Laid off this week, where do I start? - what worked for you?

They called a meeting on Friday and 16 of us were let go. I had been there 16 years. I have a box of my things and a short letter about benefits. What did you do in the first week?

File for unemployment right away. Do not wait for severance decisions. The date you file can matter.

I made a short list: benefits, bills, documents, and then my résumé. One thing each day kept me steady.