I Lost My Job. Now What?

It's been six months, and I still can't believe that I lost my job. It was such an unexpected thing for me to happen; I mean, I thought I was doing everything right! But then again, the world is unpredictable and it doesn't always work out how we want it too.

Take a deep breath.

It's important to take a deep breath and try not to panic. This is a stressful time, but you can get through it if you stay calm and rational. You will want to think about what options are available for your next step, but don't rush into anything rashly or impulsively.

Get a plan.

When you're unemployed, it can be tempting to lose track of the big picture. Your days are spent applying for jobs and waiting for calls from potential employers. But if no one is hiring, it's time to get creative about how you spend your time--and perhaps even more importantly, what skills and projects you want to work on in the meantime.

I suggest making a list of everything that comes up when thinking about what kind of job or career path would make sense for your skillset and interests: What kinds of jobs do people hold who have similar backgrounds? Are there any industries or sectors where demand seems particularly high right now (or low)? Is there anything specific that interests me personally but which I don't know much about yet? What types of companies would I like working at based on their reputation as an employer; their mission statement; their culture; etcetera

Ask for help.

• You are not alone.
• Your friends and family will be there for you, even if they can't offer anything tangible. They'll listen when you need to vent, commiserate with your situation and offer moral support. If they're able to do more than just listen, that's great!
• Your community is also ready to help out when needed--they may have resources available that could make things easier on everyone involved in this transition period (e.g., food banks).
• Churches often have programs specifically designed for people who've lost their jobs; check with yours if it has one of these types of services in place already or consider starting one up yourself if there isn't anything like it nearby yet.* City governments sometimes provide assistance through agencies such as Workforce Development Boards which specialize in helping people find new employment opportunities while also providing guidance on how best utilize other government resources available within each municipality's jurisdiction; contact yours directly if interested in learning more about what kind(s) options might exist locally before making any decisions about how best proceed forward from here based solely upon personal preference alone (which may not always turn out favorably depending upon circumstances).

Stay positive and get organized.

It's important to stay positive, even when times are tough. You may be feeling stressed or overwhelmed, but if you can find ways to stay upbeat and positive, it will make the situation easier to handle. For example:

• If your budget is tight because of job loss, try thinking about what things in life are really important to you--and then make sure that those things get prioritized first! Think about how much time and energy goes into getting into debt (for example) versus spending time with family or friends who matter most in life. When we're depressed about our financial situation and feel like there's nothing we can do about it, this kind of perspective helps us realize that there are still many good things happening around us every day--even when we lose our jobs or don't know where our next paycheck is coming from yet...or even if we've already been out of work for months at a time!

Start looking for work right away -- even if you aren't sure what you want to do next, start writing down all the places you can apply to, what skills you want to learn or projects you want to work on in your free time while you are job hunting.

• Don't give up too soon. Even if it feels like no one wants to hire someone with your experience level, keep at it! You never know who might be looking for someone with your background and skillset.
• Don't get discouraged by rejection letters--they're just part of the process (and sometimes they're even nice). Rejection letters are often written by HR people who have little experience working with people like us and don't understand our strengths or how we could help their company grow; so don't take their word for anything--just keep going!

Don't despair! You may not find a job right away and that's okay. Find other ways to keep yourself busy, like volunteering or starting that side project idea that has been floating around in your head for a while now but have never had time for it because of work.

It's important to take time off after losing your job so you can clear your head and think about what you want to do next. If possible, try spending some time with friends or family who will support you through this difficult time as well as give some advice on how they got through similar situations in their lives (if they did).

If there are no jobs available where you live then consider moving somewhere else where jobs might be easier to find (don't forget about housing costs!). If possible, go visit these places first before making any decisions so that way when someone asks why they should hire me over another candidate who applied from out-of-state/across town/across country/etc., I'll have an answer ready!

There are many options out there for finding new work if it feels like it might take longer than expected for your search to pay off; make sure to explore all of those options before getting discouraged or giving up on yourself too soon!

If you're looking for a job, there are many options out there. You can get a job or start a side project; find a new job; get a new hobby; volunteer; start a business; go back to school and take some time off.

The trick is finding something that's right for you and makes sense in terms of your situation. Don't be afraid to explore all of these options before getting discouraged or giving up on yourself too soon!

Conclusion

You are not alone. There are many people who have lost their jobs and found success again. You just need to keep looking until you find something that fits into your life, which may take some time but will be worth it in the end!