It’s never a good feeling to be let go, whether it’s for cause or not. But by keeping your head and taking ownership of your situation from the very first moments of joblessness, you can help maintain your support network.

Keep calm. Resist the urge to lash out. Sure, it’s natural. But if you’re losing your job anyway, make a classy exit. In job hunting, it never pays to have enemies. Build up your alliances on the way out the door. Don’t storm out in a huff! They might have been just about to mention a much-needed severance package, or hook you up with someone they know is hiring – and you just blew it because you can’t control your temper. Remain calm and calculating, and wait.

Ask for resources. In some cases, you may be able to use your office resources during a transitional period. Access to a copier, a desk a phone and an office may help you keep your head in the game while you transition to a new position.

Ask About Health Benefits. If you are young and in good health, you may benefit by buying your own insurance in the individual market. If not, or if you have a dependent with health issues, you may need to fight to keep your access to a group, guaranteed issue plan – at least for a while. Ask about your options under COBRA – a federal law which deals, in part, with the continuation of group health coverage. If you do not qualify for COBRA, you may ask to pick up the employer portion of your existing health plan until you find a new job.

Embrace the challenge. Chronic unemployment – that is, the percentage of job seekers who have been unemployed for a year or longer – is the highest we’ve seen since the Great Depression. To be honest, you now have a new full-time job: You are a sales person. Your job is to sell yourself. Full-time. And it may require a full-time, 8 to 5 commitment. You must gather leads, qualify them, prioritize them, approach the decision-maker, get an appointment and close the deal – just like any salesperson would.

Leverage your search efforts. The quickest thing you can do is get your updated resume or CV to a good staffing agency. Employment agencies are the single best thing you can do to leverage your job-seeking efforts. Except in some specialized niches, you usually pay no fees. Instead, fees are generally paid by the employer, not by the worker. And if you have a decent and up-to-date skill set, chances are good that a quality employment agency can help you score interviews right away.

Google Yourself. You can bet employers will. Google your name. What will a prospective employer find in the first five pages? Does it reflect well on you? Would you hire you, if all you saw was your Google trail?

Keep Facebook clean. One common mistake is using Facebook to post compromising pics of yourself. Keep the drunk-posting to a minimum, and eliminate gossip, trash-talk, rants about your old job and how stupid your boss is. Work with the assumption that employers will see everything. Have fun, but keep it professional.

Slash expenses. Easy targets include your eating out, non-professional subscriptions, and your Starbucks Latte habit. Learn to handle an iron and you can cut down on your dry cleaning. Go through your bank statement, line by line, and drop everything you can. Cut your nut to the bone. This will help you maximize your most precious resource: Time.

Secure a solid recommendation. If you’re not being let go for cause, ask your boss flat out “can I count on you for a good reference?” Most of the time, the answer will be yes. If the answer is no, or if they avert their eyes and mumble something about “human resources and policy” now is the time to find out.
Keep records. Your job search expenses are tax deductible, as long as you are looking within your existing career field. Keep a mileage log, and hang on to your receipts. Include receipts from career coaches and counselors, training and certification programs, air fares, train fares, cab fares, hotels and restaurants you visited as a result of your job search and resume preparation.

Set up a “War Room.” You must be dedicated to your job search mission. Your mission deserves a dedicated office space, where you can focus and not be disturbed or distracted. If you have a home office, that’s a deductible expense, too – provided it’s a dedicated area and not for mixed business and personal use.

It’s easy to give in to feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness, depression and despair. But by getting a good start, and focusing on the executing the job search process with intensity and a sense of mission, you can have every expectation of getting through this, and getting through it relatively soon. You are still in the United States of America – the land of opportunity, and the greatest country in the world. Bust your tail, and maintain your focus, and you will be fine.

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