10 Things to do When You Lose Your Job
Posted on February 4th, 2009
Losing your job is very often a worrying and depressing experience for many people. It does not matter that tens, hundreds, maybe thousands of other people, even your coworkers, are also losing theirs at the same time. Losing your job is a blow to your pride, your self esteem and to your future.
If you find yourself losing your job, there are things that you can do to help. Of course, getting another job would be great but it could be the case that you have to face a period of unemployment. If this is the case, what can you do?
What I’d like to do here is present 10 things to do, or try, if you find yourself facing the prospect of life without your job. What I did was ask a range of people what they felt would most help them, some of these people had recently lost their jobs, a few had been unemployed for a while, some were still in work but often said they felt insecure in their jobs and a few were people who dealt directly with out of work people. These are the ten things they suggested;
1. Tell your partner. This tip was a surprise for me, I thought it would be obvious or that your partner would already know. It turns out, though, that people often overlook telling their partner either because they feel embarrassed about it or simply do not know how to tell them. Some people even get up each morning, get changed and set off for work as usual, even though they no longer have a job to go to, simply to avoid their partner knowing.
Okay, it may well be difficult telling your partner; some people say they felt a failure when they told their partner. When you are without a job, you need support. You need as much support as you can get and your partner is most likely to be the closest and strongest support for you. Moreover, your partner needs to know the situation, not only so that they can support you but also so that they can help by making necessary adjustments to their life as a result of lower income etc..
Your partner can also be a help in telling other people;- not telling them that you’ve lost your job but telling them that you are looking for new work. Which leads on to ….
2. Tell your friends. Not just your friends but other colleagues, contacts and people you know or just happen to bump into. You’ll probably benefit from as much help and advice as you can get. Your frinds may or may not be in a position to offer such help but they may just know someone who knows someone who just happens to know something! This sort of informal ‘networking’ just may well turn up a surprise or two for you.
Not only that but your friends also need to know your situation so that they can change and respond appropriately. They need to understand why you may not be able to afford to socialise with them as often as you did. It may be the case that some friends turn away or shun you but, then, were they really friends?
3. Re-assess your finances. This sounds obvious but it is surprising how many people fail to do this properly. When you lose your job, you lose your income. Without an income, you often cannot afford to live in the same manner as you have been. It is time to re-assess your finances, cut back on some of your expenditure, examine your financial commitments and assess the state of your savings. This is an important area that should not be overlooked. There are many websites and articles on dealing with personal finance, so I shall not dwell on it here. Please just do not think you can simply carry on living like you were but without an income; that is a recipe for disaster.
You may be tempted to feel that you will quickly and easily get another job, so your drop in income may be only short lived. Hopefully that may be true but, equally, it may not. It is better to assess your financial situation quickly, just in case.
4. Assess your skills and experiences. Most of the people I spoke to felt that this was more important than tip 5 below. During our time at work but also during our social and leisure time, we each acquire skills and experiences. Some of these experiences and skills can be put to use in other fields of work. When you lose your job, it is tempting to look for similar work elsewhere. Of course, it may be the case that similar work does not exist; other companies in the same line of business as the one that dismissed you, may well be experiencing similar problems and not be in a position to take on new workers. Even if they are, then there are likely to be many others fighting to get that work.
However, by assessing the skills, experiences and any training you have, you may find you can identify skills that you can offer other employers. This may help you increase your chances of finding new work by allowing your to broaden the range of employers that you search for.
5. Write or re-write your CV/resume. All the employment websites will tell you to do this and they are right. Some of you may never have written a resume, or at least not since your first job, others may regular write or update theirs. The point is that your resume should be re-written to highlight all your skills, experiences, training and anything that you can offer a potential employer. Have more than one CV or resume ready and be prepared to tailor it to meet the job you are applying for.
As well as writing your CV, practise writing cover letters. These are what first get you noticed by an employer and making your cover letter stand out from others will give you an advantage. Remember too that you cover letter and your resume are not designed to get you a job; they are designed first to get you an interview!
6. Look. Put simply, the best way to get a new job is to look and to keep looking. You may be lucky and find a new job lands on your lap but it is very unlikely. The best method is to cast your net wide and to keep looking carefully for new opportunities. Hiding your head in your hands is simply not going to help.
7. Prioritise your Life. When you lose your job, getting a new job is obviously important but is it the most important thing in your life? What about your health, the happiness and security of your family, your friendships and relationships? Each of these may be important to you so try not to neglect them.
It may be true that getting a job and earning money once more may help you to provide for the health and security and you and your family but in many ways, these things do not always depend upon money. Happiness, friendships and relationships do not require money to work, so why neglect them in the sole pursuit of gaining a new job?
Try to work out what is important for you; what is important in life. Put them in order, along with gaining a job, then allocate your time and energies into maintaining each as best you feel able.
8. Develop new skills. A period of unemployment is possibly a time to gain new skills, either through training or voluntary work. When you assess your skills and experiences (see 4 above), try also to identify new skills that you can learn or maybe existing skills that you can improve. Developing new skills may help you gain a new job. Developing new skills may also demonstrate to an employer your willingness to learn, to adapt and your eagerness to work.
9. Consider a change of lifestyle. Only a few people I asked mentioned downshifting, downsizing or simplifying your life but all agreed that if you have a lifestyle that is dependant upon a high income (that is no longer available) then you may well have to consider a change of lifestyle.
Moving house or relocating may well not be an option open to you but, nevertheless, look at your life and your lifestyle. Are there things, activities or events you can live without? Are there cheaper or more cost effective alternatives you can make use of?
Have you considered starting your own business, working for yourself or working as a partner with others? Just because you have lost your job does not mean that you have to seek only other employed positions, there are other possibilities for you to consider.
10. Stay positive. No one is going to say that simply having a positive attitude is going to get you a job alone. Yet, being positive, being optimistic is important not only because it helps you to look and motivates you to keep on looking but also because it helps you through what are likely to become difficult times.
Combine a positive and optimistic attitude with practical steps to help you get through the hard times.
So there you are, 10 things you can do when you lose your job, I hope these help all and anyone who finds themselves in this situation.
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