For job seekers—especially those who have been unemployed for quite some time—the interview is a moment full of hope. Especially after sending out many applications, not all of which resulted in an invitation, that moment clearly feels very precious.

So, never let that opportunity go to waste when it comes along. Prepare yourself to give the best answer to every question.

One question that often comes up is about the activities you engaged in while “unemployed.” To ensure you don’t give the wrong answer, here are a few things to keep in mind.

5 Tips for Answering the Question “What Did You Do While Unemployed?”

1. Be Honest

There’s nothing wrong with explaining the circumstances that led to your unemployment. This is especially true for fresh graduates.

But if you were previously employed and were laid off or chose to resign, explain the reason honestly and as it is.

2. Stay Confident

Even if you were unemployed for a while, you still need to stay confident. This attitude is essential to demonstrate your seriousness about finding a job.

That way, the company’s HR department will recognize that you truly have the potential to build a career there. It also proves that, even though you faced a period of unemployment, you remained optimistic and did your best.

3. Explain How You Overcame Adversity

For most people, being unemployed is clearly a daunting experience. But during an interview, you should still be able to explain how you overcame it.

You can mention that you filled that “downtime” with positive activities, such as spending more family time caring for your children, or taking online training courses and seminars to hone other skills.

4. Emphasize the Positives

Similar to the previous point, but this focuses more on how you transformed the “fear” associated with unemployment into positive activities. So explain that you worked hard to get out of that “danger zone” while still keeping yourself in good shape.

5. Demonstrate Your Commitment to Starting a New Career

After explaining the previous points, follow up by stating that you’re committed to starting a new career.

Explain that by regularly attending training sessions or seminars during your recent “unemployment,” you’ve gained added value in specific areas. You’ve learned many new things to prepare yourself for a better career.

Those are tips on how to answer the question “what did you do while you were out of work” during a job interview. In addition to striving to answer honestly and positively, never give up on landing your dream job.

Also make sure the company you’re applying to has a positive work culture and offers clear career prospects. Choose a company with a good reputation and credibility in its field, such as PT Serasi Autoraya or SERA.

SERA is one of the largest transportation and logistics companies in Indonesia, operating since March 22, 1990. As part of the Astra Group, the company regularly recruits employees to fill specific positions.

To date, SERA continues to provide opportunities for the public to fill various positions within the companies under its business umbrella.

For more detailed information about job openings at SERA, visit the official website at www.sera.astra.co.id or click the following link: https://career.sera.astra.co.id/.