First Time Unemployed - Please Help

andrewbeaumont

Hi,

Sorry to ask but please could I have some advice. I lost my job yesterday after seventeen years of being in work (not for the same company). Background is finance/HR/Managerial. This is all so new to me. Have registered for JSA and Housing Benefit already and on the jobsites. Absolutely devastated. Is there any advice anyone can give?

Thank you

Sam____2

Seems like your doing all the right things, any partner or children? I ask as you would need to inform tax credits if you get them. Remember council tax benefit as well.

andrewbeaumont

Thank you.

Children dont live with me - they live with their Mum - we are divorced. Am renting as well - hence housing benefit.

Oldernotwiser

andrewbeaumont wrote: »

Thank you.

Children dont live with me - they live with their Mum - we are divorced. Am renting as well - hence housing benefit.

You should also claim council tax benefit and contact CSA if you pay maintenance through them.

Edinburgh65

Becoming unemployed is very daunting, but you will get back on your feet again, hopefully sooner rather than later. I would suggest doing the following:-

Make a long list of websites which you can check regularly for vacancies (jobsites plus local employers). Lots of employers only advertise directly on their own websites, so you will be missing out if you only look at jobsites.

Make sure that your CV is fully up-to-date and get someone else to see how it reads.

Try to have realistic expectations about what sort of role you are looking for, and don't hold out for the perfect job to come along, even though it may well do. Jobhunting is a total rollercoaster.

Don't rule out part-time roles. Some part-time roles are actually for a high number of hours, and if the hourly rate is high, you can sometimes find a part-time job which pays more than a full-time equivalent role. I didn't cotton on to that for a long time, and was excluding part-time vacancies when I searched.

Make a huge list of possible interview questions and answers (examples of competency based questions etc), so that you can study it in advance of interviews. That might help you to prepare. Also make sure that you have a ready to wear interview outfit that you are 100% happy with. You might get called for an interview at short notice.

Good luck!!