Follow these steps so you can thrive during a lay off! #layoffs #unemployment #jobloss #severance

[0:00]Some people have no idea what to do if they get laid off. Not you though. You follow me, Vivian, your rich BFF and your favorite Wall Street girly who's going to not only help you survive but thrive during a layoff. First, ask HR for a layoff letter. This is a document on company letter head that says you were let go because of reasons beyond your control, not because you were a bad employee. This is going to help with your job hunt. Two, investigate a severance package. See if your company is willing to give you some money to make ends meet while you're hunting for a new job. This can be hit or miss depending on where you work, but a good rule of thumb is to ask for four weeks of severance pay for every year you've worked at the firm. Three, register for unemployment as soon as possible. Keep in mind your eligibility, how much you'll receive and how long you'll be covered for is largely dependent on where you live. So make sure to search Department of Labor unemployment benefits and then your city and state. Odds are good, you'll be able to apply online. And last, before you get back to job hunting, give yourself a second to grieve. When you lose your job, it may feel like you're losing your identity. You're going to feel sad and that's normal and okay. But this isn't the end of your career. You've got better things coming.