The thoughts and opinions expressed on this web site are solely my own and in
no way, shape or form should I be considered as any kind of expert – hey I did
get laid off after all, enough said. However, since I am going through
what most of you are, I just wanted to put together some resources and thoughts
I have found useful through this time.
As you envision sticking toothpicks or larger items into the eyes of the bearer
of you lay off (be it your former boss or that HR nemesis), step back for a few
minutes and relax. There will be time for that stuff later. And remember a lay
off is not personal, so don’t take it this way. Of course if you threatened to
kidnap the bosses cat, well then, it may have something to do with you. If this
is the case, move past anger and resentment quickly, they are self
defeating.
There are some things you will need to take care of first. I recommend
assessing your financial information Listing expenses against your unemployment
income will help. My first thoughts were nearly panic when I first heard the
news was "crappe, I will have to sell my liver to make my next house payment",
but by figuring out monthly expenses and comparing them to my unemployment
compensation the picture wasn’t quite as bleak. Then throwing in my savings
into the equation, I came up with my panic timeframe. Knowing your timeframe
will help in assessing job offers.
For those lucky enough to have the foresight and was able to throw a few
shackles in the bank, Congrats. This will provide you with some valuable time
as you map out your plan.
Speaking of compensation you will need to open up a claim. You can find your
state employment web site
here.
Another first thing item is deciding on health insurance. This one was the most
difficult for me. It is hard to throw out hundreds a dollars a month on health
care (Private or Cobra) when you are finances are already being taxed. To take
the chance or not. You can find a good article in helping you make your
decision
here.
There are many great ideas and solid advice on the links page. I did take the
take short vacation advice and chilled out on the beach for a few days. The
trip helped keep things in perspective and I had some special bonding time with
my 4- year old.
My own personal advice:
There will be a time when you will enter the workforce again however, it may be
years if not decades before you have this opportunity again so don’t waste it.
Catch up on your sleep and recharge the batteries. Put yourself in a good frame
of mind to better evaluate your career/life plan.
Once your relaxed and recharged. It's time to get started. Putting myself on a
schedule helped me, not a hard schedule but more of an intent. If I found
myself with some momentum in one area, I would stay there instead of switching
gears. After all not much sense getting stressed out about this.
There should be some time set for your job search. Even if you not ready to
work yet, it is important to some of your mind in this realm. You will be
surprised how much time this will take. Update your resume, create some cover
letters, get your resume online, network and in general keep up with the latest
job news.
Grab some books (Paper or Online) - Update your skill sets and learn what’s new
in you field.
Grab some books (Paper or Online) - Update you life skills. Randomly read.
Permit yourself to grow and explore some new ideas.
Explore new opportunities, now that you are on a brief hiatus from the rat
race. Build a website, volunteer, learn something new, spend more time on
hobbies, learn new hobbies. Grab lunch with a friend or a relative. Consciously
live and enjoy it, you now have the time.
This as an opportunity, refresh, rethink, retool and go kick some butt
Good Luck!