With the unemployment rate at record highs, the job market is flooded and even extremely talented people are out of work. Getting laid off during a recession is one of the toughest things you might ever have to deal with in life. Even in a strong economy finding a new job can be stressful, but during a recession, it can be downright depressing.
The key is to be realistic. If you were in a very high paying job, you may need to accept that you won’t be earning the salary that you once did. While this may induce panic in most, it’s a painful reality that you will need to deal with.
You need to assess you life, and figure out what the bare minimum is that you need to earn. It might require scaling back your lifestyle, but accept that this is only temporary. You earned that higher salary before, and you can earn it again. Figure out what the absolute minimum is that you can survive on, and use that as the minimum salary requirement for your new job.
Before you jump in and immediately start looking for a job that was comparable to your previous job, expand your thinking and figure out if that is what you really want to do. Sometimes being laid off is a second chance, and if you were miserable at your last job, then you don’t want to make the same mistakes twice.
Look into job training, or courses that will help you find a new career. Sometimes the ideal job is something that you never thought you would ever do, but you always dreamed you could.
Invest in a self help book or two. Ask friends and family what you should do. You might be surprised at what they say. Sometimes, the people that know us best really do know what’s best for us. If everyone says that you are an amazing cook and that you should consider becoming a chef, even though you were an office manager – then you just might be a check and not even know it!
After you have determines what type of job you are looking for, you need to make your job search your new job. All too often, people spend a few minutes scanning the classifieds, and then get depressed that they don’t see anything and then head off to the couch to wallow in their misery. Get out there, talk to everyone you know in the field that you are interested in. Search internet job postings. Don’t let your pride get in the way of finding that perfect job. It’s out there, you just need to go get it.