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&lt;p&gt;Last week, I interviewed Jasmine Ray, the founder of Wall Ball World, for an upcoming blog, but her career advice was so thought provoking and inspiring, I had to post an &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.facebook.com/vault/photos/a.100498119828.113157.95458769828/10154539710739829/?type=3&amp;amp;theater&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;early tease on our Facebook page&lt;/a&gt;.&#160; Her thoughts aligned with my own recent decision to hand in my resignation letter without any sort of backup plan…and it was the best decision I ever made.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In 2009, during my first foray with Vault, I wrote a blog about my &lt;a href=&quot;/blog/pink-slipped-make-your-layoff-pay-off/unemployment-the-best-thing-to-ever-happen-to-me/&quot;&gt;positive experience with unemployment&lt;/a&gt;. To summarize, I discussed my decision to leave journalism behind for a career in public relations. I took a contracted position during the great economic collapse and was not offered a full-time position when the contract expired. The blog discussed how I used every contact I met to aid in my job search and how I took on freelance jobs that challenged me as a writer and expanded my knowledge of public relations. The experiences helped me turn a part-time job at Vault into a full-time career. Fast forward close to 7 years later and I have to say that unemployment is still the best thing to ever happen to me.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It Highlighted My Limitations&lt;/strong&gt;: In 2009, with hopes of staving off unemployment, I interviewed for a Deputy Director of Public Affairs position at the NYC Department for the Aging (DFTA), but I didn’t get the job.&#160; There was a lot I still needed to know about public affairs.&#160; I spoke to mentors and took on as many small PR jobs as I could until I took over as Communications Manager for Vault. In 2012, I began interviewing for the Director of Public Affairs position at DFTA and I got the job. Sometimes getting turned down for a job can help you understand what you need to work on to get the job in the future.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It Made Me a Better Communicator&lt;/strong&gt;: Do you know how many &lt;a href=&quot;/interviews&quot;&gt;job interviews&lt;/a&gt; I stumbled my way through?&#160; I could never communicate my experience effectively.&#160; I didn’t research companies before meeting with them; I answered questions about my weaknesses incorrectly (my biggest weakness is that I work too hard); and I asked the wrong questions (what is your vacation policy). With each failed interview, I learned a new valuable lesson until I knew exactly how to sell myself.&#160; I was recently told I interview well, which is something I never would have heard in 2009.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It Showed Me the Value of Contacts&lt;/strong&gt;: In the past, a contact was a new business card I could collect. But only when faced with a scary job search, did I understand how important making contacts was to advancing my career.&#160; Now, whenever I work at a new job, I make sure to really get to know vendors and colleagues from other organizations…all with the knowledge that we might be able to &lt;a href=&quot;/networking&quot;&gt;help each other do business&lt;/a&gt; now and in the future.&#160; And sometimes you make good friends in the process.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It Allowed Me to Create My Own Brand&lt;/strong&gt;:&#160; I accessed my skills and saw what I could do on a freelance or consultant basis.&#160; I made a decent income and it allowed me to market myself, more as a business than as a potential job applicant.&#160; When you develop a good reputation in your solo ventures, it leads to new opportunities you may have never thought of before.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;It Allowed Me to Take Risks&lt;/strong&gt;: I was unhappy in my last job – loved my staff, but didn’t enjoy other aspects of the company. &#160;I was looking for something with more flexibility in terms of the company culture, the work load and the hours. However, I didn’t have the time to conduct a dedicated job search, so &lt;a href=&quot;/blog/workplace-issues/7-tips-for-employers-on-handling-a-resignation/&quot;&gt;I took a risk – I resigned&lt;/a&gt;…and then I went to work.&#160; I picked up immediate consulting work to eliminate the resume gap and worked on other freelance assignments until I landed back at Vault (I’ll blog more about my job search in the future). Come to think of it, Vault has rescued me from unemployment twice now. I guess that’s why I’ve become a big champion for what they could do for your career (did you order a shameless plug with your blog?).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The fact of the matter is, it took unemployment to force me to learn those things and only in hindsight did I see the value in it.&#160; So, I pass that knowledge on to you, because I want you to advance your career without those pitfalls.&#160; But if those pitfalls ever surprise you, at least you’ll be prepared for what to do.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Follow me on &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Jon_Minners&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br /&gt; Follow Vault on &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/VaultCareers&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Twitter &lt;/a&gt;and &lt;a href=&quot;https://www.instagram.com/vaultcareers/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Instagram&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Jon Minners

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