The best thing you can do when unemployed is…

Anything Positive.

The first thing that comes to mind is to start a blog if you haven’t started one already and develop an internet presence. If you enjoyed your industry and want to stay in it, write exclusively about that. If you simply enjoy your job function (i.e. accountant, etc.), and want to switch industries, write exclusively about that.

Being unemployed is actually a great time to do some soul searching. To find out if what you have been doing is the best thing for you, or if you are ready for something fresh and new.

Writing about these topics on a blog will do a few things for you.

1. It will keep you busy. A lot of people don’t know what to do with all their free time. Believe me when I say writing takes up a lot of time. It will be constructive time though which will make you feel good.
2. It will help motivate you to do research. Actually what I meant to say was that research is what takes up most of your time, not writing. And research will be good for you. Perhaps you really haven’t been keeping up to date on the happenings of your industry. Perhaps there are opportunities for you out there that you haven’t imagined. Perhaps a lot of things. But you won’t know till you do your research.
3. It will help you get noticed. Once you start blogging it is only natural to become a part of the blogging community. You will find other people interested in what you do, and you will continue to find great ideas and opportunities through them.

As a blogger myself I am a bit biased, but don’t knock it till you try it.

Anything you do along these lines will be positive for you, but I think blogging is one of those things that will have the highest potential of all.

And the best thing of all is that it is free. You just need to go to WordPress, Typepad, Blogger, or one of the many other ones out there to get started!