What to Do if You're Laid Off

CNN's Clark Howard offers a host of resources of what to do if you're laid off. Howard writes,

"....First, don't panic! You're going to need to apply for unemployment insurance. [Our next posts will offer some advice on how to do that]....I'm also a big believer in networking groups and unemployment support groups. Networking for jobs has become something of a lost art in our country because people think the Internet replaces everything else. It doesn't. However, there are ways to use the Internet to hook up with powerful networking groups. There's even a new organization called LaidOffCamp that is like a free day camp for the underemployed....

When you are job hunting on the Internet, be sure to check out screen-scraper sites like SimplyHired and Indeed.com. They're both "one-stop shops" that collect content from all the traditional job sites such as Monster and Yahoo! HotJobs, plus the career pages of individual company sites.

In addition, The Boston Globe recently recommended several specialty sites when you're looking for work in a specific field. BioSpace.com is geared toward the science and biotechnology fields; Idealist.org focuses on the nonprofit charity world; and for those who are 50 years or older, there's a site called WorkForce50.com.

In the course of your job search, you may find that you need money immediately and can't sit around waiting for a job offer to materialize. In that case, certain skill sets -- Web design, programming, marketing and videography, to name a few -- lend themselves to consulting work or freelancing on a project.

The Internet also offers a variety of sites that match freelancers up with employers. A recent article in The San Francisco Chronicle suggested ELance.com, oDesk.com, Guru.com and crowdSPRING.com as starting points...."