Job loss can hit you hard, especially as a parent, and many people can feel as if they have let their family down by being unable to provide for them anymore. Record numbers of people have been made unemployed by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, and this means that you are not alone in your search for a job. While this can be comforting, this also means that positions are getting more applications than ever before. To move on from your job loss and regain your self-esteem, here are some top tips to help you to get your job and your family back on track, such as taking online nursing programs.
Consider Your Routine
One of the hardest aspects of job loss to deal with is that you will now have an extremely large amount of time on your hands. This change to your routine can leave you thinking about your unemployment 24/7 and with a knock to your mental health and wellbeing. It would then be best if you tried to keep your days as full and meaningful as possible. For instance, you could keep up with housework or chores, focus on hobbies that you have not previously had time for, and focus on being there for your kids in a way that was not possible when you had the distraction of full-time work. For instance, you should structure your day around your kids to replace the routine that is usually provided by work, helping them get ready for school and preparing for their return.
Take the Opportunity to Learn
It would be best if you saw your unemployment as an opportunity, rather than a setback. You can do this by putting the ample time that has now been afforded you to good use. Many people do not continue to learn after their initial education in school because of a lack of time and commitment to their careers and family. If this is the case for you, then unemployment can give you the time and motivation to succeed at a degree, such as online nursing programs. Online options, like online nursing programs, are best as they will ensure that you have no additional costs from living expenses, and they are often cheaper than residential courses. Not only this, but online nursing programs and other digital degrees are incredibly flexible, allowing you to work toward these around your familial commitments.
Not only can these educational options allow you to fill your spare time with personal development, but they can also help you to jump back onto your career ladder. Not only can they open doors to you by giving you new skills and knowledge and by preparing you for more responsibility, but they can also be helpful to show your potential employer what you have been doing within your latest employment gap.
Look at Your Finances
It is always advised that you should have three months of savings in your bank account at all times in case of emergencies, such as unemployment. However, this is not always possible if you have kids or are living paycheck to paycheck, and your major concern when you are made unemployed may well be that you do not have enough money to support yourself and your family. If this is the case, before you do anything else, you should look at your bank account and make a note of your expenses and which you might be able to cut down, such as your utility bills and meals out. You should then create a new budget for your family that will ensure that your available money can last for longer. This budget should include necessities such as clothes for your growing kids, and food. If you are struggling to do this, you should consider speaking to a financial advisor about your situation, with many charities providing free financial advice for those in need of it. This can help you make your money go further and ensure that you have the funds you need while looking for an alternative job. It would be best if you also considered looking for new ways of making money, such as selling your old possessions and kids toys or doing odd jobs for people in your community.
Tell the Kids
Your kids will find out about your unemployment at some time, and this is often sooner rather than later, especially if your routine has changed. Rather than shying away from the subject with your kids, you must find the right way to tell them. For instance, you should be direct and truthful about what is happening with them and how this will impact their lives. However, you should also be reassuring and retain hope for the future when you are speaking to them, asserting that although your family may be going through a tough time, you will be able to care for them and ensure that they do not come to harm. This will ensure that they understand that you cannot buy the latest toy for them and ensure that this does not impact their own wellbeing.
Get the Kids Involved in Your Search
Job searches can be difficult, and so why search for your next career by yourself? Although you might not believe that your children will be useful to your job search, you should ask your kids to help you spot job advertisements in the newspaper or out and about. By doing so, you kids will feel as if they are involved in your family and have an important, adult part to play, whether or not this makes a difference to the outcome of your job search. However, more eyes are better than less, and they may be able to find your next dream position, without the reservations that may hinder you when you are conducting your own search.
Get the Support of Your Partner or Family
Job loss can be difficult to cope with on your own, though, especially when you have a couple of kids in tow who rely on you. To prevent your mental health being affected by job loss, you should ask for the support of your partner or a family member. For instance, they may be able to split childcare arrangements with you so that you have more time to send off job applications, or they may be able to support you financially through giving you a loan or paying for degrees like online nursing programs if you are struggling for money. Not only this, but you should consider getting the entire family involved in your search and asking them about any available job positions or connections that they might be able to look into for you. If nothing else, your partner or your family may be able to provide you with a listening ear that can help you feel better within yourself and ensure that you can focus on your kids and their wellbeing, rather than on the building’s worries inside of you.
Create Immediate and Long-Term Solutions
When you have kids, you need to provide them with stability, and this means that finding a job- any job- is your first priority when you are made unemployed. Then, you should make sure that you send off a certain number of applications per week, harness your connections, and constantly update your resume and do everything you can to find an open position. When you are looking for a short-term solution, you should not be too fussy, as it is easier to find your dream job when you are already working. However, rather than settling for any old job, you should start to consider developing a long-term plan for your career prospects once you have done this. For instance, if you aim for a leadership position, this may take you longer to find and may involve you contacting employers directly. You might also need to take extra steps to be eligible for the role, such as obtaining qualifications like online nursing programs.
Consider a Career Change or Rejuvenation
Rather than seeing your job loss as the end of the road, why not see your unemployment as a new beginning? If there is a career pathway that you have always been interested in pursuing, now is the best time to follow this. For instance, if you are interested in healthcare, taking online nursing programs will help you to get ahead and to allow you to change direction in terms of your future job. Similarly, if you were bored of how your career was going, then this is the perfect time for rejuvenation, such as considering working for a different department or for the company of your dreams. This will ensure that you can feel more positive about your job loss and will allow you to reap the benefits of the enforced period of reflection that unemployment creates.
Consider Different Options That Suit You
If your previous job did not entirely suit you or your family life, unemployment gives you the chance to consider many different options that may match up with your lifestyle better. For instance, many moms benefit from deciding to pursue remote or freelance roles, as these give them flexibility and allow you to get more variety in the type of work that you produce. This will help you to put your kids first in the future and to spend more time at home with them. Not only this, but you might decide not to look for another job entirely, and instead choose to open your own business. For instance, many moms decide to sell homemade goods, such as crafts, or become third-party sellers. With the rise of the internet, this can be surprisingly easy to do on shopping platforms such as Big Cartel and marketplaces such as Etsy.
Find Exterior Aid
There are many resources out there for families who are struggling to cope with unemployment, from charities that can give you emotional support to government schemes for financial aid. These resources can help you get back onto your feet and give you the time to find a suitable job for you and your family, without the need to rush into any major decisions. You may also be able to find resources for your career, with many organizations offering schemes and advice centers that can allow you to see the types of jobs out there and be matched to a great option for you by a recruitment expert.
Help Children Cope
When you are made redundant or become unemployed, you must look outside of yourself to your children and the potential effect that your job loss may be having on them. Even if you do everything right, your children will likely begin to experience some negative emotions or worries, and this may present itself in questions about the future and the impact of the job loss on them, as well as behavioral changes, such as an inability to sleep or lashing out. To prevent your job loss from affecting your children too much, you should avoid arguing or getting upset around them, especially if the job loss has created tension with a partner or a family member. You should also help them cope by listening to their worries and asking them how they are feeling, retaining some elements of their routine, and enjoying normal activities, and acknowledging what is happening in their own lives, such as achievements and other worries. If you are worried about your kids, you should consider visiting a counselor with them or speaking to a specialist doctor.
Moving on from a job loss can be difficult for both you and the kids. However, by supporting one another, using the extra time it gives you wisely, such as taking online nursing programs, you will soon be able to thrive and have a better chance of securing your dream career than ever before.
You just need to remember that it isn’t necessarily your fault, and there hopefully these tips will help you to get back on track in no time.
