Losing your job will change your life. For better or worse is up to you.

[view:node_ad=5] The economy. Those two words have unfortunately become synonymous with doom and gloom these days, and it only seems to be getting worse.  With jobless claims at a 16-year high, and numbers around 4.61 million according to USA Today, why wouldn’t the country be in a reactive uproar? Thousands of businesses large and small have been shut down, leaving millions of Americans feeling hopeless and alone.

So what do you do if “the economy” hits home? What happens if you are suddenly dismissed from a job? Below is a compilation of helpful tips on how to handle a lay-off, and how to pick up and move on if you are among those who lost their job. With these resources, you may even find yourself in a better position in the long run.

What to do immediately after being laid-off;

Don’t Panic.

You are not alone. Your life may have changed, but you can adapt. Don’t disregard the fact that you may need to work harder, longer and more often than you’re used to, but opportunities exist. You just need to find them. Breathe.

Notify your immediate family

Hiding your unemployment can set you back from the start. As if losing your job isn’t hard enough, keeping a secret like this can overwhelm your senses and hinder your motivation to keep moving ahead.

Also, you must understand that this is a family problem; what affects you affects them. If you are the only spouse working, explore the idea of having the other spouse look for work. If there are kids in the family, have them pitch in. They may need to cut extracurricular activities such as baseball, soccer or dance class until your financial situation stabilizes.

File for unemployment benefits.

You can now file for unemployment benefits online, providing a much quicker turnaround, and getting money will help to keep up with the payments.

To file, visit:

www.edd.ca.gov

If you are out of work due to a non-work related injury, illness or pregnancy, there is another option: to apply for State Disability Insurance. This program is a state-regulated and audited program that allows for short-term disability income replacement. For information about the State Disability Insurance (SDI) Program, visit:

www.edd.ca.gov/disability/disability_insurance.htm

Take a financial Inventory.

Make note of how much money you have in the bank, and how much you will need to save for future bills and expenses. This can be tricky, as the length of unemployment is unpredictable. You can be jobless for as little as two weeks, or perhaps longer. You will need to plan ahead for the worst-case scenario. Make payments that must be taken care of immediately, and then proceed to the next step.

Find ways you can cut corners.

You must prepare for the worst, and therefore you should start finding ways of separating luxuries from necessities. Look at the bills from previous months and assess where you can reduce expenses.

Do the same with the kids in your family. If they are usually given money each week for food, start saving that money to buy food from the market and make meals for them to bring to school.

Cut back on trips to the movies as well. With tickets ranging from $9-$11.50 per person, a family trip to the movies can easily cost upwards of $40.00, and that’s not even including drinks and popcorn. Rent a movie instead, or plan ahead to limit movie trips or go during a matinee when the prices are a bit cheaper.

Remember, sacrifices will have to be made to allow money for the necessities, but it doesn’t have to be a traumatic change.

Moving Forward

After making the necessary adjustments to keep on top of your financial situation, you will need to get the ball rolling on finding a new job. There are many resources online to find a job in your area; you just need to dedicate time to search for the right one. Your resume may need alteration as well, so update that before you go job searching.

www.scvjobs.com (all local Santa Clarita jobs)

www.monster.com (LA area jobs)

www.careerbuilder.com (LA area jobs)

There are also many temporary employment agencies within the Santa Clarita valley, and they are a great resource for finding your next job. Again, you will need to dedicate time to research the services each agency offers, so be serious about finding which agency works best for you.

Temp Agencies in the SCV;

Barrington Staffing Services http://www.barringtonstaffing.com/

Quantum Staffing http://www.quantumstaffinginc.com/

AppleOne      http://www.appleone.com/

Pirate Staffing   http://www.piratestaffing.com/index.html

Sage Staffing http://www.sagestaffing.com/

Select Staffing http://www.selectstaffing.com/SelectStaffing/main.cfm?nlvl1=1

Labor Ready http://www.laborready.com/

Exact Staff http://www.exactstaff.com/html/community.html

MaMan Power http://www.manpower.com/

United Staffing Service http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/United.Staffing.Services.661-257-1536

Moving On

Maybe this recent life alteration will make you realize that the grass could be greener in another field of work.

In that case, consider a career change. There are some great trade schools in and around the Santa Clarita Valley, and each one offers reputable training for various career options. However, switching careers will take time and money, and may not be the right option for you right after a layoff.  Just assess where you are, where you need to be, and where you want to be financially within a certain time frame, and then determine if switching careers would be the best option for you.

You will need to explore which fields of work interest you, and that will help you decide which trade school or community college would be best to attend.

The difference between the two is that trade schools offer training in a very specific career; For example, if you know for certain that you want to become a bartender, a trade school would be ideal, as it is the Bartending School’s specialty to train bartenders, respectively.

Trade schools do tend to be more expensive than community colleges, but if you are certain in what “field” it is that you would like to switch to, a trade school may be the best option for you.

If, on the other hand, you are not quite sure what it is you would like to be doing for the rest of your career, community college is a great place to start. College of the Canyons in particular, offers a wide array of courses in many different subjects, rather than specializing in one career as a trade school does.

Tuition for college classes are relatively cheap, and it may be wise to go back to school to obtain that degree that will help you get ahead in your career, whether that be a new one, or in the same field.

If time and finances do allow for you to attend a trade school or college, visit these websites for more information;

College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita http://www.canyons.edu/

DeVry University, Palmdale

http://www.devry.edu/locations/campuses/loc_palmdale_map.jsp

West Valley Occupational Center, Woodland Hills http://www.wvoc.net/

Clarita Career College, Canyon Country http://www.chartercollege.edu/california/index.html

Online Training Academy, Northridge http://www.tradingacademy.com/losangeles/index_losangeles.htm

ITT Technical Institute, Sylmar http://itt-tech.edu/

Pilates Tech, Newhall http://www.osteopilates.com/

Remember; stay on top of your game after a layoff, don’t let stress and anxiety keep you from being productive. Each of the resources listed can be useful in assisting you during this difficult-and ultimately temporary-period in your life.