Got to work today, talked to a friend in another dept. and he said they had just laid off two of his coworkers…with more to come.
Then the Unix guy next to me comes in escorted and starts packing up his stuff. I start backup up my personal files to CD. Just as the cd finishes burning, my cell phone rings…its my boss. He wants to see me in the conferance room across the building…well, im home watching tv now.
So now I have to tell wife when she gets off work that I dont have a job anymore. Her job doesnt even pay the mortgage…it barely makes her car payment. I least they gave me two weeks.
In many cases, such changes can actually turn out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to you. Don’t automatically think that this is a bad thing.
Another soon-to-be-unemployed NT admin checking in here. Best of luck in getting a new job quickly.
I’ve got a few months notice myself, so I’m getting my MCSE to beef up my resume. I’ve been an NT admin for 5 years and always thought MCSE was a useless cert and that experience was worth 10 times a MCSE cert. Now that I’m looking I see that every job requires an MCSE…
You know, there’s a good chance you’re thinking that was a line of shit, but its true.
If I didn’t get let go from my old job 10 years ago there is no way in hell I would have got the job I have now and succeeded as far as I have in life.
Similar situation happened to me in August. I collected one unemployment check and then somehow managed to get this job, which is FAR BETTER than the last one.
Being laid off sucks. Been there, done that, couldn’t afford the shirt.
Get registered for your unemployment benefits without delay. Check out jobs listed with your local unemployment bureau. Check out the possiblility of state/federal funded job training or advanced educational opportunities. Ask your former employers for an opportunity to work part-time, or at a reduced wage. Let them know you are willing to consult. Get the resume polished. Let everyone you ever met for even a moment know that you are available. Don’t panic, you can live a lot less expensively than you think. Notify your creditors and negotiate reduced payments and interest charges. Keep busy. Learn to cook and enjoy house cleaning. Don’t allow yourself to become depressed. If you do, get help immediately–depression will not cure itself. Don’t become housebound. Don’t fear to venture out. Don’t block out ideas for alternate employment. Above all, don’t take this personally. Do affirmations. Keep your self esteem. If a job is not immediately forthcoming, do some volunteer work. Strange as it may seem, a lot of HR types like the idea that you kept yourself busy instead of sitting around, feeling sorry for yourself. Keep your chin up. Remember that there are people pulling for you.
Go for unemployment. It paid our bills while I was job-hunting. No extra money, but we kept the wolf at bay.
I third the idea that when one door closes, another door opens. You may find yourself in a completely different field and loving every second of it! Good luck.
Yeah, I plan to file as soon as I am eligible(they are giving me a couple of weeks severance). But unemployment maxes at about my house payment…better than nothing, but I cant live on it for long.
No kidding. I was laid off last summer due to budget cuts. It was a dead-end job that was sucking my soul out, and I came home too tired and discouraged (plus with the bad job hunting situation and all) to think about looking for another job. After I was laid off, I had the time and motivation to look. It took a while, but I found my current job and I love it. I put good work into it, and don’t feel hopeless and drained there.
So, I know how it really sucks to get laid off when you need the money, but I’ll be wishing the best for you to find something that you’ll like.
But, I will also echo everyone else who says that sometimes it’s the best thing that could have happened to you.
I know a friend who lost a really good job for political reasons. At the time, her husband was in a totally dead-end job, working for a friend who was paying him about a quarter of what he should have been. Since his wife lost her job (she was the main breadwinner), it motivated him to find another, much better-paying job. In the end, my friend also found a job much better than the one she lost. They’re both much happier now.
The key is to never think for a minute that things won’t turn out right!
I am so sorry, bdgr - all of the advice and “look on the bright sides” that everyone else said. I can feel the sword hanging over my head every day, and it’s scary as hell.
Good luck with your new search - I hope this down period is short and shallow for you.
