Face it, one of your first worries after a layoff, or any job loss, is money. In this economic environment we are all watching what we spend, but when there are no more paychecks or unemployment benefits are all you have to live on, spending decisions are critical.
Your main goal is to find a new job as quickly as possible, but to make sure your money covers your needs and expenses, your spending choices need to be strategic. Consider first what you absolutely have to spend on for your job hunt—things like Internet access, cell phone bills, business cards, transportation and a few office supplies. If you need professional help with your resume or job hunting techniques to get you started, especially if you have been out of the job market for a while, seek recommendations from friends and price out your options. Put your money where you will gain what you really need.
Networking is a necessity. Not every penny you spend will bring you actionable results, but every connection can lead to another. There are plenty of low cost networking options, where $10-30 will get you in the door if you register ahead.
Consolidate your events or meetings to economize on travel costs and time. If you have to drive to networking events, try carpooling with a friend or job hunting buddy, trading off on who drives each time. If you are going into the city for a meeting or an interview, take public transportation and make it a day. Set up additional informational interviews in the same area. Meet someone for lunch and maybe someone else for coffee.
Print your own business cards or use one of the low cost or free online business card printers. Printing you own will allow you to customize your cards to specific scenarios, which is helpful if you are looking at more than one career path.
Stretching your job hunting budget is possible if you make wise decisions.
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Great post as usual. A friend of mine did a successful repositioning of herself and landed a new job in 6 months. She stayed focussed and printed several versions of her business card through VistPrint for free. You just pay for shipping. She found that putting a title on her card could be limiting. It's a constant re-evaluation with a new objective eye. One exec I know decided to go into his own business, but with he realized that although he sold "research" customers bought "customers." The successful job hunter found the same thing. She thought she was in marketing, but ultimately found that employers wanted business development. You can bet she took the word marketing out of her job title.
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