You may want to consider the following:
- Read Surviving a Layoff published by Dahlstrom & Company. This book will be provided to you free-of-charge during the employee orientation session conducted by the Dislocated Worker Team from your local area.
It is well written and provides good information on experiencing job loss, financial planning, and job planning and job search strategies. If for any reason this book was not provided to you, you may telephone the State Dislocated Worker Unit at 1-800-562-6333 and we will mail you one.
- Update your resume and begin networking with relatives, friends, neighbors, former co-workers, and members of any club or organization of which you are a member, etc. Let people know that you will be transitioning soon and what type of work you are interested in.
Ask them to let you know of any job leads or connections they may know of at companies that support your job interest(s). Make sure you follow-up with any leads that you are provided.
- Contact your creditors to let them know you will soon be losing your job. Ask them to establish a reasonable payment plan until you transition into reemployment.
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) is a non-profit organization with over 1,300 offices nationwide. This organization can assist you with developing a budget and/or contacting creditors. A directory of NFCC offices is available online or you may call their toll free number at 1-800-388-2227.
Another organization offering free credit counseling is the National Non-profit Consumer Credit Counseling Agency. They can be reached toll free at 1-877-426-6363 or via the Internet.
- Consider reducing your monthly payments and charges by competitively shopping for lenders offering cheaper rates. LendingTree is an online loan marketplace where lenders compete for your business and you choose the loan that is right for you.
- Generally, unemployment insurance benefits are payable to workers who have been separated from employment through no-fault of their own and are currently able and available to accept permanent full-time employment. You can calculate your weekly Unemployment Insurance Benefit amount at the North Carolina Employment Security Commission website
- Meet with your company benefits administrator and health plan administrator to find out about your retirement pension and health insurance. The U.S. Department of Labor has prepared a publication that answers common questions asked by dislocated workers regarding their pension and health care coverage.
You can read this publication or if you have specific questions pertaining to your rights to pension and health benefits, you may call toll free 1-800-998-7542. The U.S. Department of Labor will provide you with the name and address of the pension and welfare benefits administration office near your residence or you can visit their website.
- The Consolidated Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act (COBRA) provides transitional health insurance coverage. Although group plans are often cheaper than individual health insurance plans, you may competitively shop for individual health insurance plans on the eHeatlh Insurance website.
- Simplify rolling over your retirement into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) by getting the facts on retirement account rollovers at InvestSafe.com.
- The Financial Planning Associationtm (FPA®) is a non-profit, membership organization for the financial planning community. Its members are dedicated to supporting the financial planning process in order to help people achieve their goals.
- If you do not already have one, set-up a free email account through the worldwide Web. This is beneficial for networking, sending resumes and corresponding with potential employers. You can choose among several email providers and set up a free email account by visiting the Free Email Address website.
- Actively participate in job fairs that are held in your community. Job fairs are usually held during the fall or spring of the year. Job fairs are a good way to employers at one convenient location.
To find out more about job fairs in your area, contact your local Chamber of Commerce
Tips about what to do once you are unemployed:
- Develop a job search plan of action by:
- Setting weekly goals for yourself
- Staying focused
- Utilizing your free time to explore job interest(s)
- Researching companies
- Networking
- Applying to available job vacancy listings.
The more focused you are, the less frustrated you will become with your job search.
- Utilize the JobLink Career Center closest to your residence. These Career Centers offer free access to services designed to help you become gainfully employed. Some of these services include:
- Free Internet access to check email
- Research companies and access job vacancy listings
- Available resume writing software or Microsoft Word to prepare cover letters, write or update your resume, and prepare thank-you letters
- Free fax services to fax your resume to hiring officials
- A designated telephone or telephone line to call potential employers to set up interviews.
To find a JobLink Career Center near you, visit the JobLink Career Centers section of our website.
- Learn about government benefits at GovBenefits.gov that you may be eligible for by completing an online anonymous questionnaire.
- Locate local community-based resources. For a directory of organizations providing resources in your county, refer to the JobStart Country Resource List website.
- Earn extra money by performing odd jobs or by having a yard sale.
- File a claim for Unemployment Insurance Benefits with the North Carolina Employment Security Commission and/or at the JobLink Career Center near you. For information on the Unemployment Insurance Program or to file a claim online, please visit the North Carolina Employment Security Commission website. For a directory of offices near you, the ESC office locator website.
- If you are receiving severance pay from your company, you should manage that money wisely. Severance pay may also affect your unemployment insurance benefits unless you are enrolled in training.
- For information on affordable housing, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds housing counseling agencies throughout the country. HUD provides advice on buying a home, renting, defaults, foreclosures, credit issues and reverse mortgages.
The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency helps North Carolinians find affordable housing opportunities.