Losing a job can be a hard time in anybody’s life. You may feel rejected, at a loss as to what to do, worried about your family/lifestyle, and more. It can be a huge loss and leave people feeling at their wits end.
Knowing what to do if you lose your job will help you to avoid being unemployed for long, as well as cope with this big change in your life.
Make sure you do what this guide tells you and soon, you should feel less stressed and ready to get back into employment:
Look At Insurance/Income Protection Policies
If you have any insurance or income protection policies in place, now is the time to use them. Make sure you read the small print and get some advice so you’re sure this is the right thing to do.
Claim Benefits You May Be Entitled To
You may be entitled to benefits, so you should find out. Jobseeker’s allowance and housing benefit are just two you may be entitled to. They will help you to stay on your feet while you find your next role.
Contact Your Mortgage Provider
You may be able to take a payment holiday from your mortgage, or just pay interest until you find another job.
Boost Your Income
There are lots of ways you could consider boosting your income. You could rent out a spare room in your house, or even apply your old skills/work to something new like tutoring or consulting. Now is the time to be creative and proactive.
Start Working On Your Skills
Take a realistic assessment of your skills and talents and your weaknesses too. Figure out where you could use some work and do what you can to improve and become more employable.
It’s tempting to stay in your pyjamas bingeing Netflix at first, and while you might do this for a few days, make sure you pull yourself together. Treat getting a new job like a job in itself. Work on your skills and become more employable – there are lots of free resources you can use online to help.
Polish Your CV
Polish up your CV to better reflect skills and experience. Make it unique, and even have a pro look over it if you want to make sure that it’s as effective as possible. Your CV will get you in the door and needs to be unique from all of the others an employer sees.
Line Up Interviews And Practice
Your CV will help you to line up interviews if you get it right, but make sure you practice for interviews in advance. Get somebody you trust to help you, and make sure you research common interview questions that could trip you up. The more you practice, the less you’ll clam up.
You might even look at taking a lower position than before if you want to take a new direction with your career, such as hr apprenticeships. Apprenticeships can be a great way to see if a role is right for you.
Don’t Panic
Panicking can lead to chaos, such as borrowing money from your retirement account and neglecting your well being. You need to keep your cool, and look after yourself and your finances.