[...] how to protect yourself against unemployment – unemployment i love statistics. last night i decided to go on a hunt to find out about unemployment rates in the united states. what i found didn’t surprise me. unemployment rates are up. and oregon has the highest unemployment rate in … [...]

[...] How to Protect Yourself Against Unemployment at Being Frugal [...]

Something else that is extremely important during these times is networking. You gotta have your contacts up-to-date and you’ve got to know the right people. Join a group, make some new friends, rub elbows with people you’ve worked with before, whatever so long as it’s getting your name and face out there. You never know what opportunities it could bring.

Kristy @ Master Your Card’s last blog post..Generational Changes

A: Have multiple skills and expect having to learn new ones at every job. Every job I’ve had so far has required me to learn totally unfamiliar skills. You build these skills and apply them to your arsenal of talent, which makes you more attractive and able to apply to more than just one type of job.

B: If you are a low skill worker and get laid off, consider going to college. Let’s face it: The days of working in the factory are probably going to continue to disappear. States like Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and others in the rust belt are proof of this. Consider community college or night school and learn skills that apply to the current economy.

C: Don’t overload yourself with debt or get into the line of thinking that you HAVE to have things like a house or whatever if you wouldn’t be able to pay for those things without an income. If only one parent works, definitely consider this because with only 1 working person, come a job loss your family will be in financial trouble twice as fast as a dual working couple. In other words, if you buy a house, think about eh consequences if the one working adult loses a job. If you would be in foreclosure within 6 months… consider renting until enough of a down payment is saved.

D: If you get a “good” job, or one that pays well, save like there is no tomorrow. Every year that you have a good job should be considered the best working years of your career. Tides can change, industries can fail, and skills required can quickly change fortunes. That and age discrimination is a very real problem. So figure that you have probably a good 25-30 years to earn prime income. That should be the years you save for retirement. A married couple should have at least 30k saved in retirement by the age of 30. That would give you a 40k annual income by the age of 60. That’s really not all that much if you think about it. So again- if you get the “good” job, pretend every day is the last day of that job, save for the future, and prepare for the day you don’t have that income.

E: If you lose your job, be extremely aggressive with re-applying for a new one. Expect that out of 50 resumes you send out, you might get 2-3 responses. Think of it as dating. Employees are looking for something very specific and if they don’t back to you, don’t get discouraged. Apply every day, but perhaps consider taking one day off per week. Most important is how you write your cover letter. Don’t be generic. Show them who you are. Be memorable. Explain how you will help THEIR business. Make it sound appetizing.

Candy @ Deal with it, simply’s last blog post..Families Coping

Angelsong’s last blog post..Finances are looking up

Heidi @ ggip’s last blog post..Hey, I haven’t done a meme in a while!

Servant’s last blog post..First Place 4 Health