[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/blog\/id\/40\/how-to-cope-with-sudden-unemployment#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/blog\/id\/40\/how-to-cope-with-sudden-unemployment","headline":"How to Cope with Sudden Unemployment","name":"How to Cope with Sudden Unemployment","description":"Although losing a job isn\u2019t a new concept for most people, it still comes as a shock\u2014and seems to get\u00a0harder to deal with\u00a0each successive time it happens. 1. Unemployment Benefits:\u00a0The second you become unemployed\u2014before you go home to wallow, or even look for another job\u2014apply for unemployment benefits, even if there\u2019s no guarantee you\u2019ll get […]","datePublished":"2018-09-05","dateModified":"2018-10-17","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/author\/admin#Person","name":"admin","url":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/author\/admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e26111862ca029071a00a76fae48c51b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/e26111862ca029071a00a76fae48c51b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"UnemploymentOffice.org"},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Sudden-Unemployment-1.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/Sudden-Unemployment-1.jpg","height":372,"width":600},"url":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/blog\/id\/40\/how-to-cope-with-sudden-unemployment","about":["blog"],"wordCount":568,"keywords":["40"],"articleBody":"Although losing a job isn\u2019t a new concept for most people, it still comes as a shock\u2014and seems to get\u00a0harder to deal with\u00a0each successive time it happens.1. Unemployment Benefits:\u00a0The second you become unemployed\u2014before you go home to wallow, or even look for another job\u2014apply for unemployment benefits, even if there\u2019s no guarantee you\u2019ll get them. The first check takes a couple of weeks to reach your doorstep, and any delay in starting the process will only mean you\u2019ll have to dip into your savings sooner and more frequently.2. Evaluate Your Finances:\u00a0After you\u2019ve applied for unemployment, sit down and make a chart of your hard (car, house) and liquid (checking\/savings accounts, cash, investments); what your essential (rent\/mortgage, food, healthcare) and non-essential (clothes allowance, entertainment) expenses will be for the next 3 to 6 months; how long benefits from your last job (if any) will last; and if you have anything of value ($500 or more) that can be put up in case of an emergency. Check your assets against your liabilities (including things like student loan payments, insurance payments, car payments, or anything other money you have to pay to another party), and calculate carefully how long you can manage without a job.3. Hit the Job Market:\u00a0Even though you may feel sucker punched from the reality of losing your job, there\u2019s still no time to rest. Not only will letting yourself get caught up in the situation make you feel worse, but each day you spend\u00a0not\u00a0looking for a job is more money down the drain. Brush up your resume so it\u2019s completely up-to-date, check in on your contacts, take refresher courses if you have to, and apply, apply, apply. With 2.9 unemployed people applying for every job opening and the\u00a0odds of landing a job after 6 months of unemployment only 12%, you need to act fast.4. Volunteer:\u00a0There\u2019s no guarantee you\u2019ll be able to find a new job in the next week or month, but you need to be able to fill your time\u2014and resume\u2014and volunteering is a great way to go about it. Not only does it keep your day structured, but you could meet a contact that could lead to a job.5. Downsize:\u00a0Until you\u2019re steadily employed again, you have to start living within your current means. It\u2019ll hurt, but things like canceling your cable (you can watching TV online), riding the bus instead of driving, taking in a boarder or roommate, and entertaining in instead of going out can be temporary\u2014if you act right and with foresight.6. Constantly Reevaluate:\u00a0If you\u2019ve updated your resume, applied to dozens of jobs, and still haven\u2019t gotten any interviews or offers, carefully look at yourself and uncover what you\u2019re not doing that successful people are. While job prospects are relatively thin, they haven\u2019t disappeared completely, as people\u00a0are\u00a0becoming employed, albeit at a lower rate than before. If you\u2019re not one of them, change your approach until you are. And above all else, never give up because the second you do, it\u2019s game over for you."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Id","item":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/blog\/\/id\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"40","item":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/blog\/\/id\/\/40\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"How to Cope with Sudden Unemployment","item":"https:\/\/www.unemploymentoffice.org\/blog\/id\/40\/how-to-cope-with-sudden-unemployment#breadcrumbitem"}]}]