Things You Should Do After Losing Your Job

Hearing that you’ve lost your job can be pretty disheartening and the next few days or even weeks may leave you with low self-esteem. But dealing with this as soon as you can would help you more than you know. Don’t just eat a bowl of ice cream in the corner of your room and wallow in self-pity, instead prepare yourself to re-enter the world of job hunting. 

The quicker you get back up on your feet, the better it will be for your career. Here are some tips you can use to help you:

1. Accept What Happened And Calm Down.

You might feel depressed, angry, and demoralized but that’s okay. It’s natural to feel that way but letting yourself be dragged down by your emotions won’t make it better. What can help you is to realize what you need to do next and focus on the future. 

Think about what you want and your area of expertise. Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t because of your job? Do you have a skill set that you think is perfect for a company you’ve admired? There are so many new possibilities open for you, all you have to do is make the first step.

2. Find Someone You Can Talk To.

If you feel you’ve reached a breaking point and can’t deal with it anymore, it’s important to note that being able to talk to a family member, close friend, or even a stranger can help keep the edge off. That’s right, even a stranger.

Just having someone listen to you is a big help in itself. Allow yourself to vent and let out some steam from all that emotion you’ve been carrying to people who are empathetic and willing to show you support, even if it might be a stranger.

3. Budget Your Finances.

With all that’s going on, it may be easy to overlook this early on and only remember once you’ve almost depleted your resources.

Make a note on what you’ve got to work with for the following weeks or months, so you can continue to look presentable and focus on your next interview without other worries. This means cutting down on going to some of your favorite coffee places and avoiding weekend shopping trips, especially on times like this where you don’t know when you’ll be getting paid again. Make every penny count. Enjoy life on a budget.

4. Make A List of Your Accomplishments.

You may have a hard time doing this especially after losing your job but keep in mind that you still spent time there and contributed a great deal of effort into that company. Take a pen and paper, and list down all the work achievements you’ve gained so far but note that you should also list down personal achievements. Did you finish that task you recently worked on at home? Have you finally crossed off that item from your bucket list? 

Allowing yourself to list down major as well as small victories will not only help you regain your confidence but also help highlight the unique qualities and skill set you have that makes you a valuable asset for any company.

5. Check And Gather Important Documents.

You’ve worked for quite a while at your previous job and chances are, a whole lot of things have changed. Aside from your list of accomplishments, you may need to update some information on other pre-requisite files. 

Take a quick look on the internet for all the documents you may need when applying for a job such as:

• Birth Certificate

• SSS

• Photo ID (Driver’s License, Passport)

• Pag-IBIG

• Transcript of Records/ Diploma

• Philhealth

• NBI Clearance

• BIR Forms

When you are updating your resume, recall important contacts that you might be able to include as references, positive evaluations in your performance reports that you can add as strengths, and so on. Make sure to keep your requirements up to date for job employment so when a company’s HR asks for them, you can just hand them over with a smile.

6. Work On Self Improvement.

Another good way to spend your time while waiting for a response on job applications is looking for ways to develop yourself. Online classes, seminars and workshops will help boost your confidence and refine your skill set. You can challenge yourself to face your fears and overcome weaknesses, or admit past mistakes and refine your goals. Doing all of this will leave you with a sense of purpose and the feeling of self-fulfillment, which in turn will give you more motivation to keep going and not give up.

Improving yourself and having an outlet amidst all that is going on could provide you with some beneficial change that you and your future employers may appreciate.

There are so many new possibilities open for you, all you have to do is make the first step.

There’s no denying that it’s hard to move on from losing your job but instead of thinking of it negatively, try to look at all the good things it can bring. You’ve been given a chance to start over, to change direction and to re-organize your priorities as you see fit. Once you’ve changed to a more positive mindset, great things will soon follow and you’ll be ready to take on the world.