# How to handle unemployment

Losing a job is unpleasant, but isn't the end of the world.

The initial blow will always be the most difficult:

- This can be more uncertain, and more painful, if you're in a tenuous situation for a long time before losing the job (e.g., pending layoffs).
- For many people, losing a job is losing part of their [identity](identity.md).

As soon as your termination is certain, ask all relevant questions to your HR department:

1. When do I receive my last paycheck?
2. Will I receive any severance pay?
3. How long will I have to exercise my company stock options, and what will happen to my [401(k)](money-investing.md)?
4. Does the company offer [healthcare coverage](money-insurance.md) after my last day, and if so, for how long?
5. Will you provide a reference for me?
6. How can I receive copies of my performance reviews, and when?

Once you've had at least a day or two to calm yourself, carefully consider *why* you lost your job:

- Most of the time, you'll lose a job because you were the least pleasant or least competent person to work with (or both).
- You were, according to that leadership, the most disliked person.
  - This doesn't mean you're an awful person (since many groups have [awful leadership](mgmt-badsystems.md)), but it's *absolutely critical* to know why you were let go if you would prefer to not see it happen again.

As soon as possible, get back to looking and find something else.

## How to adapt your lifestyle for unemployment

As *soon* as you lose your job, shift to a survival lifestyle:

- You can withstand extreme scarcity if you only buy what you need and adapt to living with less.
  - Pay minimum [debt](money-2_debt.md) payments.
  - Stop spending on *any* luxuries or maintaining your social life.
- Unless it nearly *guarantees* employment, postpone all major life decisions, especially about [marriage](relationships-weddings.md), [houses](home-buy.md), or [children](parenting-babies.md).

Some situations will make your unemployment situation far more severe:

- [Children](parenting-children.md) or other family members who depend on your income
- [Criminal history](legal-crimes.md), especially if it was within the past [7 years](people-image-modern.md)
- Multiple recent short-term jobs, which would imply instability to a potential hiring manager
- A shortage of skills proportional to your age (e.g., a college graduate who can't clean a gutter)
- Failing to have had [money saved](money-3_budget.md) for the situation

If you receive severance pay or government unemployment, don't treat it as guaranteed:

- Stockpile all your money until the next job comes in.
- The unemployment appeals process is often tedious and unpredictable, so [research](http://aboutunemployment.org/) before expecting it.

Treat every dollar you own as an investment in your [job search](jobs-1_why.md).

## Immediately look for another job

You're setting yourself up to fail if you pursue hobbies or a small business while unemployed:

- Hobbies take tons of time and distract from the job search.
- Small businesses take tons of time *and* money for them to become profitable.

If you're on a work visa or probation, find *any* other employment:

- Sometimes a fast food job is perfectly sufficient to meet an employment requirement.
- The issue is more about the [legal requirements](legal-safety.md) to avoid getting in trouble than anything about money.

You might see the unemployment as God's will and may want to pursue full-time ministry:

- While discovering [God](god.md) is easiest in the darkest period of your life, it's a terrible place to make a far-reaching decision, so take each day at a time and don't make long-term commitments until you're in a safer place.
- Physical success is loosely connected to [spiritual success](spiritual-exercises.md), so humbly consider your record so far.
- If you weren't successful in your current career path, your efforts to become a professional minister will likely deter others from your religion.

As time persists, you will generally travel through a few stages in response to being unemployed:

1. Shock (i.e., denial)
   - Unless you've been expecting you'll leave, it will take at least a few days to a few weeks to adjust to the new circumstances.
   - While you may hunt for a new job, it's more likely that you'll have to [grieve the loss](mind-feelings-sadness.md) of that portion of your lifestyle.
2. Jaded
   - At this point, you'll be [applying for other jobs and networking](jobs-4_hunt.md) with everyone.
   - You will be feeling a state of prolonged [anger](mind-feelings-anger.md), which will channel into applying everywhere.
   - This will be the most productive point in the process.
3. Discouragement
   - Within at least a few weeks or months, you'll run out of willpower to keep applying for another job.
   - At this point, you start becoming more vulnerable to scams, and will be more willing to take a role you normally wouldn't consider.
4. Despair
   - After 2-6 months, you'll lose motivation to keep looking.
   - While you'll probably keep hunting, the constant discouragement will likely mean you'll be slower to act in general out of [distrust](trust.md) that the next opportunity is legitimate.

Scammers target desperate, poor, unemployed people with "job offers", so watch for anything suspicious:

- Email-only communications
- A vague job description
- Unreasonably high pay for the work involved
- They're requesting for money or "administration fees"

## Look outside your work experience

Before considering your career, you need a *job that [lets you survive](money-economics.md)*, so take *any* job in *any* industry.

Look for *any* work you can do until you find stable employment:

- If you're [creative](mind-creativity.md), you can find *tons* of [side work](entrepreneur-4_freelancing.md).
  - Search dumpsters for broken items, then fix and sell them.
  - Check the gig section of [Craigslist](https://craigslist.org) and other online classified sections.
  - Since you have plenty of free time, learn a universally marketable skill you can take anywhere.
- If you start liking the [side work](entrepreneur-4_freelancing.md), consider how much work you'd need to replace your lost job and never hunt for a job again!
- Artistic skills are usually low-demand and based heavily on popularity, so don't expect them to help much.
  - Further, art roles are typically luxury services, [which disappear as soon as the economy turns downward](money-economics-downturn.md).

Sometimes, you can't go back to your role or industry:

- Company cutbacks might show the industry itself is slowing.
- If you were laid off, modern technology may have made your skills obsolete.
- If you're fired and have damaged your reputation enough, the community of the entire *industry* may excommunicate you.

Many industries are *always* looking for people willing to work:

- Custodial work and cleaning jobs like window cleaning and pressure washing
- Security guard roles
- [Driving, of almost any kind](autos.md) ([though it may be replaced by technology someday](computers-autos.md))
- General labor
- Landscaping and lawn maintenance
- Garbage collection
- [Childcare](parenting-children.md)
- Retail and food service work

Consider moving for work:

- Often, an obsolete or low-demand industry in one part of the world is very high-demand elsewhere.
- Unless you have a marketable skill as you travel, only [move](home-moving.md) if you can afford the trip.
  - If you need to, downsize everything you own to make it cheaper.

## Prepare for long-term risk

Be prepared to handle the consequences of prolonged unemployment, which may include [homelessness](hardship-homeless.md) unless you can build an alternative lifestyle.

However, if you can climb out of it with your dignity, you've built [a success story](success-1_why.md) that can empower your future achievements.