Tips for Surviving Long Term Unemployment
Tips for surviving long-term unemployment
When the economy is in bad shape, it is hard for many people to find work. This results in potential long-term unemployment. That is a situation everyone wants to avoid, but if you find yourself there you likely need some help. Here are some helpful tips on surviving long-term unemployment.
1 – Get your entire household working together
If you are a typical family with both parents working and two kids in school, when someone loses a job the whole family needs to know what’s going on. There is no need to scare kids with horror stories about living in cardboard boxes. However, it is important to let them know some changes may happen and why they are happening. You will be surprised just how much support kids can provide from encouragement to actually trying to help bring home money.
2 – Get a clear picture of your remaining income and monthly expenses
Don’t wait. In the first day or two after you become unemployed, look at the remaining income you have coming in. Of course you also need to look at expenses. Ideally you will have more than enough money to pay the bills. However, this is not always the case and you need to know how big that gap is. Unemployment benefits help, but don’t forget they will soon run out and you need to be prepared for this day. Cutting costs is good advice to everyone, but it is especially important when you income stops or is drastically cut. Get rid of monthly expenses for things you don’t need or that you can do without. But don’t hobble yourself and your job search.
3 – Get out and look for work every day
Even if you think your unemployment will be long term, do everything in your power to avoid that. Put together a plan of attack. Get outside and hit the pavement. Meet people and talk to them about what they do, where they work, and let them know the benefits of someone in your line of work. Get out there and soft sell yourself to anyone who will listen. If you target places that business people go for coffee or lunch you can have great results. Just remember to keep your expenses under control when doing this. It’s one thing to chat up 3 hiring managers, but not so good if you spend $50 on coffee doing it.
4 – Work on your resume
Everyone can improve their resume. Until you are out of work, you never think about it. So when the time comes your resume has been collecting dust in the corner for years. If you look at it every day and to a little bit, you won’t feel as much stress about what to do with it. The easiest way to tackle this problem is to write out every little thing you did at your last job from designing computer chips, to planning 20 person meetings, to ordering office supplies. Make the list as long as it needs to be, and then you can start crossing off things that don’t contribute to the job you are looking for. For example a CEO position doesn’t care if you can order donuts for 25 people, but it would care if you could plan 10 successful meetings of 25 people. Now do the same thing for all your activities outside of work – sports, hobbies, volunteer work, church work, etc. You will be surprised how much you will find outside the office to help your resume.
5 – Consider changing careers
If you have been out of work for awhile and you need a job, consider a different field of work. Maybe you were in management, but there are no jobs so you may take a job building houses or collecting garbage. Each job has its own skills required and is rewarding in its own way. Carefully look at what you enjoy doing, what you have experience in, and what the job market is looking for. Once you expand your search past one small job category you will find it much easier to get interviews. Maybe you want to write a book, and now you have the time to do it!
6 – Take the time to return to school if you need to
If you are off work for a long period of time, it may be a good idea to update your schooling or train for a different career. There are many government programs that help fund people in your situation who want to return to school for training. Ask around at your local community centers, or colleges and trade schools about these programs. You will quickly find counsellors who can help you find the schooling and funding you need.
7 – Consider a job out of your home
If you have small children, when one parent stays home to care for the children there are many benefits. Your childcare costs drop to almost zero. This alone can sometimes offset lost income. You get to spend lots of quality time with your children when it matters most. You can make them cheap but nutritious meals, along with the rest of the family. Look for information such asGroceries on $21 a week. Best of all you can teach your children to get them ready for school. Habits you form early on will stay with the family for years to come and this includes making learning fun, and doing homework without complaining. Best of all there are many jobs you can work at from your own home including – writer, customer support rep, sales rep, assembly, and sales of products, programming, and more.
What ever you do to survive your long-term unemployment remember you are not alone, you have many options open to you, and keep on top of your financial situation. If you remember all that, your unemployment will go much faster.
