• First item of business: don’t panic.  Clear your thoughts and try not to focus on any anger you may have; let it out and then let it go.  It’s time to direct your attention to the months ahead.

• File immediately for unemployment benefits.  This process can take a long time, so the sooner you start, the better off you’ll be.  Of course, your pay will not be anywhere near what you were making at your job, but it’s better than zero income at all when you’re simply trying to survive.
• Start looking for a new job right away.  The job market is tight.  Even if you’re a good fit, you may not get a job you’ve applied for because there are so many others in the same position as you.  One factory near my area has 3000 applicants for one open position.  You have to fight harder than ever to get hired right now, so your search may take longer than you might anticipate.
• If you’ve already lost your job, hopefully you have a savings account of some type to fall back on.  Go ahead and use that to determine how long you can survive before things get to a desperate stage—this will affect your job search time, and may help you stay motivated.  If you’re facing job loss and you don’t have a savings, start one right now.  Even a few dollars a week put away can add up and come in handy when you need extra cash.  Money is probably tight for you, but follow the rule “pay yourself first.”  You’ll see that you do have the ability to save up.
• Try to avoid using your credit card unless absolutely necessary.  You could put yourself in a worse position if you start incurring more debt that you cannot immediately pay back.  Your new motto is “Only use the credit card for emergencies.”
• Create a budget and stick to it.  Take a look at your savings and any unemployment (or even severance) benefits you may be getting and compare it to your bills and expenses.  Cut out anything unnecessary.  For example, if you can get by without satellite tv, do so.  You’re going to be spending a lot of time job-hunting anyway; you don’t have time for tv.
• Sell any junk around your home that you don’t need or want.  This will be a temporary fix for some quick cash, but it can help, especially if you have some items that will sell for a decent price either on ebay or at a garage sale.
• Consider picking up a part-time job in the meantime.  Be aware that this option may affect what you can receive in the way of unemployment benefits, but the decision is yours, and it’s particular to your personal situation.  You may even find a part-time job that offers benefits and keeps you going until you find full-time employment.
• Brush up your networking skills.  Keep in touch with your professional contacts if you can.  You may end up hearing about a job opening that isn’t publicized or gain an important and beneficial reference.
• Stay active!  A long job search can become discouraging, especially during a period of unemployment.  Keep in touch with family and friends, exercise on a regular basis, and keep up with your hobbies.  If you’re able, pick up a new book or take a class that can help you hone some existing skills and maybe even learn new ones that can make you more marketable.  Letting yourself become idle is one of the worst things you can do right now.

Your situation is going to be different from someone else’s, but remember that you’re not the only one having to survive without a job.  The recession has hit many businesses and forced them to cut back and lay off employees, even entire departments.  Use every bit of help you can find and every resource at your disposal to ensure you can get by until you find a new job.

• You don’t have to network face-to-face.  The internet is a very common way to find colleagues and helpful contacts.  You can join a website devoted solely to professional networking, such as LinkedIn, find designated chat rooms, or even use your social networking profile (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc.) as a way to find the right people.
• If you do choose the online world as your forum, remember to stay tactful.  Especially if you’re using a social networking platform as your main method, keep it as professional as possible.  Don’t post status updates or photos about your wild weekend.  Definitely be yourself, but don’t include every last vulgar or simply unnecessary detail.  Employers have been known to check candidates’ personal sites even if that’s not how the contact was made.  Post pictures of the one night in three years that you got a little rowdy and the employer may believe that’s how you act all of the time and choose not to hire you.
• Visit trade shows, attend any meet-and-greet opportunities offered to you, and generally keep your eyes open in your daily life.  Don’t be afraid to talk to people.  Small talk is not taboo as a way to get a conversation going.  You may start talking to someone at the grocery store about a similar interest or hobby and find out later that they can help you in your career field or direct you to someone they know.  Carry business cards or any other convenient item that can help your new contact find you again later.
• Stay positive and have some enthusiasm.  Networking won’t create the ideal job opportunity overnight.  It takes time and lots of talking.  Don’t let yourself get discouraged, and especially don’t quit just because you haven’t found the right contact by any deadline you may have set for yourself.  You’ll be networking when you don’t realize it even after you’ve landed your dram job.
• Don’t be afraid to ask your networking contacts for help, and be sure to offer help in return.  They consider you a professional contact as well, so the expectations go both ways.  Speak up when you need some guidance (that’s what you’re making contacts for), and make sure you’re available for others at the same time.

Many jobs are offered more through word-of-mouth than through online postings.  Employers can find more candidates by way of referral and eliminate the need to sift through potentially hundreds of unqualified applicants to find the good ones.  If you don’t talk to people, you may miss out on a great opportunity as well as a great reference.  And that’s all job networking really is: talking to people.  If you’re intimidated in person, don’t forget about the internet.  View every situation as a networking opportunity, and you can’t miss.

The Right Time to Negotiate

First, do take a good look at your company’s situation. If the cutbacks they’re making involve significant salary cuts and extremely tight restrictions on company spending, you may want to hold off. Timing is important when negotiating a higher salary. If your company is still struggling despite cutbacks and you ask for a raise, you could appear selfish and insensitive not only in regards to the company but also your fellow employees. They’re all in the same boat, and unfortunately, the fact that it’s getting tougher to pay your bills isn’t a good enough reason to justify a raise for most employers.

Point Out Your Accomplishments

However, if the company seems to be hanging on just fine, and you have the right evidence to support your case, go for it. You may be handling your increased workload so well that your manager may unintentionally not notice all of your accomplishments–he or she may just be content knowing that there aren’t any gaping problems. Use that to your advantage. Approach your manager with proof of things that you’ve done that have had a positive effect on the company, no matter how big or small.

Research Salary Possibilities

Do some research on the average salary for your position, too. Your manager likely already knows, but especially once you’ve shown how valuable you are to the company, he or she may be more inclined to set your salary at or close to the average. Knowing this will also prevent you from asking for a salary that might appear unreasonable. If you did start too high (even without knowing it), depending on your manager’s disposition, you may be denied a raise entirely due to your seemingly brash request.

Your other option is to ask for a review in 3-6 months if a raise isn’t possible now. You’ll know your manager will be paying close attention to you, so you’ll have a great opportunity to show off what you can do. Remember it’s all about timing, and once you find the right time, don’t wait for your manager to offer. Go ahead and ask!

It is possible that a lot of your questions will be answered during the interview, but there’s always room for expansion.  There’s no need to assume that you should already know the answer to something, and asking questions will give you a better chance of being remembered, especially if the rest of the interview wasn’t particularly unique.

You can ask specific questions related to your position, such as:

• “What will my daily responsibilities be?”
• “How much of my position will be routine?”
• “What is the management style?”
• “Will I be able to see the results that my work will have for the company?”

The interviewer will know you’re determined to learn every aspect of your job and perform well.  Another good set of interview questions to ask would be related to your future with the company, such as:

• “Is there opportunity for advancement in my position or somewhere within the company?”
• “Does the company offer opportunities for ongoing training, workshops, and/or seminars?”
• “What does the future look like for the company as a whole?”

Employers are always looking for someone that will be with them long-term.  It’s expensive to bring on new employees, and it also becomes a hassle to have to continuously train new people for the same position.  If you can guarantee that you’ll be staying, you’ll have a greater chance of landing the job.

And don’t forget to close with, “May I contact you if I have other questions?”  This leaves the door open for you, and it’s a good way to gauge the employer’s interest in you.  Interviews tend to make most people nervous, but look at it as a simple meeting instead, a way to determine your compatibility for each other, and don’t be afraid to ask your questions.

For more interview questions, visit Monster’s Interviewing Articles

Editor: You probably have strong proofreading skills and excellent grammar.  If you are also able to manage a team of other writers well and have a good understanding of layout and copy, you could be happy as an editor.  FYI, if you type “proofreader” in your job search, you’ll find this is an actual job title, too!  “Proof” will apply to copy and layout as well as editing grammar and structure; you just may not have the management requirements.

Teacher: If you prefer to share your knowledge with others, teaching might be the way to go.  English would be a good subject to be involved with if reading and analyzing is your forte.  Good writing teachers are valued, as well, and if you have a knack for recognizing strengths and weaknesses in others’ compositions and can provide constructive feedback, check out local schools for openings.  If there are none, suggest it!

Journalist: If your writing skills come alongside great people skills, and you always know the right questions to ask, try writing for your local newspaper.  If hard news isn’t quite your thing, you can always get into sports, features, entertainment, and any smaller sections unique to your newspaper, to name a few options.  It’s also a good excuse to learn more about your community and perhaps become more involved.

Marketing: Maybe you’re the ultimate salesperson and know how to write snappy headlines and persuasive copy.  You also know how to monitor sales patterns, customer needs, and statistics.  In a marketing setting, writing will be only one of your responsibilities, but your work will have a direct impact on the company’s productivity!

Freelance: You can offer your skills full-time or part-time, and here you’ll have the opportunity to get involved in a number of different projects.  You could end up doing anything from sales letters to web content to instruction manuals.  If you look in the right places (such as GoFreelance.com), you can find a number of different projects and essentially choose your own workload.

Creative Writing: If you’re a poet, novelist, storyteller, or playwright and want to focus your creativity only in these areas, you’re probably aware that you need an official day job until readers are knocking down your door for the next installment of your latest chronicles.  If none of the other options appeal to you, consider a job that will allow you some intervals to work on your writing, like receptionist, or one that works with the hours when you feel most inspired (for example, if you write best in the morning, consider waiting tables or some other 2^nd shift job).

There are jobs for writers out there; you just might need to search a little and try different position titles to find what you’re looking for.  Combining writing with other areas that interest you can open up a wider range of possibilities as well.