1. Update Your CV/Portfolio

If you’re looking ways to fill your free time, look no further than your CV! I know it sounds like a simple task but trust me, the last thing you want is to end up updating it in a hurry. Browse for tips, layout ideas, tricks that can help you make it stand out, replace your photograph with a recent one and don’t forget to enter the details about the last job. Your portfolio will probably require major updates, as well, and this is a perfect time to finally reorganize all of your projects.

2. Level up

The more you know, the easier it will be for you to find a great job! Why not use this time to improve your foreign language and/or computer skills or attend workshops and seminars to keep your mind busy while you’re in between jobs? It’s challenging, motivational, incredibly useful and you can be sure your time won’t be wasted.

3. Volunteer

If your occupation requires constant involvement and you’re afraid taking a break might metaphorically “blunt your edge,” you can always consider pro bono engagements. There are tons of organizations out there with a mission to make life easier for underprivileged members of the community and your engagement could really make a difference.

4. Read

Reading improves our memory, imagination, creativity, enriches our vocabulary and helps us learn new things for a price so low, it’s almost as good as free. This is a perfect time to feed your soul with those books you’ve always wanted to read but never had the time to start. You can save through self-learning instead of paying for expensive seminars, and relax and forget about the troubling present at least for a couple of hours. Not a bad way to fill free time, you’ll agree!

5. Explore Your Talents

What are your talents, what is it that you’ve always wanted to do, what type of a job would you ideally like to do next? A long break might inspire you to make a drastic change in your career and consider profiting from those long-suppressed talents I’m sure you have. Who knows! You might be the next E.L. James, your country’s next top model, great baker or whatever it is you’d rather do.

6. Re-Connect

Get in touch with all of those friends, relatives and acquaintances you couldn’t always fit into your busy schedule, allow yourself to meet new people and spend time socializing. It may seem like a waste of time now that you should be actively looking for a new job but hey…would you rather stay at home and whine? After all, the more people you know, the bigger are your chances of getting an unexpected job offer. A friend of a friend might be starting a new business as we speak!

7. Discover All the Great Things Your Computer Has to Offer

And no…that’s not a secret code for, “get hooked on Facebook and spend the rest of your life spamming people with game requests.” There are tons of great sites that allow you to create a professional profile and present yourself to the business community and potential employers. Internet is a huge deal nowadays – why not get the most out of it?

What are your favorite job searching activities and what do you choose to fill your day with while in between jobs?