7 Crucial Steps to Take If You Are in Between Jobs
You, like most people, probably believe that there’s nothing good about being unemployed. With no money coming in, you’re probably starting to stress about making ends meet, losing your home, or worse.
However, if you’re in between jobs, you’re actually being presented with an amazing opportunity. It’s an opportunity most people never slow down long enough to take advantage of.
Sure, you need to start thinking about your finances and planning for the immediate future, but we encourage you to keep an open mind and stay positive.
We can help. Keep reading for our top tips on what to do if you get laid off.
1. Keep a Positive Frame of Mind
One of the most important steps to take after losing a job is to stay calm. Don’t panic or let your emotions spiral, even if you were fired for unjust reasons.
Whether your termination was fair or not, you need to keep your wits about you. If you made a mistake and were fired for good reasons, you need to start thinking about the future while keeping a positive mindset.
If you were wrongfully terminated, you need to pursue legal action. However, you won’t do yourself any favors by slandering the company online. It could actually hurt your case.
2. Start Cutting Back
Learning what to do in between jobs is just as much about surviving financially as it is planning your next job. Unless you already have something lined up, you can’t say for certain how long you’re going to be jobless.
We recommend immediately cutting back on personal expenses. It won’t be fun tightening your belt for the next few months, but it may be key to your financial well-being. The last thing you want right now is to fall behind on rent, mortgage payments, or car payments.
But don’t worry, upon closer evaluation of your bank and credit card statements, you’ll see how much money you could be saving. Here are some simple steps:
- Stop dining out
- Cut out coffee shop coffees and snacks
- Cancel multiple streaming services (Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Video, etc.)
- Pause your gym membership
- Give yourself a grocery budget
- And more
Most people don’t realize how much they spend on unnecessary (and sometimes, unused) luxuries.
3. Reassess Your Life Path
If you are like most people, you probably didn’t really enjoy your previous job. In fact, nearly 85% of people report hating their jobs. Nobody loves working and being away from home, but you don’t need to loath going to work.
Take this time in between jobs as an opportunity to change the direction of your life. Are you happy about your current career path? What would you rather be doing?
Our jobs shouldn’t necessarily fulfill our life purpose, but they should fulfill some part of your needs. For example, people who love animals would be happier at an animal sanctuary than at a slaughterhouse.
4. Find a Temporary Measure to Make Ends Meet
While you’re trying to figure out your next career path, it may be necessary to find a temporary job to help pay the bills. For example, you could drive for Uber or Lyft. You could also deliver meals with Door Dash.
Remember, it will only be temporary. Even if you feel like the work is “beneath” you, every incoming dollar counts while you’re in between jobs.
You could also sell your unwanted stuff online, do favors for people around the neighborhood, rent out a spare bedroom, or find other ways to earn quick cash.
5. Figure Out What to Do About Health Insurance
One thing most people don’t think about is what to do about their health insurance while in between jobs. Most people have health insurance through their places of employment.
You need to know what to do if you get fired and your insurance policy lapses. If you got sick or injured now, it could financially bankrupt you.
Most insurance policies won’t immediately be turned off without a grace period, though you won’t have long. We recommend looking at short-term health insurance policies or Medicaid.
6. Update Your Resume
Depending on how long you were at your previous job, you may have quite a bit to add to your resume. Your experience there could be beneficial for finding a new job, even if you were fired.
Regardless, you need to update your resume to be seriously considered by any potential employers. If you last updated your resume five years ago, it’s going to look suspicious.
During the job interview, you also need to be honest and upfront about why you’re looking for a new job. New employers will always ask why you left your previous job.
If you were fired, you need to be honest about it. They’ll likely find out the truth anyway and may be willing to overlook it. What they won’t overlook, however, is if you start out your professional relationship with them by lying.
7. Stay Productive
Finally, staying active and productive is vital to your mental health and morale while in between jobs. While it may be incredibly tempting to take this time as an opportunity to sleep in until noon and binge watch new shows on Netflix, you’ve got more important things to do.
However, this pertains to more than just hunting for a new job. You should also take this time to catch up on household projects and other chores that you haven’t had time for.
Be productive to stay positive. Here are some suggestions:
- Take care of neglected household chores and projects
- Start a new fitness routine and take control of your diet
- Spend time pursuing hobbies (writing, drawing, knitting, etc.)
- Get your old car up for sale
- Declutter your house and sell stuff online to make some money
While you can’t allow yourself to be completely distracted from your job search, use your extra free time to improve other areas of your life.
Are You In Between Jobs?
If you’re in between jobs, we know how stressful everything can feel. Just keep a positive attitude and remember that things always have a way of working out.
In the meantime, be sure to check out some of our other articles for more job hunting tips and career path suggestions. Our blog is dedicated to helping people like you improve all areas of their life.