Have you received a layoff letter? If so, you’re not alone – Literally millions of Americans have faced being out of work at one point or another during their careers.

While your thoughts may be focused on finding your next job, here are five quick action steps you should consider before beginning the job search:

1. Gather your paperwork. Collect all of the information that your employer provided at departure, including the layoff letter, and a copy of an old pay stub.

2. Find the contact information for your boss or human resources manager – you’ll need this for your unemployment claim application.

3. Determine the dates you were employed. This is very important in determining your unemployment eligibility.

4. Calculate how much you earned over the past year.

5. Find out where to apply. Here is a list of links to all 50 state websites if you are looking to file for unemployment benefits online. Applying online (vs. over the phone or in person) enables you to collect benefits much sooner.

A layoff may not be fun, and the formalized layoff letter doesn’t do much to help. It can, however, greatly help in supporting your eligibility for unemployment benefits, and can be viewed as the first page in the next chapter of your career.

Note: Once you have successfully filed for unemployment benefits, take a look at our Career Resources page for a comprehensive list of tools and websites to help you in the job search process.