What to do immediately after you lose your job

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I remember the day my husband lost his job. It was the hardest day because we had so many questions and emotions all at once. These steps will help you navigate immediately after you lose your job.

When my husband lost his job, he was told on a Friday he had two more weeks to work at his company. When he got home that Friday night and through Sunday were spent with a range of emotions. I will try and explain what exactly the first 48 hours looked like immediately after you lose your job.

Immediately after you lose your job

Panic

Fear and panic were the first ones for us to experience. For us, we only had two months of savings and we were scared! We had questions like, what if this lasts longer? How are we going to manage?

Anger

Once the fear started to subside, then we had to deal with the anger. “How dare they let me go. When I get there Monday I’m going to let them have it.” Those issues we had to work through before Monday arrived and he went back.

Grief

After the anger came to the sadness and the reality that the job was going away. That my husband wasn’t their first choice to retain at the job. Letting go of an almost 10 years of employment and all the friends he had at the office.

Create a plan

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File for unemployment

You will need to contact your state’s unemployment office and file a claim with them to receive benefits. You should do this as soon as possible because it takes 2-3 weeks for the benefits to start.

This website www.careeronestop.org will give you all the information you need on how to file for unemployment. This website will also help you determine if you will need to file a claim in person, over the phone or online.

Healthcare

Many companies offer COBRA insurance after you lost your job. You may want to consider getting private insurance or see if you or your kids are eligible for Medicaid.

It took us a little longer to figure out that we needed insurance. Looking back I wish we had been more proactive about it. We waited till one of our kids got sick and that was even scarier since we didn’t have the money to pay the doctor’s bill. Please don’t do this! You and your family’s health are important.

Budget

After the emotions start to settle down, then you have the thought process to create a plan and start to move forward. Your first steps will be to look at your budget.

Your budget will dictate what else you need to do besides the things in this post.

Update your resume and Linkedin profile

Hopefully, you have kept your resume up to date and this won’t be a daunting task. You will need to update your resume and your LinkedIn profile so you can start applying to jobs.

Be sure and update your skills, and remove outdated information. Make sure all your contact information is correct so that your future employer knows how to contact you.

Create a daily schedule since you lost your job

Just because you aren’t going to work every day, doesn’t mean you can sit on the couch all day and do nothing. You need to have a schedule to help you and your family adjust.

You can use time blocking to help. Block times where you will research jobs on Indeed, send out resumes and talk to recruiters. Don’t forget to add exercise to your schedule too. Having a schedule will help your mental state of mind while you are unemployed.

Take a class

Since you will have more time on your hands, you can use this time to expand your skills. You can take a class at your local community college or you can take a class online.

Maybe you want to change the field you are in and go back to school to get a degree in something else. Now is the perfect time to do that!

Start a side hustle

When my husband was out of work, he had a side hustle leading worship for churches who need a substitute worship leader. It was great because it helped him focus on other things than not having a job.

Related: This is what happened when my husband lost his job

There are so many ways to earn a side income while you are out of work. You can drive for a delivery service, or drive for a ride-sharing service, or you can start an online business.

I have worked from home for nearly five years and I can tell you it is not for the faint of heart but it is possible. There are all sorts of online jobs you can do. I have a virtual assistant business that I have had for 5 years. I also have my blog which earns a small income too.

Become a Pinterest VA Today, is the course I took and I made back all the money I spent on the course in 60 days. I have niched my virtual assistant business to supporting only bloggers on Pinterest and I love it!

Related: An Honest Review of Become a Pinterest VA Today
Related: Top tools you need for a Pinterest VA business

Rest in God’s plan

Losing your job is one of the top five hardest things you will live through. The daily struggle to keep going and looking for a job comes with so many emotions. But God knew this was going to happen to you. He knows exactly how long you are going to be out of a job and I know that He has a plan and a purpose for everything.

God has a plan for everything, He always does. If you are looking for peace during this transition time immediately after you lose your job, then my challenge for you is to pray. Ask God to come and help you, and ask Him which job you should apply to. God wants to help you!

If you don’t know how to pray, here is a simple prayer to help you start.

Father God, I need your help. I am in a position I have never been in before. I lost my job and I don’t know how I am going to provide for my family. Father, I need wisdom on what to do. I am scared and I feel really alone and ashamed for the position I am in. God, I ask you for your peace to help me to move forward. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

If you have questions or need me to pray for you, you can send me an email. Sign up for my email list and reply to the first email and tell me how I can pray for you.