Unemployment: Day 2
It can be hard to know where to start when you find yourself unemployed. Do you focus on finances or job-searching? What things do you need to handle from your previous job? What do you do next? All of this and more runs through my mind as I try to prepare, to strategize, to cope.
Things that I’ve found to be higher priority as I struggle through my rapidly growing task list:
File for unemployment. This process takes time and you may run into some hiccups along the way. In my case (and my wife’s, since we both worked at the same company and lost our jobs) someone had tried to fraudulently file for unemployment in the past when they had laxed the restrictions around COVID. This added additional steps to have the fraudulent activity removed before I am even able to file.
Review your finances. You may not need to do a deep dive right off the bat, but there are likely some quick changes you can make early that will help you in the long run. In my case - I reduced my mortgage payment to the amount owed, instead of paying additional principal as I had been. I reviewed and cancelled any and all subscriptions I was able. I made a plan to keep as much cash on hand as possible until I’m able to find another position.
Prepare to update your resume. Depending on your role, this may be a simple polish or may require a full overhaul including updating portfolios, personal sites, etc. As early in the process as possible you want to make sure you can get any files that you are able to for promoting yourself. Projects you’ve worked on, awards you’ve received, information you’ve recorded. Some things you may not consider that I’ve found helpful: past performance reviews, praise and accolades, people you’ve worked with that may serve as references. All of these have helped me to highlight my greatest accomplishments over the last decade.
Process your emotions. This one can be hard, especially if you’re task-oriented in the moment like I am. It’s important to focus on next steps, but you also need to care for yourself. Personally I’ve found a lot of help in leveraging an AI therapy app to structure check-ins and make sure I’m processing and finding healthy paths forward. If you’re interested, this is the one I’ve been using: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.slingshot.ashley.app Right now it’s free, which is a huge help since therapy is incredibly expensive.