What To Do If You Unexpectedly Lose Your Job

By Rhonda Snider Collins, ISW Columnist

(Editor's Note: Rhonda is a career counselor who runs Collins Career Counseling. If you or someone you know needs assistance, please reach out to Rhonda on this Facebook page, LinkedIn page or at CollinsCareerCounseling@yahoo.com)

On Monday, my 73-year-old friend turned in her computer and keys after almost everyone in her unit was laid off at a firm where she had worked for six years. Lately, it seems various news media outlets are reporting daily on yet another massive layoff from the government or a major U.S. company.

Starting an unplanned job search can be daunting for anyone, but bouncing back into a new position can be especially challenging for older women – whether they’re like my friend and in their 70s or three decades younger — who not only face the stress of a late-in-career transition, but also ageism, sexism, and unfamiliar new job search norms.

Before You Start the New Job Search

When you have just received the news, you’ll want to take care of several priorities before you start a job search.

Take a Beat

Your first step following a layoff is to take time — a few minutes or a few days — to process your feelings. In All the Cool Girls Get Fired*, authors Laura Brown and Kristina O’Nell encourage unemployed women not to allow the firing to define you. Anyone who is fired is going to feel shock, confusion, and grief. It’s okay to take a break for a few days, sit with those feelings, and clear your head a bit, before you start making major life decisions.

Take Care of Immediate Concerns

According to a post-layoff to-do list from NPR, your next step is to review layoff paperwork carefully, and ask any questions you don’t understand. Your former employer might not volunteer that you may be entitled to a severance package, extended benefits or help finding another job. Also, you may be able to negotiate your terms of departure.

Next, if you can, apply for unemployment benefits so that you have some income as soon as possible. Either take the COBRA option to pay for your own health care premiums from your company, find new insurance on the Federal Health Insurance Marketplace, or if you are already on Medicare Part A, sign up for Part B and/or other Medicare options. 

Take Time to Reflect and Assess

Your final task before the job search is to plan and strategize. Some of the questions you will want to consider: 

• Based on savings, unemployment payments, and severance package, how long can I go without a job?

• What is my Plan B if I don’t have a job by then?

• What do I really want to do with my remaining years? 

• Is it time to change my career to something I’m more passionate about? The Department of Labor has a great resource O*Net that lets you research thousands of occupations.

• Is it time to retire? The National Council on Aging has helpful information on deciding when to retire. Review your Social Security income projections and discuss your pension/retirement funds with a financial advisor.

• Are there other sources of income I can have instead of a job, such as freelance or contract work? 

• How can I take care of myself and keep positive during this stressful transition?

Job Search Tips

If you decide you still want to pursue another job, here are a few tips with links to previous I Start Wondering articles and other resources.

• Start preparing as soon as you hear rumors of potential layoffs. For example, you may want to start tapping your network through websites such as LinkedIn. By the time layoffs are announced, and well before your last day of work, you will be ahead of the competition.

• Review strategies for older job seekers from the U.S. Department of Labor and  AARP. 

• Senior-friendly companies do exist; check them out at Monster Job Search and MSN.

• Age-proof your resume and cover letter by making a few updates that will help you get an interview.

• Play to your strengths in the job interview, and be prepared to answer questions about why you were fired.

I Start Wondering’s team wishes you all the best in your transition to a new job or whatever life you choose. Let us know what other questions we can answer for you, or if you have tips or stories to share from your layoff and transition. And be sure to pass this article on to other women who may be finding themselves unexpectedly looking for a job.

*You can find this book on I Start Wondering’s bookshelf on Bookshop, which supports local independent book stores. I Start Wondering will receive a portion through this affiliate program.