When balance is thrown out of wack by a layoff: Chicago unemployment resources

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I've heard it happen many different ways: you are opening your morning emails to find an unexpected meeting with no details scheduled on your calendar. You are all of a sudden tapped on your shoulder by your boss, who needs to "have a word". Or, maybe you get a phone call from your corporate office with HR on the phone, letting you know that the conversation you are about to be having is not going to be pleasant.

There are lots of ways to find out the job you've been working hard for is no longer yours, and they are all pretty much equally un-fun. Layoff, reduction in force, termination - you name it, whether it is an immediate "goodbye" or they've put you on notice that your position is going to be eliminated, there are a few steps you should take immediately to put yourself in the strongest position possible - even, in most cases, actions you need to take before the shock wears off.

1)File for Unemployment: If you have never been unemployed before, you might not know that with today's technology, you can usually even file on line. You should file for unemployment on the very first business day you are no longer working, regardless of whether or not you've been given severance. And - for those who might see shame in filing for unemployment - are you aware that this is NOT a handout, and that this is a benefit that you have earned (and paid for!) by your hard work? For the best information on filing for unemployment in IL go to theIllinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) website.

2)Checkout the Illinois Skills Match website that provides a great resource of Illinois jobs. Fill out a profile there, and see what present open positions may match your skills. You need to do this anyway - completing the profile is a requirement of receiving your Unemployment benefits, and the sooner you do this, the better.

3)Update your resume. Hopefully, you've read my article on employment Exit Strategies and have an updated version of your resume already. If you do not, get it done NOW while what you do and when you've done it is all fresh information.

4)Make informed choices about your health care options. If you had medical coverage under your employer, find out what the continuing coverage (COBRA) costs might be for you to continue your health care. In some cases that cost may be higher than what you can or want to pay, so make sure you do your research and have some options. A good resource for this is the Illinois Department of Insurance .

5)Finally, be gentle with yourself...and others if you can and take a deep breath. (I am a big advocate of deep breaths.) This probably had nothing to do with you and was a business decision that you are not supposed to take personally (though you probably did). Hopefully, you did not cry in the office - but feel free to do it now. A lot of our identity, good or bad, tends to get caught up in what we do on a daily basis or where we are in our careers. There are probably a lot of emotions going on inside you, and they may change rapidly. It's OK. Don't get upset with yourself  if you aren't in the greatest of moods or feel like retreating. It's awful and not at all fun to go through this stuff. Luckily, time moves on and this too shall pass. If you can try and adopt the "door shuts another great one opens" philosophy, it may make that time even shorter.

If you have any ideas, advice, or article suggestions, feel free to comment, email me at  this address or Tweet Me on Twitter!  You are why I write and I want to make the time you take reading my stuff worthwhile.  I would love to hear from you!