Millions of workers have had to lose their job this year due to COVID 19. Front line workers, managerial, and supervisory workers have been affected in more ways than one, with most losing their jobs. People have had to learn the hard way that job security can turn out to be a myth in the event of a global pandemic that stops everyday life for months. How do you find comfort when your world comes crashing down? How do you deal with a job loss?
Give yourself time to feel the pain of losing the job
It sucks that you had to lose your job, and it is okay to give yourself the time and space you need to feel the pain of that loss. Cry if you must find safe ways to let out all your anxieties, frustrations, and worries that are caused by losing your job. It is okay to be scared about what this means for you and your future and how the course of your plans will have to change. Take time to process your emotions rather than ignoring and repressing them. While you need to remain stable, especially if you have a family, it is okay to feel sad and let yourself navigate your job loss. If you feel you need mental health support, don’t hesitate to reach out to a psychologist, or mental health expert to help you navigate the situation through these hard times.
Review Your Finances
With a job loss, cuts bucks are necessary, and you need to review your finances to assess this even if you may not have been eligible for unemployment benefits. Think of ways you can cut back on your spending and avoid expensive indulges until you can be able to secure another job.
Stay Busy
After you are done mourning and feeling the pain of your job loss, you need to keep yourself busy. Look for freelance gigs, join an association, look for pro-bono consulting work, or participate in online business events. Just find something that will keep you busy for some time.
Learn New Skills
This could be a blessing in disguise if you pick yourself up and decide not to give up. Go online and sift through a job vacancy in your work line and check out skills they require from the employees you don’t currently have and learn what you can. Use this opportunity to acquire new skills. You will find great resources like LinkedIn Learning and Udemy that are great for learning creative, business, and technological skills. If you know someone who can mentor you, ask them to share tips, or train you.
Apply for a New Job
With new skills, you can start casting your net in the sea and scour for new job opportunities on job sites, social media networks, local newspapers, company websites, networking pages, employment agencies, and ask your loved ones to keep you posted on any available job openings. Please keep an open mind and remain positive because even though sending out too many applications and not having any responses can be frustrating, it is crucial to maintain a positive mindset during this process.
