How To Deal With A Job Loss (Part 2)
Losing a job is rough but not the end of the world and more than likely we all will or have dealt with it. Last post we saw:
You need an emergency fund to have something to fall back on if you lose your job.
You have to stay active and keep disciplined.
If you're going to be depressed, let it be for two seconds, then pick you head up and get on the hunt!
Start networking right away to find a new job
I covered this in a post last week but one of the best ways to find a job in this economy is to network with someone who is already at that company. A friend of mine (Tami Benson) who has extensive HR experience had this to say about networking:
"If I hear someone knows someone that's applying they usually are the one to get the job….it's just how it works. One main reason is because of the inability of companies to get good references these days. Everyone is so worried about someone suing them that most companies will only verify dates of employment for former employees….so it's pretty easy to get some real duds….especially for some applicants who may be professional interviewers."
Companies don't know you from the next guy but a word from that person that works there will give you the edge you need, they know that employee that works for them and respects their opinion.
So when you lose your job, search through your contacts and see who works where and if they can put in a good word for you. Look, you need a job, so being shy is not an option, they're your friends for a reason and they should want to help you out. It might not even have to be a close friend, it could be a friend of a friend, you just need that contact at that company.
This technique isn't 100% but it will give you a decent shot of landing a job quicker.
Get some quick cash in your pocket
I covered this a little bit in the last post but once you lose your job the clock is ticking. You don't have time to sit around and think about what's next, you need to hit the ground running. So the best thing you can do is get some quick cash in your pocket and that means odd jobs. You might be lucky and have a friend or friends that can give you some work to hold you over, most people aren't that lucky. You have to find work where you can get it.
Last summer as I was sitting on my porch I looked down the street and saw something unusual, it was an entire family of 4 cutting grass. The whole family was going house to house on my block asking each house if they want their grass cut. They were charging $15 a lawn and from what I saw they had already cut 6 lawns. When they got to our house I offered them a bottled water and talked a little bit with the father, I didn't want to take up too much of his time!
He told me that he had been laid off and he was the sole income in the house, with no savings he got out the lawn mover and started cutting grass. As he was going up and down his block his family wanted to help, so they expanded beyond their block. The whole family was involved and they actually didn't do too bad, they were averaging about $300 a day, it was a lot of lawns.
They did what they had to do to get some cash in their pocket to pay the bills and support the family, are you willing to do the same? You can cut grass, you can shovel snow, there are about fifty things you can do to make money right away. You're not going to win the lottery so you have to get serious and start doing whatever odd jobs that pay. When I was talking to that father he told me that he was actually making more money then the job he got laid off from. Are you willing to do what it takes?
Reach out for support
This is going to be very hard to deal with and reaching out to others for support is just plain smart. There are times in life when we just need a helping hand or a shoulder to cry on, don't be ashamed, cry away! Do you have a close group of friends? Are you close with family? Go to them after experiencing a job loss and get comfort, reassurance and more importantly, prayer.
It's time to get to work!
If you still have your job and don't have an emergency fund, then that's the first thing that needs to happen, no excuses. If you have lost your job then you now know what you need to do, start doing odd jobs for some quick cash. Let's all prepare for the worse and be ready in case of an emergency.
Reach out for support right away, don't slip into depression. Make sure you're staying active and keeping disciplined. If you're the soul bread-winner then your entire family will be looking to you as to whether to freak out or stay strong, you have to lead them by staying calm and reassuring them that you'll get through this. Even if you're scared out of your mind, stop thinking about yourself and be brave, hold it together, panic will only make the situation worse.
Are you prepared or what do you need to do to be prepared?
P.S. You might also find these post helpful if you have lost your job:
http://talesofwork.com/blog/2012/03/the-best-company-to-apply-at-and-actually-get-a-job/
