17 Hard Truths That Hit You when You're Unemployed ...

Doesn't matter what you do – sales manager, writer, server. You look like every other applicant … unless you make yourself stand out, preferably in an appropriate way.

No fake: politifact.com. I have to imagine that number's much higher depending on the field, plus you also have to consider the applicants who are under-employed and those who are employed but looking.

You might even have to do something you actively hate. It's possible you'll even have to do more than one thing you hate – you might have to do lots of little crappy jobs.

You have to Tetris a lot of valuable, relevant, eye-catching information into a relatively small space. You also have to make it perfect. NBD.

Unless you're good at them, but I'm not even talking to you anyway. Just playin', but really, for a lot of people, they're just nerve-wracking and cringe-inducing and full of so much potential for embarrassment, anxiety, and failure.

This is real life, after all. You can always get a second chance in school, even if you have to pay for it. You get one shot with an interview.

You should keep a running tally and share them on the internet. You might make some money! You might even get a job! Then you won't have to go on any more interviews.

Sometimes, an old-fashioned call is better. Granted, that's not always the case, but it should maybe be your default form of communication unless otherwise stated.

Not everyone, not at all, but some people can be extremely judgmental. You expect it from some of them, but it comes as a disappointing surprise from others.

Watching it dip lower and lower is absolutely agonizing. Every dollar it drops can make you panic, so you treat every single cent like it's a precious little baby.

You've probably already gone through that. If not, refer to #10.

And Craigslist, of course, plus you're constantly googling job openings, and you quickly learn how to use Facebook and Twitter to your job-seeking advantage, too.

That is entirely possible, even if it's only a temporary change. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and it can lead you to unexpected places.

I say that as an English major who writes for a living, by the way, so no judgment, no hate, all love.

It hurts, but it happens. Believe me, it happens. It won't be forever, but again, there comes a point when you've gotta do what you've gotta do.

You'll thank yourself, especially when you don't have to pinch every penny quite as hard. This can also make you more frugal in the future, when you won't necessarily need to budget, so you'll build up savings instead!

You'll get there, and it will be so sweet, and you'll appreciate it so much, and you will frigging SHINE.

Hands up if you've faced the horror of unemployment and lived to tell the tale.