Unemployment diary: I'm a 40-year-old marketing manager in South Dakota who's been out of work since May

• The Unemployed States of America takes readers deep inside the decimated American workforce.
• Julia Eberhart is a 40-year-old marketing manager based in Brookings, South Dakota.
• After eight weeks of remote work, she lost her job in May.
• She went through a grieving process following the layoff and has formed a support group with others who've been laid off.
• This is her story, as told to freelance writer Wendy Dailey.

I was a marketing manager for a company that was highly dependent on the live events space. As events were canceled, my company was affected. They tried to avoid layoffs by encouraging voluntary resignations and early retirement. We were all hoping that those actions would help stave off layoffs, but they came sooner than many of us realized.

In May, they decided to lay off more than 100 employees. I was one of them.

On May 13, after eight weeks of remote work, I was informed via video conference that my job was no longer needed. Within the hour, all of my access was terminated.

In the following weeks, I spent my time calling my network, and they gave me great advice to move forward. One of my friends recommended a resume consultant. I'd been with my company for 13 years and wasn't even sure where to find the files.

One of the things I've learned since is you will go through the grieving process after a layoff.

My company offered us five EAP sessions and, even though I felt like I would be okay, I knew any life change comes with challenges, so I decided to make an appointment with a counselor. I took three to four weeks to work through all my feelings — mostly sadness and heartbreak.

As I started to look at the job market, I wanted a total change out of marketing and out of supervision. Now, it's more palatable for me to think about similar roles.

I came up with a list of my non-negotiables for a new job. I know I'm fortunate that I can think about what isn't negotiable for me. I want to stay in my community. I want to talk to people and customers and build relationships. I want to be challenged. In the past, I wouldn't have thought about working remotely, but now that I've done it, I feel like it opens up a lot more doors.

I was surprised to find there are more jobs out there than expected and many that seem like great opportunities.

Of course, there are more competing for those opportunities. I see a lot of LinkedIn job postings with more than 250 applicants. And you have to think: Is it worth it?

I'm glad I took advantage of the EAP. I'm patient and I know God has a path for me. I'm busy enough right now with school starting for the kids, my husband farming, and then the holidays. I think I can be fine without a job until about February or March. I'm telling myself I'll be fine until then, but the kids are going back to school soon and my husband will be gone. How will I be when it's an empty house and just me?

I used to live my life by my Outlook calendar. I knew when the layoff happened that I would need something to help dictate my days. Every day, I go on a walk, read business books, and call at least one person from my network. Some of us who were laid off have formed a support group.

I'm not too concerned about finding a job right now. It's a luxury for me to say that.

I know this is just another employee experience in my career timeline.

It's going to lead to other experiences and is something I can take with me. Honestly, I see this as an unsolicited opportunity for change.