Being out of work is always difficult psychologically. Many people feel stymied and suffer a loss of self-esteem. The problem is compounded by the fact that many think there is nowhere to turn for help. This, however, is fortunately quite false. There are things you can do and places to go for a pick-me-up.

Whatever has caused a person to lose his or her job, the fact is not a pleasant one. Vera Alexandrova, psychologist for ANCOR, an HR consulting agency, says the unemployed person is faced with a tangle of problems and it is vital to begin with the right approach since incorrect steps may lead to stress and loss of self-esteem.

“Foremost, one should realize that changing a job is not an exceptional event, but is part of an obligatory course of career development. The average length of time an employee will spend with one company ranges between three and five years,” she said. “In the course of life, we change jobs more than once as we grow, develop skills and accumulate knowledge.”

To tackle the situation correctly, workers should first analyze the objective reasons that led to dismissal or leaving the job. Alexandrova points out that if the reason remains unclear, the situation is more depressing and will have a negative impact on self-confidence.

“Workers should not hasten to blame themselves or anyone,” she proceeds. “For psychologist there are always two views on the problem, as the situation can be turned to one’s advantage, viewed as an opportunity to actualize one’s potentials and change life for the better. It is called ‘reframing.’”

Experts warn that six months is a crucial time-period. “After that, the employee will face a difficult psychological and physiological adaptation to work,” Yevdokimov explains. “Moreover, the tendency is that the longer people stay out of work, the more introverted they become. Some begin to feel worthless and scale down their demands.”

Valeria Martynova, a 25-year-old personal assistant to the head of trade for British American Tobacco (BAT) Russia, found the position after a four-month break. “Having obtained several years of work experience and knowledge of English, I decided on company change for the sake of career development,” she says.

Martynova worked for three years as deputy editor for “Argumenty i Fakty,” where she acquired valuable skills which she thought would make it easy to find a new position. “I expected I would just get snapped up,” she said. “It was very strange it took such a long time as I searched actively, responding to the openings listed in newspapers, contacting employment agencies and going to companies for interviews.”

The young woman acquired her current position with BAT following a series of interviews with both the HR agency and the company, the whole process taking more than a month. “I felt my life was on hold,” she explains. “All the time you have to wait for company’s decision you are unemployed, which keeps your life on hold. Although I continued searching for other openings simultaneously, it brought no results and my patience was running out. I was ready to begin working anywhere — but then I was finally chosen for my current position.”

Boris Alexandrov, a 37-year-old unemployed advertising expert, has not been so successful in his job search. “Almost a year has passed since the company went bankrupt and I began job-searching,” he says. A jet-motor engineer by education, he worked as an accountant for several years after Perestroika, but soon realized this profession was not for him. Having a creative mind and the gifts of a designer, he found a position as head of the design department at the Anri Advertisement agency — which then went under.

According to Alexandrov, during the first months he was more active in looking for a job. “I still put ads in newspapers, but I don’t believe in it any longer. I think my problem is that I don’t have and training as a designer,” he says. “Looking for work is my No. 1 priority because, without one, I don’t have confidence in life. I tried to do odd jobs, but that doesn’t correspond to my view of stability; besides, it is very stressful psychologically.” What aggrieves Alexandrov most is that he is wasting his time.

Unemployment affects every aspect of life. A 25-year-old unemployed young woman, Maria Sorokina, says that she has a higher education in economics, excellent knowledge of Italian and some work experience, but she can’t find a job she wants, which makes her life dull and melancholy. “I am tired of these heaps of newspapers with ads, interviews and employment agencies that are not very helpful. I began having problems with my parents and with my boyfriend,” she said, and then added: “I think my story is a common one.”

Any Russian citizen can get free qualified psychological help at the State Center of Professional Orientation and Psychological Support for Unemployed. The Center was set up in 1997 by the Labor and Employment Committee to help people solve psychological problems arising from unemployment.

Irina Sukhanova, a psychologist at the Center, says that “If clients come to the Center with a positive attitude, understanding that they are not in an impasse, 50 percent of success is guaranteed already.”

She added that problems are “particularly acute with older people and those whose profession is not in high demand,” she claims. “Unfortunately, many people don’t realize how intense a search needs to be in order to achieve results. Making a first unsuccessful attempt to find a position, they then decide that there is no place for them in the labor market.”

People often begin wasting money, time and nerves instead of getting professional help, while being out of work demoralizes you not only as a specialist, but as an individual too,” Sukhanova stresses. “The best advice is to avoid wrong steps in the first place as they will result in depression and loss of self-esteem.”

A psychologist’s task is to instruct people on how to avoid wrong steps, help them single out their personal marketable qualities and analyze their strengths and weaknesses. “We don’t give out jobs, we just help our clients regain self-confidence and build motivation,” Sukhanova explains.

Alexander Marchenko, a 32-year-old office manager for a Russian sanitary-ware company, a job he found by following the advice of a specialist, shares his experience: “The company where I worked before downsized, and I was not prepared to begin looking for work. I could not find another position for two months and was very depressed by the situation. I had financial difficulties as well, which made my task more complicated, and I realize now I was blathering at interviews too much,” he confesses.

Marchenko was advised to try to envision his future workplace in detail: the appearance of the office, what were his responsibilities, who were his colleagues. “I began thinking about it constantly: getting up, searching newspapers, responding to questions at interviews,” he says. “The new attitude helped me gain confidence, and a dream soon turned into a fact.”

According to Sukhanova, 86 percent of people visiting the Center find a job within two weeks. She also mentions that only in 5 percent of cases do people manage to find a position with the help of employment agencies.

All in all, should you find yourself in the unenviable position of being sans employment, don’t despair. It’s not all your fault, and there are places to turn.