Without a doubt, losing your job can be one of the most stressful experiences you’ll have to deal with. You’re likely going to be flooded feelings of anxiety, stress, anger, or even depression. As expected, after you lose your job, a lot will need to change with regards to your lifestyle, living situation, and even relationships with friends.
If you’ve recently lost your job and are stuck wondering what to do, we have a few strategies you should implement.
Take Care of Essentials First
Of course, the first thing that’s on your mind when you lose your job is how you’ll pay for all of the essentials such as rent, electricity, food and more.
As we live in a country with a considerable focus on welfare and social security, you should make it your top priority to get in touch with Centrelink and make a claim based on your age, situation and other aspects. You’ll then be more in control of the job loss and have at least some money coming in.
If you have unemployment insurance, be sure to claim this right away. You may have to wait up to 30 days after losing your job, however, your unemployment insurance will provide you with a portion of your income.
Focus on Your Wellbeing
Once you’ve dealt with immediate financial requirements, it’s time to take a breather, revaluate your position and move forward. Without taking this break to focus on your wellbeing, you’ll be likely to rush into any job opportunity that presents itself, whether you’re qualified or like the job or not. Of course, this isn’t great in the long term.
Consider why you may have lost your job, and what skills you might need to get back into the workforce. It’s always best to look at the positives of a situation like job loss as it’s easy to fall into a downward spiral. Focus on discovering your next opportunity and make moves to ensure you get back on your feet.
Take Out a Small Loan
For those whose job prospects are looking good and you’re confident you’ll have a new job in no time, you could consider taking out a fast, small loan with lenders like CashnGo.
You’ll be able to take out a few thousand dollars to make ends meet until you land your new job and because interest rates are relatively low, you’re not going to be left with hefty repayment bills that worsen your situation.
Work On the Internet
If you’re lucky enough to have a job that’s easily transferred to being online-only, then you have a massive opportunity to continue making money and re-stabilising after a job loss. Take a look at online platforms such as Upwork or Freelancer and put your well-honed skills to use for agencies and other employers from around the world.
You may find that you make enough online to make ends meet, which means not needing to rely on support payments or small loans. This could mean you have more time to evaluate what you’d like to do for full time employment.
Upskill While You’re Out of Work
This strategy boasts a dual purpose as you’ll be keeping your mind off of the unfortunate job loss situation, but also using your spare time to build skills and become a more in-demand candidate for new roles.
Either take a look at skill-building courses online or head down to a local TAFE or university and delve into some affordable short courses. These are often affordable and won’t make too much of a dent in your savings while you’re out of work, but might dramatically increase your chances of being rehired at a new workplace.
Make Yourself Uber-employable
To end our list, if you’re someone who absolutely must get back into the workforce as soon as possible, either due to lack of savings, unemployment insurance or other factors, then utilise your time unemployed to make yourself extremely employable to businesses.
Spend as much time as possible creating an incredible resume, fast-track short courses and do everything in your power to network and become involved in relevant events in your city. You’ll find that being social, showing off your portfolio and building your skills will get you back into the workforce a lot quicker than sitting around waiting.
