Laid Off? Earn Money While You Conduct Your Job Search
Have you recently been downsized?
And since then, have you discovered how extremely difficult it is to find a new job in this recessionary economy?
Current Situation
If so, you’re in good company. Since December 2007, the official beginning of this recession, more than 5.7 million jobs were eliminated during the current recession. According to the Associated Press (AP), after the May 8th release of the April, 2009 unemployment numbers:
- 13.7 million people were unemployed in April, 2009, and that was the largest number since 1948
- 539,000 jobs were lost in April alone
- 8.9% unemployment, but if workers who’ve been laid off and just given up or taken part-time work, are included, that number jumps to 15.8% – the highest since 1994
If you’ve been unemployed for more than a month, you may be feeling frustrated, angry, depressed, or maybe even a little panicky as you watch the pages of the calendar turn, with still no job on the horizon.This is not just a short-term issue, there are long-term considerations as well (e.g., retirement, college for your kids).
There are basically three options in this situation:
- Panic
- Keep doing what you’ve been doing (the same things that haven’t yet found you a new job), or
- Try something different
Option 1: Panic
The first option, panic, is entirely counter-productive, and should be avoided at all costs.A little fear, while uncomfortable, can be an excellent motivator – one that can help us get ourselves out of a dangerous situation by either running or energizing us to stay and fight. Panic, however, overloads our system, resulting in fuzzy thinking, confusion, fatigue, and gets us nowhere.
Option 2: Continue Doing What You’ve Been Doing
If doing what you have been doing had been successful for you, you wouldn’t be reading this article right now.Unless you’re willing to try something new, you’ll end up exactly where you are.
Although there seems to be a little bit of a light at the end of this recessionary tunnel, good people I know have still been unemployed for six months or more.After jumping through all the required hoops (e.g., answering help wanted ads, sending out tons of resumes), what results have they achieved? Zilch, nada.
Even when people find jobs to appy for, they’re not getting callbacks in this economy, let alone hired.
Option 3: Try Something Different
The third option – do something different – seems to be the only plausible solution. With so many choices on the table, it is very hard to know where to start?
Do something different: start your own business .
- Take control of your income; don’t let your boss or your company determine whether you have a paycheck coming in.
- Let this be the last time that you exchange quality family time for long evenings or weekends at the office.
Take control of your life; become your own boss! Work from home; start an internet business!
The home-based business industry accounts for approximately $427 billion annually and provides many tax benefits, more control over your time, your work, and your money. Essentially, you’d be applying the Law of Large Numbers to your individual situation, much as insurance companies apply it to minimize losses resulting from damage to your home, your car, or other personal property.Insurers mitigate their risk of loss by spreading that risk across thousands, or even millions, of customers.
Starting an online business will let you reach thousands, and millions, of prospects allowing you to spread your recessionary risks across multiple people, regions and countries.Apply the Law of Large Numbers to your personal situation, and minimize the recessionary risks of today’s economy.while building a quality life
