Surviving Without a Job

2009-01-27T09:03:00.001-08:00

Budget? I'm Unemployed - What Budget?

Maintaining a budget is difficult under normal circumstances, but trying to balance your checkbook, compute your finances, and make ends meet when you're unemployed is definitely a challenge. If you were financially savvy when you had a job (that leaves me out) you might already have a budget in place that you can live with by making a few cut backs. For people like me, however, attempting to balance your budget will most likely be very painful.

When you were employed, you probably knew what your income versus expenses were. You had a job that covered your living expenses, and hopefully had a few extra dollars at the end of the month to have some fun. Now that you are unemployed, income versus expenses takes on a whole new meaning. You are now in "financial survival".

The first thing you need to do is to make a list of your daily, monthly, weekly and yearly expenses. You may be saying "I know what my expenses are", but if your like me you may have a water bill that only arrives quarterly. Remembering the quarterly or annual bills can save you the headache of remembering after the fact. You may also be asking "Why do I need to list my daily expenses?" The reason is It is important that you recall all of the items (including luxuries) that you spend money on, even if it's coffee from the convenience store every morning when you pick up the newspaper. You need to mentally go through each day and write down as much of your spending as you can.This exercise will help you see where cuts can be made - when I did this I was amazed at how long my daily list was.

Next you need to set up a system to determine what are absolute necessities and what you can possibly do without. When I made my list I put a "N" next to those items that were absolutely necessary (power, water, food...), a "DN" next to items I really don't need (starbuck coffee, copy of People magazine, chineese for lunch...), and finally I put a "U" next to items I wasn't sure about. This system really helped me see where I could cut corners to put more money in my budget for the necessities, as well as have some left over for the undecided (an occasional night out...). Once you go through the list once, you probably won't need to do it again. In my case, that one time was a wake up call to be more careful with my money. Especially now that I'm unemployed.

Some things I would not recommend getting rid of. Mainly the Internet. The Internet can be your life line to jobs that you would otherwise not know about. If I didn't have the Internet to look on sites such as Monster.com or Careerbuilder.com, I would miss out on literally dozens of openings every day. When deciding what to put a "DN" beside of, look at the long term ramifications as well as the immediate ones. Canceling an Internet bill may seem like a good way to have some extra cash in your account, but doing so may delay the amount of time it takes to find a job.

And finally, once you prioritized your expenses and decide what you really don't need take a look at whatever income you do have coming in (unemployment insurance, child support...). Maybe you have enough coming in to explore other options, such as starting your own business or going back to school. There's actually programs to help you do either of these things. Check with your local Employment Security Commission for more details. If you're like me and notice that your income isn't going to quite cut it, you may need to consider a part-time job through a temporary agency to make ends meet. That too can be a challenge though, there are a lot of people out there competing for any position that out there.

Even if you have to take a job that requires minimal skills to keep your budget afloat, remember it is only temporary. You will still be looking for a job that matches your background and skill set, but until you find it you need to take whatever is out there. I have a MBA and 18 years in the Learning and Development field, but there's not many of jobs out there right now that needs that expertise - and it seems that when one is posted it's filled before I have a chance to get my hopes up. So now I find myself applying to temporary agencies willing to do anything to bring money in. As the old saying goes - desperate times calls for desperate measures. And as sad as it is, these are definitely desperate times.

Things to remember when you lose your job

2009-01-21T05:44:00.000-08:00

More and more Americans are loosing their jobs, and with todays economy the end doesn't seem in sight. Those with families are suffering the most. Many time children do not understand why the families outings and routines have to be compromised because mommy or daddy is out of work. All in all it can be an extremely stressful time.

Many people define themselves by their job, and without a job they often lose their identity when their job ends. Psychologist report that more many, losing a job can have the same traumatic results as losing a loved one. It's not surprising that after a job loss people become depressed. But not all is loss, there are ways to cope in these situations.

The most important thing to do is move foward. Although, this may be difficult to do, dwelling on what you loss instead of finding a new job can will cause your depression to worsen and prolong the amount of time you're without a job. The job loss that you've experienced can actually be a good thing with the right mindset. Instead of grieving what you don't have, look at this as a chance to start over and better yourself. Get your resume in order and show the world what you have to offer.

One thing is certanin when you lose your job, you will have less money. So, create a budget and plan out how to survive until you find another job. It's hard not to have steady income, you will have to cut out some of the things you are accustomed to doing - unnecessary spending is out. You can also make a list of ways you can make some money until you're employed full-time. Check out craigslinst for odd jobs or contact a temp. agency.

It's important not to become impatient, it will only lead to more stress that will make this time harder on you and those around you. Try to relax, and don't get discouraged if you don't find a job right away. In todays economy it may take awhile, so it's important to find something to keep you busy. Like I said before, find a part-time or temporary job during your search for full-time employment. It's estimated that it takes most people 3 to 6 months to find a job that is close to the one they had prior to losing theirs. Just be sure that you make fidning a new job your main priority. Apply or send a resume to any job you find on a job board like monster.com, careerbuilder.com; look at your local paper's job listings. Try to make yourself known to at least one prospective employer each day - regardless of the time it takes to find a new job. This is really important, because unless employers know you are out there and available they will choose someone else.

And remember, your job loss doesn't just effect you, but your entire family as well. Try to have a positive attitude, and look for a new job everyday. Keep in mind that there are millions of people who have lost their job - it's a painful and difficult time, but it is only temporary. You will make it, just hang in there.

You've Lost Your Job. NOW WHAT!

2009-01-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

So, you've just lost your job, or have gotten the pink slip along with your check - you are now officially unemployed. Now what? This article will talk about the basics of how to cope with being unemployed. The most important thing to remember once you do lose your job is to get your separation papers - it is the law that you receive them within a certain period of time (usually between two weeks and a month). Also, ask your employer the reason why you are being let go. The answer can mean the difference between waiting extra weeks for Employment Insurance to begin and having it start right away.

Once you receive your separation papers, go immediately to the State Employment Commission office! You will probably be met with a line, but don't let this deter you - it's the first step in the process of making sure you have income for you and your family while you wait for work.

If you haven't already come to the realization that you need a new job and you need it NOW, going to the State Employment Commission office will definitely put you face to face with that reality. But guess what? You have a job - a full-time job - you're looking for a new one. So gear yourself up to do just that.

Your friends and families may tell you to take some time off and just relax. Don't do it! Treat your job search like a real job. If you need to take some time off, "schedule it", just like you would if you were back at your old job.

Set a time to begin each morning. It doesn't mean that you have to start at 7 am sharp, but don't try to just sleep the day away. Set a time that's going to work with your personal and family obligations, but I would urge you to not start later than 9 in the morning.

Remember, this is a real job. The first thing you need to do is create or update your resume. While you are doing this begin writing down the kind of work you would like to be doing. Just because you were a customer service representative doesn't mean that's what you have to do at your next job. Don't go too far outside your skill set, unless you want to get new skills through training or educational programs. If this is the case, check with your local colleges to see if they have free training and/or classes in the area you want to focus your job search on.

Be sure to check in with your contact at the State Employment Commission office one or two times a week. They have access to many resources that are available to you. Take advantage of them! You can get assistance with everything from resume writing to government grants to help start your own small business.

You will realize before long that all of this preparation and job searching takes up a lot of your time. Be sure to fit time in for breaks and lunch. Also, be sure to get a good night sleep each night. It's important that you remain in shape both emotionally and physically. By doing this you'll fight off the blahs that usually accompany unemployment and keep yourself ready for interviews.

I would also recommend that you begin creating a schedule for yourself. It's easy to get overwhelmed during a job search. I know for myself, the hardest thing is keeping track of all the places I send resumes to - especially online. The last thing you want to do is duplicate an application. Also, try to make time to do some networking. Let people know that you are looking for a new job. Many times people that you see all the time - family, church members, fellow gym members... will know of an opportunity that you would not have heard of otherwise. Networking is extremely important during a job search.

Make sure your resume and cover letter is the best it can be, and when you apply to a job personalize the cover letter so it doesn't look like you are just mass producing your mailings. Instead of saying "I believe that my skills would be an asset to your company" insert the name of the company "I believe that my skills would be an asset to Company ABC". It's not difficult to do, and it may make all the difference in the world when you are compared with all the other people who've applied for the same job.

It's important to make sure you keep yourself on track every day. Apply for any job which you feel may be a good fit for you. There are dozens ofnew jobs posted everyday on sites such as Monster.com, Careerbuilder, Dice.com, etc., as well as postings in your local paper. Make sure that you apply to positions everyday. The more irons you have in the fire, the more likely it is that one of them will get noticed.

Best of luck to you in your job search. The most important thing is to keep a positive attitude, and never give up. You job loss is not the end of the world, it's just a small setback that may end up being the best thing that could have happened to you. The bad thing is, you won't realize that until you have another job that you enjoy.