Trudging the road of unemployment

I finally honored a boundary I set this past weekend and did no job searching on Saturday! Very proud of myself. And Sunday I did just a little. For the most part, my weekend was spent with my family and friends, a great racquetball game and a wonderful bike ride.

One thing I did do around being unemployed on Sunday was to re-apply for unemployment benefits. In Colorado this has to happen every two weeks. You basically report to the state that you have applied for at least five jobs, are currently able to work, have not taken on a job and could start immediately if hired. It's all online and all rather simple.

The benefit itself has not yet come my way. It takes a while and could take all the way into February until I receive my first payment. I have done everything on my end, and now paperwork has to go to my past employer who will confirm my story and then my account gets approved and I can receive the benefit.

The moral of this story is to do as so many financial gurus say: have some cash in an emergency savings account.

I could write a whole blog post series on that, including everything that has benefited me once laid off that I had done prior to being laid off. No one ever thinks that day will come, but for tens of thousands the day has come, and it can be taken a little easier if you have prepared a little.

Today is day 18 of being unemployed and I have a second interview. The tomorrow and the next day I have an interview each day. It seems that week one was kind of slow as I began getting resumes out and settling into the process of a job search. Now I feel that things are happening and the main thing for me is to stay on my game.

Staying on my game means thank you notes to those who have helped in any way or those who have interviewed me, keeping my connections throughout social media updated on how the search is going, continually checking the several job posting websites I use for any potential job that seems interesting to me and most importantly, taking care of myself. That means working out, time with family, time with friends and long walks with my dogs. It means staying centered and positive, keeping in mind that all is going to be well.

If you have a friend or family member that has recently lost their job, reach out to them. Invite them to coffee or lunch. If you know something about resumes or cover letters, offer to edit their resume or send them a copy of a cover letter you have used. If on Linked In, recommend them. Support from family and friends has made this new journey for me so much better, and in some ways even fun!

Meanwhile the national unemployment rate is 7.8%. The Labor Department recently said that unemployment rates fell in 22 states in December and rose in 16. They were unchanged in 12.

Thank you for reading!