So You’re Not Desperate

The reason I was able to hold out for the right job was because I had prepared before I lost my previous job. I had been warned to save up a rainy-day fund and make sure I had an emergency food supply just in case. As it turns out, I didn’t have to lean on either of them to survive eight months of unemployment. But knowing that they were there gave me confidence to ride out this storm. I probably would have leapt at any employment opportunity if I hadn’t been ready for hard times. Don’t let fear rule you. Set aside some money to see you through to something better.

10. Get Used to Living on Less

Going along with financial preparation, it’s equally important to be disciplined in your spending. I have always been a pretty frugal guy, so it came naturally to cut back on my expenses during my period of unemployment. Not a whole lot changed, actually. I received unemployment insurance, and I managed to live within that modest sum. The only time I came close to dipping into my savings was when my annual property tax and insurance bill came due in November. But even then, a miracle occurred that gave me exactly enough money to meet those obligations. I like living on little because it frees me to save for the future and avoid feeling stretched. If you live like your paycheck isn’t guaranteed, then you’ll be able to be more resilient when something bad happens.

11. Take Advantage of Available Resources to Get a Job

I’m sure there are many resources that can help you find a new job. The one I relied on heavily was the Active Job Search program put on by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Every weekday morning, I would join a Zoom call and report how I was doing at finding job openings, applying for them, interviewing with companies, and more. I met dozens of other job seekers and wise experts who were there to guide us. Nothing helped me more than those daily meetings. I received so much helpful advice and friendly faces cheering me on. Whenever I faced disappointment, I knew that I’d have a sympathetic ear to bend about it the next morning. If this job search program isn’t your cup of tea, I’m confident you can find one that will work for you through a church or community group. It’s definitely worth it.

Keep Trying

I hope you’ve found this list to be helpful. These are all things that helped me in my employment search. There’s no one-size-fits-all method of getting a job because we all have different skill levels and industries we’re working with. The things I discussed above worked for me as a writer, and I think there are a lot of principles in them that apply to just about anyone. Be a good person, trust in God, love your family, and keep trying. That’s a recipe for success.

This is the Deja Reviewer bidding you farewell until we meet again.

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