Survive And Thrive After Losing Your Job
Written by Carla Lowe - Wednesday, 26 November 2008
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 In times of economic instability and uncertainty, the fear of job loss tends to run quite high. However, what happens when that threat becomes a reality?
Perhaps now, through no fault of your own—likely related to the poor state of the economy and/or downsizing/layoffs—you are now in a position you may never have thought you’d be in: unemployed. And it’s a pretty painful, anxiety-ridden, and stressful position to be in.
So how exactly do you go about dealing with the fact that you’ve lost your job?
Despair not; you don’t need to curl up in the fetal position, cry yourself to sleep, and give up, waiting until “times get better.” No—get up on your feet and get proactive. That’s right, you can do something about your situation; in fact, you can start leading and living a better life than ever. Here’s some help for you in learning how to not only survive, but also thrive, after losing your job.
Grieve
Even if you didn’t absolutely love—or even like—your job, and even if you were warned of possible downsizing or had a hunch your job might be in jeopardy, actually losing your job can be pretty devastating and life-changing. As such, expect to feel a myriad of different emotions over the next while, and allow yourself to feel these emotions—it’s part of the grieving and healing process, which typically goes through the stages of Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.
This is also the time to focus on yourself and allow yourself the opportunity to vent your frustrations and express your emotions with trusted loved ones (but stay away from people with whom or for whom you worked, as this could bite you in the butt down the road).
Prepare
Don’t grieve too long; you need to get out there find a way to replace the income you’ll soon be missing! However, you can’t just jump into the job-search process blindly; you need to prepare and you need a plan. Here are some steps you should take before taking the big leap:
- Update and revise your resume accordingly and appropriately; consider hiring a professional resume writer.
- Think about your relevant skills and experience and how they will apply to your job-search process.
- Start preparing for possible job interviews, particularly what you will say when asked about your most recent job.
- Keep up to date; study new trends and learn new lingo in the job market.
Search
Now it’s time to start looking for jobs. Search job sites on the Internet and the classified sections of newspapers to find job openings in areas in which you might be interested and maybe other areas you’ve never considered before. And apply, apply, apply! Also, think outside the box. Don’t limit yourself to advertised positions; consider approaching specific companies and offering them your experience and expertise. You may even want to consider using a professional career coach to help you in your job search.
Network
Networking is also an important step. Establish contacts and take advantage of these relationships, so to speak; you never know when they might come in handy and where you might get your foot in the door. Further, let everyone—from family members and neighbors to former co-workers and business associates—know you’re on the job hunt.
Expand
Broaden your horizons and expand on your idea of what should come next for you. Just because you were working full-time in a corporate office doesn’t mean you have to go back to the same thing. First of all, you may not even be able to find full-time work to begin with, never mind a full-time position nearly equivalent to the one from which you just were let go.
In the short term, consider part-time, temporary, and freelance work, as well jobs in industries you may not normally consider. When cash is low and the bills are piling up, don’t think of it as “settling,” but being realistic.
For the long term, consider whether you’d like to embark on a whole new career or take a completely different path, such as going back to school or starting your own business; now is the perfect time! This could very well be the beginning of a whole new—and better, more fulfilling—life for you.
Be money-wise
While you’re waiting for your income to normalize and stabilize, you need to start being smart with your money and get your finances in order. Apply for unemployment benefits as soon as you lose your job so you have something coming in to hold you over until you find a job or other means of creating income. Start budgeting, limit your spending, and save as much money as you can.
Be indispensable
Avoid losing your next job—whether it’s temporary or long-term—by being an indispensable employee. Be punctual, don’t miss days, work extra hours, and volunteer to take on extra tasks or responsibilities just to show your boss that you’re committed to the company’s health and success.
Additional Tip:
Also take this time to seriously consider affordable health care insurance; like supplemental health plans to cover extra medical expenses for yourself and your family while getting back on your feet. The last thing you want happen is to be caught unprepared with medical bills and have to pay out of pocket. The burden of not having a healthcare backup plan will be last thing you want added to the stress after losing your job.
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