Life as we know it has changed over the span of several weeks as the coronavirus sweeps through our nation and wreaks havoc on everyday life. Many Americans are facing sudden unemployment and small businesses are unable to make payroll.
During these times, finding ways to survive financial hardship is at the top of the list, especially for those who have been laid off due to the coronavirus.
Here are some tips on how to do so from your own home.
Apply for a position with a hiring company
While there are a lot of layoffs, there are also many companies hiring to meet the demands of consumer products. Amazon announced that they were creating 100,000 new jobs and Walmart pledged to open 150,000 new hourly positions.
Other industries including the hospitality and medical industries are also doing their part to support jobseekers. Hilton has created a job board of employment openings and CVS plans to hire 50,000 new full-time, part-time, and temporary positions.
Look out for freelance and other related benefits
According to USA Today, there is currently a new program in federal legislation that, if passed, would provide freelancers, “gig-economy” workers, and contractors access to unemployment insurance through their state.
Provide a virtual service
Time to get creative by either enhancing or creating your LinkedIn. Now that most of the country is online this is a great opportunity to provide your services digitally. Can you offer virtual educational or extracurricular sessions for children who are affected by school shutdowns? Can you take your talents to Instagram like DJ D-Nice and garner up some visibility for your business?
Explore bill relief options
Many companies are providing customers with relief options on their monthly bill in support of those affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Under the Keep Americans Connected Pledge issued by the Federal Communications Commission, many internet and telephone service providers are waiving late fees. It might behoove you to contact your services providers and inquire about bill relief options they might have.
File for unemployment
If you’ve been laid off due to the pandemic, you might qualify for unemployment insurance (UI). Governed by the Department of Labor, UI programs operate in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. In order to qualify, eligible applicants must have worked for 12 to 18 months for a minimum amount determined by their state and have been unemployed through no fault of their own. Click here to apply.
Reduce spending
Cutting back on some unnecessary spending could allow you to allocate your money for more essential services and products. Dialing back on entertainment subscriptions and non-essential purchases during this time can help you better ration your income.
Invest in free retraining
In the face of being jobless, retraining and enhancing your education to make yourself more marketable for employment is a possibility. Many Ivy League universities are offering free online courses in a wide array of topics like computer science, humanities, and healthcare.
Reach out and network
In order for your application to not get overlooked among the mass number of applications that are surely flooding many hiring companies, it might be a good idea to reach out to those who can give you a leg up in the hiring processes. Now is the time to make new connections and rekindle old ones. Another advantage would be to get busy on LinkedIn where many top executives have profiles.
