Did you just get laid off? Here are 5 things you should do now.
Don’t panic; it can easily be a blessing in disguise.
One day you’re on top of the world; you love your job, and you’re pretty damn good at it. And then the next, your supervisor is telling you about how the company is “bleeding out” or that some changes in management has led to some budget cuts, etc. Being laid off unexpectedly for a reason you were not responsible for can definitely put you in a tight position.
Breathe. You’re not alone in this. The only important thing to focus on is next steps. Here are five things you should do, now that you’re back on the hunt.
1. Understand.
Understand that it’s not your fault. You might know that already, but leave the mind to wander and process this after the initial shock, and it eventually goes to, “Am I the one to blame? Could I have done anything differently to save my job?” The answer is no.
There are many factors that go into a decision like this. I have witnessed many colleagues go through layoffs regardless of high performance. If the company is that desperate in cutting costs, it’ll resort to anything to mitigate the hemorrhaging. It’s not fair; but it’s also not your fault.
2. File for Unemployment Benefits.
For those unaware, unemployment benefits are exactly what it sounds like: benefits (in the form of monetary resources) for being unemployed. Now, just as this article is positioned, these benefits are strictly for those that are unemployed at no fault of their own.
The logistics of this process can be different among different states/countries, but here in the state of Georgia, there is an option to file for unemployment online. What follows are some mandatory rules that you need to make sure you follow in order to receive these benefits weekly (or however often it is for your location).
Again, for Georgia, this means logging three new job applications that you’ve applied to each week. This can be through any channel: online (i.e. Indeed, LinkedIn), in-person, telephone (what?), etc. You just need to provide the information of the companies you’ve applied to in order to prove to them that you are intently looking for a job while receiving these benefits.
All in all, times can be tough for some, and these unemployment benefits can prove to be a life saver for those that really need something, fast. This is by no means an invitation to slack off on your job search, as the unemployment benefits provided should not be your sole income indefinitely. If anything, the mandatory push should aid as a motivator to apply to at least three jobs weekly — but definitely more than that, if you want my word for it.
3. Polish that resume.
Now that you’re earning some sort of income from those benefits, now is the time to make sure your resume is up-to-date. This is a great time to hone in on any new design layouts that you think will look more appealing, and really dissect each work experience and see if there’s anything more you can add, or anything that needs to be removed.
I edit resumes on a weekly basis and what I see most is the latter. More often than not, people like to fluff up their resumes by adding in a lot of skills that aren’t too valuable or relevant outside of their own eyes. Remember: think of it from the perspective of the employer. Don’t just put it in your resume just because it’s a skill that you happen to have. Make it relevant to them.
4. Use this time as an opportunity.
Aside from making it a habit to apply for jobs everyday, take a second to think about what else you can productively work on with all this new time you’ve unexpectedly gained. Going back to the first couple of sentences in this article, this could be a blessing in disguise. It could be the moment you’ve been waiting for to start, continue, or finish that project you’ve been thinking about while you were in your former position.
If you’re an aspiring writer, take some time each day to write more. If you’re wanting to get into photography, go out and spend some hours building up your portfolio of images. The options are endless.
Make a list of all the projects and endeavors you’ve wanted to pursue. Prioritize them based on what you think is most attainable and right for you. Often times we have dreams of becoming things not because we’re particularly good at it, but just because we like the idea of it. We need to instead focus on the ones that we can truly see ourselves doing, and work towards attaining those.
5. Set goals.
Last but definitely not least, is setting goals and a schedule for your day-to-day. We can easily fall in the trap of having lazy days with all this time, but fight that urge. Treat your days as if you were still working a 9–5.
What I mean by that is to utilize that time range — where you would likely be at work if you weren’t laid off — and use it towards applying for jobs, working on that list of projects we’ve uncovered above, and anything else that is productive towards your professional life.
Take some time to map it out. You don’t have to be too strict in filling out that time range since we don’t want you to burn out within a week. Perhaps you can suggest to yourself that you’d be willing to spend an hour each day towards applying to multiple job postings. Then, a couple of hours of writing if you’re pursuing that route. After that, you can take a break for lunch, exercise, etc. Finally, you can spend another two to three hours towards your other project, such as going out and taking photographs, etc.
Once you have a solid plan, stick to it. Don’t be too hard on yourself on days where you truly need to take a break. We’re not robots. But this is the time to really dig deep in these passions and truly make this an opportunity to build.
Final thoughts.
Trust the process.
Yes, it’s scary to be unemployed out of nowhere. But again, you’re not alone in this. There are tens of thousands that get laid off daily, and you can either spend your time regretting what’s already been done, or move past it and work on next steps and proving to your former employer that you can make it without them; and you can!
