Since I’ve got so much free time now that I’m unemployed, I’ve started reading my huge stack of books on my to-read list. Being unemployed is a great time to catch up on your reading list!

It’s also a great time to read books that will help your career. There are books to help with the job search and even good books to read when laid off. I’ve been making my own list of books to read for myself and today I wanted to share it in case any one else is looking for books to read while unemployed.

This list was compiled with my own reading knowledge and experience of being unemployed more than once, as well as some research about what books people think about best to read when you are unemployed. All of these books are highly rated and could potentially change your life. The list contains affiliate links which means I’ll make a small commission if you buy a book and it adds no additional cost to your purchase. Thank you for those commission pennies!

If you are unemployed or you know someone who is unemployed, give the gift of reading by buying one of these books!

Books About Unemployment

Unemployment is a terrible experience for most of us that go through it. The uncertainty, the fear, the decisions, the hard work to find a new job. It’s a unique experience that no one really enjoys. These books about unemployment act as a guide to get you through this unfortunate period.

Little Victories: Conquering Unemployment by Tom Brophy – Unemployment industry veteran Tom Brophy has helped thousands of professionals negotiate the emotional and financial trauma of unemployment. In this guide to conquering unemployment he shows you how to deal with the rejection and depression that unemployed people must deal with. His guide helps you get little victories that lead to you feeling better about yourself which gives you a better chance of finding new employment.

Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss by Martha Finney – One of the nation’s leading workplace experts uses personal stories and insights from research to create a sympathetic guide to starting over after losing a job. She deals with the emotions as well as the practical steps to move forward from the trauma in all aspects of your life.

Landing on the Right Side of Your Ass: A Survival Guide for the Recently Unemployed by Michael Laskoff – This straight-up survival guide shows you how to pick yourself up and get back out there again to find a job better than the one you lost. Drawing on his personal experience from being laid off and fired several times, Michael gives tips for job searches, managing emotions, and more to get you back into the race.

Books About Job Hunting

Job hunting is often the number one activity for the unemployed. It’s a huge focus but is also a major source of frustration for many. It feels like you do a ton of work for little reward and often cases this is true. These books will help you better prepare for the job hunt and got about it in a more effective way.

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2006: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard Nelson Bolles – This book is often called the job hunting Bible. It’s the best-selling job hunting book in the world and continues to top lists for it’s practical and inspiring plan. It really is a great book with a super detailed plan and I highly recommend it!

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0: How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Tap Into the Hidden Job Market using Social Media and 999 other Tactics Today by Jay Conrad Levinson and David E. Perry – In the modern world you often need to take unusual steps to market yourself and stand out in the job market. This book shows what works in today’s competitive marketplace with tips and commentary from lots of top recruiters.

The 2-Hour Job Search: Using Technology to Get the Right Job Faster by Steve Dalton – Chances are you are searching for a job on the internet. This job hunting manual gives you a systematic, tech-savvy formula to do this more efficiently and effectively. It’s a helpful guide to securing first interviews faster while wading through all the information online.

Books About Figuring Out Your Career & Career Changes

Often a job loss is a great time to switch careers. If you’ve been considering a career change then perhaps now is the time to explore your other interests and passions to see if they are a good fit. The following books will help you figure out the work you’ll love and how to get started in that new career.

I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work by Julie Jansen – This book was recommend by my former boss for good reason – a huge number of people are unhappy with the jobs they have but don’t know what they want to do. Jansen looks at this epidemic of job dissatisfaction and offers up career assessment quizes and personality exercises to help you figure out your career situation and future. If you weren’t happy in the job you lost this is a great book to pick up in order to decide what kind of work you should pursue next.

Who Moved My Cheese?: An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson – This book is a classic for dealing with change. Change makes us all nervous and uncomfortable which is why unemployment is such a terrifying times. This book helps take the fear and anxiety out of managing the future and your job search. If you need help with dealing with the change then pick up this great read.

Books About Networking

Often, the best way to get a job is to use connections you already have or make new ones that can give you an in to a particular field or company. Learn some vital networking skills that can carry you through unemployment and beyond in these great books.

How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie – This book is a must read for everyone. It’s especially crucial when you are looking for a job. It’s sold more than 15 million copies and stayed on best seller lists for ages because it contains rock solid advice about climbing the ladder of success at work and in life. When you read you’ll learn six ways to make people like you, the twelve ways to win people to your way of thinking, and the nine ways to change people without arousing resentment.

The 11 Laws of Likability: Relationship Networking . . . Because People Do Business with People They Like by Michelle Lederman – Getting people to like you is key to finding work and succeeding in that work. This book helps you identify what is likable about you and how to have authentic interactions with others. The focus on authentic connections in networking is a great way to be natural and succeed in this arena.

Never Eat Alone: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time by Keith Ferrazzi – Chances are you’ve heard the phrase “never eat alone” even if you haven’t read this book. It’s a networking mantra and this book the author shows specific steps on how to connect with thousands of people you come in contact with. This form of connecting is great because it’s based on generosity and helping others connect. Read this book to learn how to stay visible and make the connections that will eventually lead you to the job you want.

Books About Job Interviews

Let’s be honest, even when you are prepared job interviews can be intimidating. They are super important since that’s the final step in getting a job, so knowing how to ace an interview is really important. These books can guide you to job interview success.

60 Seconds and You’re Hired! by Robin Ryan – This book has helped thousands of people for the past decade. Career coach Ryan shows how to excel at the job interview with useful tips in a brief format.

When Can You Start? 2014: ACE the Job Interview and GET HIRED by Paul Frieberger – Job interviews are your make or break moment. This book shows you how to get ready for that super important moment and how to knock their socks off in order to get the job.

101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions by Ron Fry – Interviews can be difficult because you will inevitably get some tough questions thrown at you. This book gives you a guideline to answering those tough job interview questions. If you want to learn how to gracefully deal with complicated job interview questions, then pick up this book.

Books About Starting A Business

Often being laid off is a chance to start a business doing what you really want to do. If you’ve always dreamed of starting a business, then perhaps unemployment is the time to do it! These books will teach you the basics to get started.

The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated by Timothy Ferriss – Ferriss is famous for doing this differently and this book is a guide for you to follow in his footsteps. The economy is unpredictable anyway, so this book gives you a guide to escape the rate race of working for others while earning a five figure income with little work. If you need a blueprint or just inspiration then this might be the right read for you.

Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson – Rework shows you a better, faster, easier way to succeed in business. This quick read is brief but informative and a great guide for new entrepreneurs who want to get started on their business rather than hung up on things they “should” be doing. Great book if you want to start a business and do things differently.

The Accidental Entrepreneur: The 50 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me About Starting a Business by Susan Urquhart-Brown – She never expected to end up as an entrepreneur and maybe you didn’t either. If you’ve considered the idea of starting your own business, read this book to get all the details and remove the mystery of going out on your own. You’ll get the advice, wisdom, and empathy of someone who has been there and done it already.

Books About Surviving On A Lower Income

During unemployment you will have to learn to live on a lower income. Hopefully this doesn’t last too long, but learning to survive on a lower income will serve you well for the rest of your life. These books will show you how to survive on a lower income during unemployment and beyond.

How to Survive Without a Salary: Learning How to Live the Conserver Lifestyle by Charles Long – This book shows you how to go from consumers to conservers and how this switch will give you more control over your life. You won’t worry as much about not having your job when you aren’t consuming as much. Learn how to create a practical plan for yourself and live well without a salary.

The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn – This book brings together all the best ideas and thriftiest thinking into one book from years of economical living. You probably won’t want to use every tip, but picking up a few and living more frugally will help you combat the lower income of unemployment until you start working again.

Hopefully one or all of these books can help you during your period of unemployment. I know that many of them have personally been helping me and I hope they do the same for you.

Good luck on the job search!