With the global economic slowdown and downturn triggered by the sudden collapse of the American housing mortgage market in August 2008, unemployment is one of the biggest issues that many people are directly experiencing, whether temporary or relatively permanent. Whether we like it or not, pink slips do arrive out of the blue in every industry nowadays. If we are one of the victims, what should we do to survive until we obtain another employment? This is a million dollar question. However, when we approach the issue with a practical frame of mind, we can easily solve this burning problem of sudden unemployment.
Is Blogging the Perfect Solution to Unemployment?
Nearly everyone in this generation is Internet-savvy and even many of the seniors have very good knowledge of the opportunities existing on World Wide Web. One of the much-touted opportunities on the Internet by Internet marketers for home-based business is writing blogs or blogging as it is called. Majority of the unemployed persons have jumped on this bandwagon of blogging, only to find that they have been left high and dry. At the same time, several blogging success stories are being broadcasted on the Internet with great fanfare, like the experiences of John Chow and J.D. Roth. However, even these highly successful men do not hesitate to admit that it will not be possible for everyone to replicate their achievements.
Is blogging really a lucrative source of income? Let us analyse this issue before looking at other alternatives as solid sources of income during unemployment and measures to implement for countering the difficulties of unemployment, even while searching for the right solution to end unemployment through a good job. When we understand clearly all these three issues involved in dealing with unemployment, we will be able to live peacefully, productively and prosperously.
Blogging is Not Rags-to-Riches Success Story
If you wish to earn through blogging, you should also have a good website to support the blogs and to receive the visitors who like to know more about you after reading your blogs. Further, you should also use the blogs and your website to earn from Google Ads, FeedBurner Ads, etc. Be honest with yourself and think of how many blogs you can write every day, day after day, on the same subjects that you have selected to project. Initially, you may be able to write 10 or even 20 blogs a day but that will taper off within a short time. Finally, you will be averaging around 2-3 blogs a day at the maximum.
The visitors to your website will also diminish over time. Even if they remain constant, the income from the website will be about Rs. 2,000 and the income from blogs will be about Rs. 500 every month. The income from Google Ads and FeedBurner Ads, etc. will also average around Rs. 500 each a month. When you combine all of them, you will be aggregating around Rs. 5,000 a month through blogging as an income source, a far cry from the income you were receiving from your previous employment. Do you believe that you can meet all your monthly expenses and pay your bills with this income? Your broadband Internet connection alone will be costing you Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 a month, without which you cannot even blog.
It should be clear from the above computations that blogging is definitely not a full-time income source. Yes, you can blog as a hobby or as a supplementary source of income during unemployment but meeting your monthly expenses regularly or becoming rich in short time are not at all possible with blogging as an effective means. So, what are the alternatives?
Dealing with Unemployment Temporarily
The first thing that you should do after receiving the pink slip is to cut down on all your non-essential expenses. You should avoid all outside eating, unnecessary driving and costly entertainment relaxations for the time being. Wherever possible, you should take a bus ride, instead of driving your two-wheeler or car to save on conveyance.
You should take up a part-time job, which will give you a steady income, even while you search for a respectable job in your field of specialisation. This can be a job in a grocery store, accounts writing, income-tax consultancy, a job in a star-hotel or other similar jobs that require only minimum qualifications or some experience. If your part-time job is of very brief duration, you can even take up two temporary jobs to tide over until you see better times.
You should keep in touch with career counsellors and submit your resumes to job sites like Monster, Yahoo! Jobs, Career Builder, etc. You should also tap your social networking website connections, as well as your friends and relatives to alert you to appropriate job opportunities. You can communicate to companies that are in the same industry in which your expertise lies and post your resume in their websites. Most companies welcome applications in their websites for people who can be useful to them. You can also constantly browse wanted columns in various newspapers and attend job and employment fairs and exhibitions.
If you have any outstanding debts or other borrowings, you should explain your position to your creditors and try to minimise your monthly outlay until you obtain a new job. You should judiciously use your emergency funds during this unemployment/part-time employment and start replenishing these funds as soon as you get your new job in a systematic manner.
Plan for Future
There is absolute no need to panic, if you suddenly face unanticipated unemployment. Remain calm and handle each crisis without thoughtful planning and you will definitely come on top. However, once you get a new job, carefully save for the future and such unforeseen eventualities. Invest the savings prudently after consulting an experienced financial advisor for maximum returns without too much risk. You can feel free to contact us if you have any questions on the above subject.