Job Loss

Staying Positive
seek support from family & friends
join a job finding club
register with employment agencies/union hiring halls

Keeping Connected
volunteer for a charity, school or any agency that needs help
tell people that you're looking for work
ask friends and associates for leads and suggestions

Feeling Good
work out
eat healthy foods
be creative--hobbies, creating writing, etc.

Staying Competitive
explore new career options
investigate re-training possibilities

The rough waters of unemployment can leave us feeling like castaways. Here are some basic lifesaving techniques that, if applied, can help us cross the bridge to a more manageable and positive way of coping with our job search.

Family: Discussing our situation with our family and letting them know how we feel and finding out how they feel will help us stay more connected and less alienated.

Friends: Friends can prevent us from feeling lonely. They can help us with our job search and give us emotional support.

Job Search/Support Groups: There are hundreds of job finding clubs and programs throughout the province. These programs can help us maintain a sense of purpose, optimism and teach us the most up-to-date job hunting skills. Such groups are available though local employment centres, employment agencies, colleges, universities and social service agencies.

Positive Thinking: Rewarding ourselves for things we have done well instead of blaming ourselves for things that are out of our control is critical. Not getting hired for a job has generally very little to do with who we are but rather is related to the needs of the employer.

Career Changes/Retraining: Listing our skills and reviewing our strengths is very important in identifying the kings of jobs that we can do and the kind of training we may need to take in order to remain competitive.

Job Contacts: Staying in touch with our network of contacts is key. Going to interviews for information on companies will keep us in tune with possible openings within various companies--many of which are never advertised.

Survival Jobs: These may help us pay the bills and keep us in the working world while we continue to look for something more satisfying.

Volunteer Work: Volunteer work is an amazing way to learn new skills, offer our talents and improve our self-esteem. When we volunteer, we make contacts and see new opportunities.

Do the Little Things: Do all the things that you have been saving for a rainy day--it gives us a sense of accomplishment that will add to our positive outlook.

Exercise: Exercise helps us to relieve stress and maintain a positive attitude.

Reduce Financial Pressure: It's important to communicate with our family and creditors to agree on a financial plan which will help reduce expenses.