In January, almost 600,000 Americans were laid off, so if you lost your job, you have plenty of company. And support is just a click away.
Meetup.com, the site that facilitates face-to-face gatherings, lists a rapidly-growing array of groups for the unemployed around the country, from Pink Slip Coffee in Boston to Unemployed in LA. Meetup also has company and industry-specific groups, such as those for laid off IT workers in Cincinnati and former Best Buy consultants in Minnesota.
You can also connect and commiserate with fellow laid off workers virtually through social networking sites. A number of groups on LinkedIn and Facebook cater to job seekers. For some perspective, check out Laid Off and Looking, a Wall Street Journal blog following eight out-of-work professionals. For practical advice, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has an extensive page full of job tips.
It's easy to feel lost in this daunting market, but if anything, these online resources will remind you that you are not alone.
Have you come across any particularly useful or inspiring sites? Let us know.
