Graduating from University was a huge achievement for me, firstly because I was the first in my immediate family to graduate and secondly I had to overcome a lot of emotional, mental and physical barriers in order to wear that gown on that amazing day called ‘Graduation’. I was on cloud nine and there was nothing anyone could tell me that could prevent me from dreaming and expecting for my great future. Just 2-4 weeks later reality had hit home I need a job!!!!!! I started applying and I started looking at different things that I could do; I mean my University boasted about 60% of its graduates got a job within 6 months of graduating so I was hopeful and after all I was only 2 weeks in to unemployment. What I had not anticipated was that I was going to be unemployed for seven months. Every interview I was invited to, their response was ‘you’re overqualified’. By November I had enough.
But there was hope, seven months later after I had graduated, I started a new role in HR and I was excited as it had some relevance to what I had studied at University but just one year later I became unemployed again because the contract was only for a year and that season continued for another 3 years and 9 months. The purpose of this article is to encourage those of you who are facing unemployment. It is to let you know that you are in one of the best seasons of your life- How so? I hear some of you ask?
You see in those three years and nine months God blessed me to start my own movement Release Me where I facilitated workshops and God blessed my mind and hands to write and self publish my first book and so many opportunities came out of that. Sometimes what we think is rejection is actually God’s way of redirecting our paths to places and opportunities that we could have never thought of by ourselves had we not walked through this way of our process. I don’t despise those seasons of unemployment- God used it to mould me into the woman that I am today and He allowed me to discover parts of me that I never knew existed. So here are a few spiritual and practical tips as to how I overcame my season of unemployment.
- Prayer– everything for me starts with prayer because that is how you communicate with God- Communication with God is a dialogue not a monologue- there were moments during my season when I prayed and I had to wait for God to respond. Sometimes He responded straight away, other times it took Him a while because He saw a head of time what He was getting ready to do for me. Many times, His answers were either Yes, No, Not yet or just pure silence. When God responded in silence, I realized He wanted me to apply what He had taught me in my last season. God does not allow you to go through anything He has not equipped you for. I realize He was preparing me for that season six years before it happened. Prayer provides the map to the route God wants to take you on. Even though I was unemployed, God through prayer led me to opportunities that would yield provision for those hard seasons.
- Obedience- with prayer comes instructions and with God’s instructions, He expects us to be obedient to His instructions. Your miracle and breakthrough is hidden in the last instruction that God gave you. There were many instructions that God gave me and even though I tried to be obedient to everything I heard (I didn’t always get it right), half the things He told me to do didn’t make sense but now as I am in the promise Job (He showed me my current role in 2010), I realize all of the instructions were necessary and they were forming me for the position I am in right now.
- Purpose- Knowing your purpose and what you are called to do is important. Purpose fuels passion. When you have a deep sense of purpose, there is a passion that is formed in you and as you go through your journey, your passion and journey will start to become visible to others who will want to explore what is about you. Opportunities chase the Passionate and the purpose driven individual. The more passionate and purpose driven you are, the more opportunities God will start to release to you.
- A Good Attitude– Never turn down an opportunity because you don’t think its ‘good enough’ or because it does not match your ideal role. I accepted many roles that were beneath my potential and pay grade but I humbled myself and learned what I had to from each opportunity. Smile through it and remain thankful- God is watching your attitude- He is looking at how you handle the small opportunities. So that in due season He can elevate and promote you.
- Sowing– there are a lot of debates about whether you should tithe or give offering especially when you are unemployed- I truly believe that tithing comes with revelation. The revelation I received was to remain faithful even in the small. If you can be faithful in the little- God will make you ruler over much- Matthew 25v23 and Luke 16v10. Even if I only had £10 I had a strong conviction to sow at least 10%. Even when I got my first full time job after such a long period of unemployment, I had to survive off £950 per month, and out of that God encouraged me to sow. And every month God supplied my needs, I never went without food and clothing. No one could have thought that that’s all I was bringing home every month. Before my bills, I gave my tithe and offering, I believe in the principle of first so before I gave anyone else my money I gave it to God first, it was a way of consecrating my finances and God always stretched it. I would have to do another article on the principle of sowing and tithing- God used this principle to shatter glass ceilings over my life. It is not by my works but every instruction in this area I had honoured, and God came through for me.
- Sign up with as many agencies as possible– A very practical principle- sign up with multiple agencies (Morgan Hunt, Brook Street, Reed, Adecco). I have learnt that the jobs market is about numbers, the more jobs you apply for the more chance you have of getting a job. Sitting at home praying all day is not enough this is where you apply works to your faith. How many CVs have you submitted? the rejections will make you weary but you have to push, press and persevere through all of that because your promise is on the other side of the rejection. I applied for over 1500 jobs, possibly 2000 in the space of two years until I gave up. The permanent role which I hold now came through an agency. Be creative and speak to friends and family. My first permanent job came through my landlady who lived across the road from me.
- Managing the balance between Instinct and Intellect– To understand more about this I will encourage you to read Bishop TD Jakes’ book called INSTINCT. A huge mistake I made after graduating from University is I thought that it was all about my intellect, there was a bit of pride and ego at work hence the intense process. God had to strip me of that mindset. I walked around thinking I was entitled to get a job because I completed a law with psychology degree I mean who wouldn’t want me? that was a poor attitude and I realized even where I am now- that employers value a person that can think and act with instinct and bring forth a solution that can yield results for his or her company. It always baffled me why people who never went to school were doing better than me- God taught me it is because they know how to think and move with instinct. They don’t just know theory but they know how to convert it into practical solutions. If you can get this, then you are on your way to your promotion. The day I caught this revelation, is the day my life started to change.
There are so many more principles that I would like to share but it is my prayer that as you obediently apply these principles that God will begin to open up doors that eyes have not seen and ears have not heard 1 Corinthians 2v9. May God shatter those glass ceilings of limitations and may He release miracles signs and wonders in your life as you obey the instructions of the Lord. May grace and peace be your portion in Jesus Name. Amen
God bless you and thank you for reading.
Destiny Moments 