Unemployment and You

America is in a recession right now, and according to statistics 4.8 percent of this country is already unemployed and as of last month, an additional 71,000 were laid off. Moreover, since the official declaration of the recession, over 350,000 Americans have lost their jobs through company cutbacks and layoffs. Due to the decline of the mortgage and real estate industry, as well as the current war on Iraq , America is suffering a huge economic loss. Companies are scrambling to keep their revenue and their ass-ets while simultaneously giving hundreds and even thousands of workers the pink slip at a time. It is almost as indiscriminate as life or death, being unemployed can happen to anyone—it can happen to you.

I lost my previous job five months ago, and I have to tell you it was the most agonizing experiences—at first. It was frustrating, depressing, and self-depreciating. I wallowed in self-pity for a long time; simply because I lost something that I felt was the only source of income, which I practically defined my whole life by. However, after some time I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and did some things which I will explain over time through this blog to make your life a little more bearable if you ever encounter this life changing experience.

What does one do when they lose their job? When I first got notice that I would be losing my job soon, and I had thirty days to get my affairs in order, I was mortified. I didn’t know what to do. I cried to my boyfriend in despair. “What do I do?” I sobbed. However, after the crying was done, I pulled myself up and buckled down.

1. First thing I did was to get my resume together. Mo put together some pretty excellent ideas to spruce up your resume. Depending on the nature of your termination, you can still list your current job as part of your experience. I do warn you though, do be prepared to explain to every interviewer (as I did) as honestly as possible how and why you lost your job.

2. Put together a list of references from your current job. If you have gotten in the good graces of others through your experience and time on the job, take their names, emails, and phone numbers down. Make sure you ask them if you can use them as a reference. This will prove helpful when looking for work, especially if you are going to list your current job on your resume.

3. Start applying to jobs immediately. Assess what jobs will suit your needs, skill set, and career path. Then start directing your resumes and cover letters toward them. Good places to post your resume and look for jobs are: idealist.org, craigslist.com, monster.com, and careerbuilder.com. Some of them even have job targeting searches and features that can even send your resume to mass employers simultaneously.

Chances are you may get hired before you’re laid off, and you can resign from your current place of employment without suffering any real feelings of loss – money, pride, or otherwise. Unfortunately, not every one that does the above (such as myself) escapes the dreaded pink slip. Not to fret though, there are other things you can do besides pulling your hair out of your head.

1. File for unemployment, immediately. Yes, as young as you are, if you have worked at a company (any company) for over six months you qualify for unemployment! Although your company may not want to offer you a pay check, they still will have to compensate your pay through unemployment benefits insurance. Most states have a website that residents can go to once they become unemployed and apply; just search the word “unemployment” and your state abbreviation. During my five months of unemployment I never had to go in person to an office to apply or pick up my benefits. Specifically, NY State Unemployment offers direct deposit as well as debit cards provided by Chase bank to disperse monies to recipients.

2. Apply for health insurance benefits. Many of you may be aware of COBRA and its health insurance package so you can still retain your benefits. However, COBRA itself costs an arm and a leg when depending on your unemployment benefits. There are many state supplemented programs for the unemployed. NY grants Medicare and Medicaid, as well as supplemented health insurance through Healthy NY, which gives you several providers and plans to choose from according to your county and your income.

3. Get a support group. As closed in or vulnerable you may feel at this moment, please do not go into seclusion! Studies show that depression from job loss can be just as impactful as or even more impactful than losing a loved one. To add insult to injury, many people even after becoming re-employed never regain peace of mind. Please do not allow this to happen to you! Make sure that you have some loved ones to lean on and lend a hand during this season of drought in your life. They will serve as an aid to help lift your spirits and even lift you out of unemployment in helping you find a job.

4. Do not lose hope! Remember, this is only for a season. Despite your current circumstances, be positive and continue to be diligent in your job search. Eventually, a job will come your way.

I hope this helps anyone who is down on their luck at the present moment. In the future, I will be elaborating more on this topic. Be blessed all and have a wonderful week.

-LD

Tagged as: recession, unemployment

About the author

La Donna