The 8 Steps I Used to [Successfully] Survive Unemployment

Finally, after 10 months of unemployment, I have landed a great job as a Telecommunications Project Coordinator. Similar in function to what I have performed over the past several years, this new role promises to address everything I outlined in My Ideal Job Description.

Landing this role was no easy task, and it took seven of the ten months of unemployment to finally make it all happen. Fortunately, I had a plan to ensure success in surviving unemployment for as long as it took. Here are the 10 steps of my plan:

1. Making Sense of My Losses. This step can be named many things, but it basically boils down to the same thing – going through the grief process and understanding the situation. I call it my mourning process, and it can take some time to perform. The timeline to work through this step is different for each person. The key to remember is that this step is not an isolated step and you can proceed with other steps while still performing this one.
2. Work Together as a Family. Having my family involved made a big difference in my overall outlook in the situation. I did not have to burden unemployment alone, and we encouraged each other as weeks turned into months.
3. We Took Stock of our Financial Resources. This can be a difficult task to do because it may require a major change in your attitude about finances and assets. Retirement plans and 401K’s can be an expensive proposition if used to survive during a lengthy unemployment.
4. We Set Spending Priorities. While this may seem like an obvious step to perform, I can assure you that it’s not. What may be a lower priority with me will most assuredly be a higher priority with my wife or my children. Again, this takes the whole family to buy in and act as one.
5. Paying Our Creditors and Insuring Our Financial Reputation. The key to performing this step is communication initiated on my part with each creditor. They may not like the new arrangements or the pitifully small amounts I paid, but each one worked with me throughout the year. Oh sure, my credit rating has taken a beating, but my financial reputation has been sustained and my rating can be restored.
6. Economizing and Cutting Corners. This is closely related to step 4, but it also involves an in-depth look into areas for additional cutbacks. This can be cable services, phone services, memberships, meal habits, etc. The key thing to remember on this step is that it’s only for a season – not necessarily forever.
7. Using My Community Services. These services range from financial aid, job seeking & networking, counseling, food pantries, city parks and volunteer opportunities. They exist to be used.
8. Finding New Employment. Finding new employment is a no-brainer, but my success in being able to devote the time and energy to be successful depended greatly on how well I performed the first seven steps. Believe it or not, my job search activities were much easier to perform when all of the other details were managed.

There’s no way to sugar coat it – being unemployed for any length of time is not easy, and not everyone survives. Having a plan mitigates many potential problems and reduces – if not removes – stress. Admittedly, it’s not easy, but survival is never about comfort or without risk. Look for additional details and ideas on how to perform each of these steps in my upcoming blogs.

Question: Are you currently? If so, how can I help?

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’d like to know what you think. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below.