Whatever the reason might be, losing your job isn’t something you should be ashamed of. Plenty of people lose their job on a regular basis, whether it be due to redundancy, company folding, or toxic workplace culture. Of course, with the pandemic still soaring in countries around the world, job losses have taken a turn for the worse this year. If you’re struggling and you’ve lost your job, there are things you can do and places you can turn to for help, so don’t despair. These are just some of the steps that you can take if you find yourself out of work.
1.Check What Benefits You’re Eligible For
No matter what some people might tell you, there’s absolutely no shame in claiming benefits. The systems governments have put in place are there to help you, and if you need financial help during a tough time, there’s often the no better direct route to obtaining it than claiming the benefits you’re entitled to. Naturally, the benefits you can claim will differ depending on your situation, where you’re based, and other factors. Make sure you know what you can get because there’s no worse feeling than missing out on payments because you don’t know you’re entitled to them.
2.Consider A Loan
Loans, when you’re struggling with money, can seem counterintuitive, but they can actually be a great way to shore up short-term cash and boost your long-term financial prospects. If you don’t have a great credit rating, you don’t need to worry; there are plenty of companies that will offer you bad credit personal loans at favorable rates. By taking out a loan, you’re showing that you’re financially solvent and that you can make repayments on time. If your financial situation is truly dire, it may be best to stay away from loans, but in the short term, they can be great boons.
3.Start Working On Your CV
There’s no time like the present to start working on your CV. Employers will often be quite skeptical of gaps where you haven’t worked for a while, so the sooner you “get back on the horse”, so to speak, the sooner you’re likely to find work again. Be sure to make your CV look professional, but don’t over-explain yourself; an employer likely won’t spend a huge amount of time actually reading the document. Try to put your personality and skills across concisely, quickly, and simply. Once you get to the interview, that’ll be your time to shine; your CV’s job is to sell you in a thumbnail sense to a prospective employer.
4.Do Some Volunteer Work
One thing employers love to see on your CV is volunteer work. It shows that you’re enthusiastic and eager to enter the world of work, but that you’re also a dynamic and motivated individual who doesn’t mind working for free if the cause is just. Of course, you should know your worth when it comes to getting paid, too; don’t let any employer, no matter how prestigious, tell you that you should be working entirely for free. However, volunteering plugs gaps in your CV, it’s ethically a very sound thing to do, and it means you’ll gain valuable experience in your chosen field, too. There are very, very few downsides to volunteering, especially during such a difficult time.
5.Pinch The Pennies
Losing your job can place you in something of a precarious financial situation. You may find that – for a while at least – you’re struggling to find money where it used to flow easily and freely. When that happens, it can be a good idea to exercise financial restraint. Learn how to create a budget, how to save money wherever you can, and how to reduce your expenditure in areas like travel and food. If you look after your finances, you’ll find it much easier to get by on a day-to-day basis while you wait for another job to come your way. Even when you do find regular work, it may still behoove you to watch your finances in this way.
6.Start Making Connections
There’s no reason you can’t start making new job connections even if you’ve just said goodbye to an old position. Is there a dream career you’ve always wanted to break into? Why not start reaching out to people who currently work in that industry and asking some questions about the nature of the work? The more connections you build early on in a nascent career, the more you’ll be able to call on them later when you need them. It’s as simple as looking people up on platforms like LinkedIn and reaching out to them with a message or a comment. Once you’ve done that, you’d be surprised just how quickly you can start building friendships.
7.Don’t Feel Limited By Your Old Job
If you’ve always wanted to switch careers, then the end of an old job could be the perfect time to do it. After all, there’s no clearer sign if you’re looking for an indication that it’s time to switch your work up a little. Start looking into new qualifications you could achieve or courses you could study in order to break into a new career. If you’ve got a little money squirreled away, now may be the time to spend it on furthering your career options or enriching your existing work life. You may even want to take this time to go freelance if that’s something your work allows. However, you choose to do it, try to see the loss of your job as an opportunity.
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