If you lost your job during Covid-19, you aren’t alone. Many Americans and people in other nations have suffered throughout this pandemic. Thus, instead of focusing on the things going wrong, try concentrating your energy on the things you can do to change your situation. Here is what to do.
File for Unemployment Benefits
If you lost your job because of the pandemic, you could file for unemployment benefits. Even if it was recently, the federal government just approved last December another stimulus bill, so you probably qualify. You can go to the government site to verify if you qualify for it, and you will receive a one-time stimulus check of around $600.
Also, each state’s government has its own unemployment benefits program, and most of them include a weekly stimulus check that lasts six months. Plus, in the last act, the government included gig workers and freelancers. It is not a huge amount of money, but with the difficult economic situation, you don’t know how much time you will be out of a job.
The stimulus checks will help you have an extra income while you change your unemployed status. Another piece of advice is to look for help in your community. You shouldn’t feel ashamed if you can’t manage on your own. Everyone needs a helping hand every once in a while. Thus, look for organizations and non-profits that could help you during these challenging times.
Cut Some Expenses
Many people don’t know what their expenses are. They spend years paycheck to paycheck and never do a budget to know what they spend their money on and how they could save some each month. Thus, make an expenses sheet of what you buy in a week or month. It can be on Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or even a piece of paper if you don’t like tech much.
It can be something simple like a list of the things you bought and how much it costs. Also, include bills like rent and debts if you have any. Then, you have to arrange them by priority. For example, you have to pay your rent and utilities because you need somewhere to live and food. But maybe you can stop buying products that aren’t essential, like hair care products.
If you have any debt, you can call your lenders or bank to see if you can defer the payments for a few months. Many institutions understand that people are going through difficult times, and the government is also helping in this matter. For example, the government just deferred student debt payments to October this year.
Update Your Curriculum
The next step is to do everything you can to find another job as quickly as possible. One of the things you can do to increase your chances in the labor market is to include your curriculum. This is more important if you spend many years in your last job because your curriculum is probably outdated.
First, you can start by updating the format. Many websites like Indeed have thousands of examples of different curriculum styles. Also, research which skills are in high demand in your sector and try to learn them. For example, if you are a web designer and haven’t updated your skills in the last five years, you will have a hard time finding a new job.
Consider Retraining
Finally, it could be a good idea to retrain. Let me explain further. The world is making a transition into a society that adopts new technologies faster. And one of the biggest changes was a transition into online work. If you lost your job because of the pandemic, chances are that your career wasn’t adaptable to online working.
Thus, you can consider a change into a career that has a better job outlook. For example, tech professionals are in high demand and have job outlooks better than average. Plus, you can become a tech professional without a tech degree.
In Summary
Losing your job during the Covid-19 pandemic can be challenging, but it isn’t the end of the world. Take control of your situation and try to change what you can. The first thing you can do is to file for unemployment benefits. Then, cut some expenses that aren’t essential. Update your curriculum to increase your chances of finding a new job. Finally, consider retraining to have a career with a better job outlook.
