Today you got laid off and now you’re panicking because the rent and utilities are due soon and most of your relatives live miles away from you. You have very little saved up for emergencies like this and it is a hassle trying to collect unemployment benefits. Don’t worry because thousands of others are in a similar situation and one day you will work again. In the meantime, here are some strategies for coping with sudden unemployment.
Don’t Remain in Denial
You may be shocked about your layoff but you cannot stay in denial for too long. You’ll need to accept the fact that you’re now unemployed and grieve over it before you begin the job search again. Use this time to call friends and relatives so that you can discuss your frustration about what happened. But don’t just have a pity party on the phone. Inquire about how you can start over and rebuild the confidence you once had.
Get Yourself Some New Interests
It’s important to continue seeking work but don’t let it consume your life. Find some new interests and cultivate them. If you enjoy cooking, join a local cooking club and get the names and numbers of fellow members. Or if you read a lot, start a book club with friends and former coworkers who have the same interest. When you develop new interests you can turn them into a new career. It also relieves the stress of unemployment.
Take Any Work You Can Get
When your bills are piling up, now is not the time to get picky about where you want to work. If you get hired by a retail store even though you desire to work in education, take the retail job and use this time to prepare yourself for the education field. The retail job may not pay what your previous job paid but it’s better than no income at all. Regular work also reduces employment gaps on your resume.
Face Time is Important
Online job searching is a great tool but you also don’t want to depend heavily on your computer to find work. Instead, get in some face time by networking with others. Tell relatives and friends that you’re looking for work and give them a copy of your resume so that they can pass it along to their managers. Attend local job fairs and always look professional. Go to career seminars that deal with your field and ask the speaker questions. Remember that the majority of jobs are not always posted online. Cold calling is also effective for finding open positions. Walk inside companies and ask to arrange a meeting with the managers to discuss openings.
Get Government Assistance
Benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid sometimes get a bad rap because there are families that rely on them instead of becoming self-sufficient. But you’re only getting these benefits to help you until more employment comes so don’t feel ashamed to get them. If you currently get food stamps budget them wisely since you only get them once a month. In conclusion, by taking these and other steps, you can have less stress while unemployed.