Be a survivor in hard economic times It can be hard to be laid off Some people handle it better than others do. Unfortunately many people count very heavily on their current salary, and a loss of the job means possibly a loss of the boat, memberships in clubs, loss of vacations, etc. Just look at how many home mortgages are in trouble because that person/family over extended themselves. Don't give up! Be a Survivor! Ok, lets get abstract If you were on an airplane that crashed on an unknown island in the jungle and you were the only person left, what would you do? Would you sit around and worry about what will happen? Well you may for a little, but the you would get hungry and thirsty, which would put you in survivor mode. Put yourself in that mindset and begin your new life! Become focused I'm probably one of the least focused people I know, even though others may say I am good at multi-tasking. It's all I can do to concentrate and stay on a project or documentation. But I have worked at channeling my focus as a means to an end - finding work. You can too! I guarantee it! Be realistic Even though you may have thought there are jobs out there, you are one of many who applies for a given job. If you were making a big paycheck, don't expect to get a job paying the same. I would be happy for you if you do, but for most people it isn't going to happen. Here's some things I learned and did * File for unemployment benefits. If you know you qualify, at least you will have groceries. If you get a rejection letter and think you still qualify - fight it. * Cut your living expenses. Reduce the TV cable bill where ever you can. Drop to a lower package. I dropped a $45 Comcast broadband account which they say "you can get up to 10 Mb download". I never got it. I used dslreports.com/tools/speed test to give me close to accurate upload and download speeds. Then I got an AT&T broadband account which gives me 3Mb download ad $15/month less. * Review your 401K. There is a 10% penalty for taking your money out of your 401K before you are allowed, and you will still owe taxes on that money too. But pencil out how much it would cost you to take some of your 401K and pay your credit cards off, or a car loan. The mental relief you will get out of paying off bills is tremendous. * Launch a job search. Use your personal network to let people know that you are out of work and am looking for work. Check the local newspaper, online job engines, paid sites (which I'm against), and job fairs. I'll adress this in a different page It's all up to you Like anything else, the level of success will depend on the level of effort you put into it. I wish you the best!
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About the Author:
Visit my blog for more information for those who are laid off. I was laid off - will work for food