Like the Fuhrer, the company I work for is kaput and we are being laid off in the early days of January. Needless to say, this is a major bummer :(
Has anyone else been laid off recently? How are you dealing? (other than searching frantically for a job). I'm scared :(
Sorry to hear that. It sucks big time. I was laid of in September and we've been just barely getting by. We cut all unnecessary expenses like our WoW and Netflix subscriptions. We also changed our phone plan to a cheaper one. It's been really tight but some how we are making it. I hope you find work soon or win the lottery :D best of luck to you.
Thanks Cami and best of luck for you and Em :) Are you/were you in IT too?
Sorry that happen to you. The good news is the government is hiring and give preference to veterans.
Quote from: lisagurl on December 27, 2008, 02:20:12 PM
Sorry that happen to you. The good news is the government is hiring and give preference to veterans.
Well, I'm not a veteran myself... OMG was this statement pure sarcasm??!! :)
I was in industrial robotics at my most recent job but the job before that was an IT job. Most of the jobs here are related to the recreational vehicle industry so I'm pretty much out of luck until people start spending money on vacation and travel again.
Even when that starts again, the vacation deal, the twin problems of high fuel costs, and the generational RV deal - in that it seems that my dad's generation is far more into that than mine - might not bring that industry back.
I'm sorry to hear you have been laid off Jane..
It's happened to me 5 times, and I have had to do it to 50 or 60 people in my career, so I know it unpeasant from all sides.
The main thing is "DON'T PANIC"!
Swallow your pride and be really nice to the people who are laying you off, they ususally have not done it to be nasty, and they can be a big asset in getting your next job (references). Take everthing they offer in support in terms of help and councilling(if offered).
Make sure you do everything to conserve cash in the short term, and start applying for your next opportunity as soon as possible.
Don't be frightened to treat this as an opportunity to get a more senior position in your next job, the more positive you are the better chance you have of winning.
I managed to get promoted in 3 out of 5 of my lay off's.
I wish you luck and hope this has helped a little....
*Big Hug* :icon_hug:
Chrissty
Quotecan't wait to see what our new administration has planned and does for all those "non-risk taking people" that don't just push buttons, pencils & shuffle 'lil scraps of paper in return.
I hope you like to pour concrete.
I too will be laid off in the middle of Feb. My company went bankrupt in June, and started to liquidate all their stores. My last day was to be Dec 31st but I got extended. I've been looking for a job since June sent over 100 resumes, and got only a few calls back, "Wow sounds really good and we'll get back to you " and they never do.
All of us left in the dept are having the same problem.
Hopefully thing will pick backup after the 1st of the year.
Jamie L
Aw sweetie I'm so sorry. ó_ò
And the same to everybody else who has been or soon will be out of work. Damn.
Mina.
Please Mr. Obama, make good on your promise.
I can only pray that things will improve when Mr. Obama takes office.
Find out now where to apply for unemployment before the ax drops.
Cindy
While it's always good to pray for bright sunshine, it's always best to prepare for rain. And I'm pretty sure old Bush is going to be thinking (well, if he could think, and if he knew history, and if he knew French, so yeah, its a longshot I know) Apres moi le deluge.
Obama, whatever his intentions, ain't got no money to spend. Our national debt is off the charts (if you could even find charts that go that high, find number at: http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/ (http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/) ) Every man woman and child owes (largely to China, thanks GW) about $35K as it is.
The Wall Street Journal is predicting up to 25% of the retail outlets may be closed by the end of March. If we make it to May without a huge fallout, we'll be in for some hard years, if it really crashes and burns, it might be well over a decade before any real recovery is possible. Be prepared - we are poised for this to get very, very bad.
And, what Obama is going to invest in is infrastructure - concrete pouring - and green technologies, which is not the RV industry.
Get a job in a bar. Drinking always goes up in hard times.
My company is has gone into administration, not long now. Owned by an icelandic company it turns out.
It's all kind of like watching an ice cream cone melt on a hot day.
Quote from: tekla on December 29, 2008, 08:05:54 AM
It's all kind of like watching an ice cream cone melt on a hot day.
Such a ray of irony-infused sunshine you are. :P
Mina
Once the ships hits the iceburg rearranging the deck chairs is of little help. And I was writing about this a year ago, the banks in trouble, real estate falling, manufacturing down, debt up, and in the best tradition of bread and circus everyone was watching Sara Palin and fretting about gay marriage, when the greatest theft in the history of the world went down. We gave away almost 7% of our GNP, and we don't even have a receipt for any of it. Obama's gonna walk in and find the wallet pretty thin.
Quote from: tekla on December 29, 2008, 08:20:08 AMOnce the ships hits the iceburg rearranging the deck chairs is of little help. And I was writing about this a year ago, the banks in trouble, real estate falling ...
Hence my resolution to start a kitchen garden this coming year (yeah, deck chairs. :P)
Remember we had that thread about transition and peak oil a while back? Alot of peak oil supporters say we're there now, only it's being disguised by the current depression in demand, and that this breakdown is gonna be more-or-less continued downhill. What are your thoughts on that?
Mina.
I'll write more on that tonight, or tomorrow, as I'm off to work (Gypsy Kings) for now. Since I have a job, I ought to work to keep it.
Quote from: tekla on December 29, 2008, 08:29:00 AM
I'll write more on that tonight, or tomorrow, as I'm off to work (Gypsy Kings) for now. Since I have a job, I ought to work to keep it.
Very good point. I'll start a new thread so we don't hijack this one.
Mina.
Quote from: tekla on December 29, 2008, 08:05:54 AM
It's all kind of like watching an ice cream cone melt on a hot day.
I wonder who'll be slurping that ;)
Quite fond of the gypsy kings, must be all those shoddy spanish discos.
Quotethe company I work for is kaput and we are being laid off in the early days of January.
the same here, I worked for that company 25 years and now beacuse of recession the company will close the door, so I will be in the early days of January without a job. First time in my life so it is a bit scary...
Sorry to hear that so many people lost their jobs lately. :(
''HUGS''
:icon_hug: Michelle :icon_hug:
Well I have some original life preservers from the Titanic for sale. :D
Let the dog lick the melting ice cream just save the Chery on top.
Cindy
QuoteI worked for that company 25 years and now beacuse of recession the company will close the door
Have you noticed that everything in the stores is made in china? The American people have put themselves out of work, buying things made with labor that makes well below the minimum wage thereby not supporting their neighbor for the the only reason of lower prices. Companies that tried to make goods according to pollution, health and safety rules, provide health insurance, retirement reasonable hours are voted down by the American public with the vote of their dollar. It seems they rather opt for lower prices and loss of human rights. Walmart made me do it. ::)
QuoteHave you noticed that everything in the stores is made in china?
yes i did, I wonder if there's anything what they don't do?
Quote from: NightAngel on December 29, 2008, 02:22:25 PM
Quotethe company I work for is kaput and we are being laid off in the early days of January.
the same here, I worked for that company 25 years and now beacuse of recession the company will close the door, so I will be in the early days of January without a job. First time in my life so it is a bit scary...
Sorry to hear that so many people lost their jobs lately. :(
''HUGS''
:icon_hug: Michelle :icon_hug:
::hugs:: back :( I'm sorry
Quote from: lisagurl on December 29, 2008, 02:51:15 PM
Have you noticed that everything in the stores is made in china?
I worked as a manager in an electronics manufacturing company so I've seen a lot of the figures.... the fact is that a lot of products have been shipped out to China on false figures, so that some people look good and make a fat bonus.
By the time you add the shipping, re-engineering, poor yeild wastage, and intellectual rights loss, ......a lot of the more sophisticated low to medium volume products were never viable, but were shipped out anyway for a fast buck...
I definitely have been laid off, pity.
Quote from: Pica Pica on December 30, 2008, 11:28:09 AM
I definitely have been laid off, pity.
So sorry Pica :( ::hugs::
I'm sorry to hear about your layoff. You asked about people who experienced a layoff. I was laid off 2 days before 9/11. (Well, more accurately, my company entered bankruptcy and started to sell-off assets. I was off for nearly a full 12 months after being in the business for decades. In retrospect, I'm not sure the kids even realized our situation: we did everything we could to maintain their lifestyle and activities while we lived off one income and cutback on our expenses (lunches, new clothes, entertainment, etc). Fortunately, we had little debt and my SO's income plus unemployment checks were enough to cover our expenses.
We made it through and I finally found another job. The good news is we found out how much we really needed to survive. And now we have no debt: cars and house are free and clear. It will probably happen again and if so, we should be in a stronger position to endure it.
My suggestion: minimize use of charge cards, separate "must have" from "nice to have". Prioritize expenses, striving to keep the pattern of the kids' lifes unchanged. Network. Treat job-hunting like a job. And realize that the sun will rise each day. Maintaining some regular pattern will help your mental health.
Good luck!
Quote from: Pica Pica on December 30, 2008, 11:28:09 AM
I definitely have been laid off, pity.
Sorry to hear you have been caught up in this too Pica, good luck with the hunting!
:icon_hug:
Chrissty
Quote from: StephanieC on December 30, 2008, 10:04:01 PM
I was off for nearly a full 12 months after being in the business for decades.
My suggestion: minimize use of charge cards, separate "must have" from "nice to have". Prioritize expenses, striving to keep the pattern of the kids' lifes unchanged. Network. Treat job-hunting like a job. And realize that the sun will rise each day. Maintaining some regular pattern will help your mental health.
Good luck!
I have to fully endorse the advice from StephanieC here. Unfortunately due to the market and the time of year, you have to expect that the chances of walking into a new job tomorrow are not going to be as good as they were a couple of years ago.
BUT as Steph says "Treat job-hunting like a job" as it IS going to be your new job for a while.
My tips for today?MONEY ~ Think of your money as a tank of water and the money is running out all the time...do anything you can NOW to reduce the flow, don't leave it until later as you won't get it back.....Do what you can to top it up....Move saving for better rates, small side jobs for cash, E-Bay that stuff you didn't have time to shift before...etc..
NETWORKING ~ OK so everyone is hitting the paper-ad's, the Web-ad's, the agency-ads.....But you still have all those people you used to work with and freinds...Someone will be working or getting a new job..Get the inside lowdown of the next vacancy before it is advertised...Stay in touch with your old boss(s)...If they get a job and liked you then you have a foot in the door, if not you still want a reference from them...
TRAINING ~ Any training you didn't have time to do before that will give you an edge?...OK if it's expensive you probably can't afford it, but there's bound to be something that isn't..Check for training support programs in your area..or just make sure you keep aware of whats happening in your business sector on the web so you have some ammunition for those interviews.
YOUR OWN BUSINESS? Ever had something that you found might make a little money on the side...Is there any way of turning it into a business?...This is a good time to look at those other opportunities of making money that you never bothered with because of a full time job...OK a specific project may not make enough cash, but what if you were able to run a portfolio of 2 or more at the same time?...Just be careful of cash flow and outlay (try to get paid before you spend)...
YOUR OWN BUSINESS CARD? ~ OK this may not seem appropriate to some, but you really don't know when you will come across that lead for the next job. Get yourself a business card...500 will only cost you around $10 and it's so much better than scratching around for a scrap of paper and a pen (in europe there is a net company that does 500 cards for around £5 called "Vistaprint")...
SO...THE BAD NEWS IS...YOU ARE WORKING TONIGHT ..."What instead of that party?"...No....
At the party....Don't be shy, a lot of people get together for the new year, let people know you are looking for that new opportunity..there may be a few leads already waiting for you.
And finally....DON'T PANIC ~ Once you have things under control you will be able to go to those interviews with confidence....If you are too desperate for the job you will come across like you are hiding something, and can effectively talk yourself out of it...
So after all that I'm still gonna wish you all......
A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR !...you know you will beat this!
:icon_hug:
Chrissty
PS...So how did I get my current job? ...Welll....Went on a job hunting seminar where I met somone also looking who was having a party, got invited to the party, talked to someone at the party and handed out a business card, 2 months later got a call about starting a new business, 2 more months and the business kicked off, currently 2 years in....
Thanks for the pointers, girls. It's certainly good to keep those in mind! :)
QuoteThanks for the pointers, girls. It's certainly good to keep those in mind! :)
agree, thank you all for those great tips and yes ...
When you're down, I wish you Joy! When you're troubled, I wish you Peace! When things seem empty, I wish you Hope! Have a Happy New Year 2009!(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg88.imageshack.us%2Fimg88%2F5926%2F642033w7b6w15h6pov3.gif&hash=aa70c71aa91e4a77ea250d315815eb62d26f6167) (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg88.imageshack.us%2Fimg88%2F9385%2F851462mj2w59iekjst0.gif&hash=0b39f419cd348dcc74f9c0506145c2608e618ccc)
Quote::hugs:: back :( I'm sorry
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg88.imageshack.us%2Fimg88%2F6310%2Fangel09yv7.gif&hash=0e7aaa92ea9b6cfed02ce53fd1b490897abea015)
take care Soldierjane ''Hugs :icon_hug: :icon_hug: ''
:icon_hug: Michelle :icon_hug:
Best of luck finding a new job to all who were laid off!
I've been self employed for most of my adult life, and have made it a habit to never spend what I don't have.
I'm continuing as before and keeping fingers crossed that the economy doesn't get too much worse before it gets better, although I can't say I'm all that optimistic.
Z
I can relate soldierjane :(
I was laid off from my last healthcare job @ a substance abuse treatment center after 5 years of service & was out of work 2 1/2 months. I just got this new job @ a great hospital here that has a psychiatric wing...which is ironic if you read my last post "Pushed into coming out" :-\
I'm only pool, but it's a job. My laser & electrolysis sessions have been the hardest hit so far.
Good luck grrl!!!
People from the UK will know what i mean, Woolworths, the company i worked part time for had gone into administration and seeing as they couldn't find a buyer i am being made redundent today, along with alot of other people (like 30,000), i did like working there, most of the people were very nice and its a shame to have to find somewhere new.
I'll probably look for a new job somewhere around the end of January or something. :-\
Yeah Woolworth's is actually closing all 815 stores. Wow :(
Funnygrl, so glad to hear you're at least getting by. Like you said, it's a job!
Retail is going to do poorly as long as they carry products that are not made by their customers. No work for the customers mean they can not buy. Why is retail stocking things made in China they are not their customers. Retail has cut their own throats.
Quote from: lisagurl on January 02, 2009, 08:49:52 AM
Retail is going to do poorly as long as they carry products that are not made by their customers. No work for the customers mean they can not buy. Why is retail stocking things made in China they are not their customers. Retail has cut their own throats.
Retail, like everybody else, bought into the whole "Globalisation" song and dance. Here's hopefully where they start learning it's sustainable production that matters, not exponentially increasing consumption.
Mina.
Some experts are predicting an up to 25% failure rate for retail in the first quarter of this year. Some major brand names, CostPlus, RiteAid, and others will be bye-bye very fast.
Quote from: tekla on January 02, 2009, 09:48:58 AM
Some experts are predicting an up to 25% failure rate for retail in the first quarter of this year. Some major brand names, CostPlus, RiteAid, and others will be bye-bye very fast.
I heard the same stats for they UK on Sky News or the BBC ( I Surf ... :P ) this morning. They're literally expecting boarded-up shop windows on the high streets.
Mina.
Yeah, its going to be hard for people without real world skills.
Quote from: tekla on January 02, 2009, 10:08:05 AM
Yeah, its going to be hard for people without real world skills.
I think that describes a good many of us. Me included. :(
If you had to do damage control now from the position of having been in IT or Retail or some other contracting sector, how would you go about it?
Mina.
Start taking plumbing classes? But really, all that real, hand's on, crafted by hand stuff is going to be important, and become more so. Car dealers, going out of business here quite quickly, will not need salespeople, but people hanging on to their cars longer and longer will need mechanics.
Being a recent college grad, I'm worried about finding a job. Right now I'm working at a local grocery store and just barely making ends meet with whatever hours they give me. I'm hoping I can find a job in activism since I have my BA, but with the way the economy is going I don't know how non-profit groups are going to be affected. I've worked really hard for my education, I hope it wasn't a waste...
Education is never a waste, just depends on how you use it. And the not-for-profit world is hurting real bad even as we speak. That's among the first things that people stop doing.
Quote from: tekla on January 02, 2009, 11:06:41 AM
Education is never a waste, just depends on how you use it. And the not-for-profit world is hurting real bad even as we speak. That's among the first things that people stop doing.
Well, I majored in Women's Studies and minored in Sociology. But I consider myself a pretty smart woman, I have leadership skills, I'm articulate in how I speak and write, and I have a lot to offer any employer. Unfortunately I don't really have any skills doing hands-on, crafting, etc. I'm more of a people person, I don't really like building things.
Quote from: fae_reborn on January 02, 2009, 11:05:03 AM
Being a recent college grad, I'm worried about finding a job. Right now I'm working at a local grocery store and just barely making ends meet with whatever hours they give me. I'm hoping I can find a job in activism since I have my BA, but with the way the economy is going I don't know how non-profit groups are going to be affected. I've worked really hard for my education, I hope it wasn't a waste...
Well sweetie, your skills might actually be quite useful. People are going to be doing alot more locally, and that takes a certain amount of planning and organisation and fundraising, which I'm sure was a big component of your studies. you might not be able to get into non-profits as such, but thinking on a smaller scale you could work as a community organiser doing local markets and freecycling events and the like.
Mina.
I'm hoping things get smaller and more local. This trouble could aid the development of actual communities. I like the idea of people sharing personal warmth. As for the shops, five big high street names finished this week, and the one I worked for was cut in half. I plan to use my charm, imagination and good sense to get through this, because I'm no where near skilled enough to make things.
I don't think its going to be as much about making things, at least at first, as it will be to keep the things built running, and to convert them to more useful work.
Quote from: mina.m->-bleeped-<-ie link=topic=52511.msg326545#msg326545 date=1230916850
Quote from: fae_reborn on January 02, 2009, 11:05:03 AM
Being a recent college grad, I'm worried about finding a job. Right now I'm working at a local grocery store and just barely making ends meet with whatever hours they give me. I'm hoping I can find a job in activism since I have my BA, but with the way the economy is going I don't know how non-profit groups are going to be affected. I've worked really hard for my education, I hope it wasn't a waste...
Well sweetie, your skills might actually be quite useful. People are going to be doing alot more locally, and that takes a certain amount of planning and organisation and fundraising, which I'm sure was a big component of your studies. you might not be able to get into non-profits as such, but thinking on a smaller scale you could work as a community organiser doing local markets and freecycling events and the like.
Mina.
That's what I'm thinking Mina, but I couldn't put it into words, thanks! I'd love to do local community organizing and doing sustainable development, that's always been a passion of mine because I hate globalization and the big-lot stores and everything that capitalism has done to us.
Sustainable development is more of an engineering, physics and biology question and problem in the end.
Quote from: tekla on January 02, 2009, 12:14:28 PM
Sustainable development is more of an engineering, physics and biology question and problem in the end.
True, but all of those still have to be done by people working together.
Mina.
Quote from: mina.m->-bleeped-<-ie link=topic=52511.msg326614#msg326614 date=1230920321
Quote from: tekla on January 02, 2009, 12:14:28 PM
Sustainable development is more of an engineering, physics and biology question and problem in the end.
True, but all of those still have to be done by people working together.
Mina.
Yes, but I meant 'sustainable development' in the sense of people coming together and figuring out a way to do things differently and on a local level. That does involve engineering, physics, etc. but I was thinking more along the lines of being an organizer of all that. I don't have a background in any of those fields, but I can certainly organize those that do and come up with a general plan/course of action for how things
might work, and then the engineers, etc. can figure out how it would
actually work.
a general plan/course of action for how things might work, and then the engineers, etc. can figure out how it would actually work.
More or less, it works exactly the opposite.
And, it is being done, and being worked on by lots of people right now. Many groups are preparing for a world greatly changed.
Quote from: tekla on January 02, 2009, 10:08:05 AM
Yeah, its going to be hard for people without real world skills.
Even with real world skills it's going to be hard if half the people in your region are without work and they can't afford to pay you for your work/products.
Z
At the rate we're going we might skip that pay deal and go straight to barter.
Quote from: tekla on January 03, 2009, 10:52:00 AM
At the rate we're going we might skip that pay deal and go straight to barter.
Barter will probably be an interim measure, but it's really unwieldy, so I can't see it working for any regular trading. Big trades will most likely remain barter-based, but I'm thinking that communities will eventually come up with their own trading systems or forms of currency. As an example, something like a LETS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_Exchange_Trading_Systems) might work nicely. We have a few up and running here in South Africa. They are all server-based, but I can as easily see a similar system in paper form, with the books that track these trades held by whomever the community trusts to do so.
Mina.
I'd like to barter my share of AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and all the other companies I now own due to the wall st bailout for something useful such as food, firewood, CDs (to listen to), gas for my car.....
Z
Quote from: Zythyra on January 03, 2009, 12:24:20 PM
I'd like to barter my share of AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and all the other companies I now own due to the wall st bailout for something useful such as food, firewood, CDs (to listen to), gas for my car.....
LOL. Somehow I don't see you being allowed to trade those shares sweetie. ;)
Hugses, and here's a bit of commentary on the bailouts from Sinfest (easily my favourite comic ... *punt* ):
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsinfest.net%2Fcomikaze%2Fcomics%2F2008-10-13.gif&hash=36cc764f953d7572a4559b966829390884e5523e)
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsinfest.net%2Fcomikaze%2Fcomics%2F2008-10-18.gif&hash=a5ec615d408dce343fe92ce17dce2920a9c942f0)
These take a while to load, but they're worth it:
http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2959 (http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2959)
http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2966 (http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2966)
Mina.
Iz zat a grasshopper in the bottom half corner of the last two comic strips? Nows zats my bitch friend? ;D
Cindy
Quote from: mina.m->-bleeped-<-ie link=topic=52511.msg327464#msg327464 date=1231047382
Quote from: Zythyra on January 03, 2009, 12:24:20 PM
I'd like to barter my share of AIG, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and all the other companies I now own due to the wall st bailout for something useful such as food, firewood, CDs (to listen to), gas for my car.....
LOL. Somehow I don't see you being allowed to trade those shares sweetie. ;)
Yeah Mina, my taxpayer shares in those corporations are basically worth bupkes (yiddish word for nothing), nada, no return, no refund! void where prohibited.... :laugh:
Quote
Hugses, and here's a bit of commentary on the bailouts from Sinfest (easily my favourite comic ... *punt* ):
Thanks, I needed that ;D
Z
hahaha Mina those are priceless... :D
Quote from: jamie lee on December 28, 2008, 08:50:28 PM
I too will be laid off in the middle of Feb. My company went bankrupt in June, and started to liquidate all their stores. My last day was to be Dec 31st but I got extended. I've been looking for a job since June sent over 100 resumes, and got only a few calls back, "Wow sounds really good and we'll get back to you " and they never do.
All of us left in the dept are having the same problem.
Hopefully thing will pick backup after the 1st of the year.
Jamie L
You should follow up on all the places you sent resumes. Give them a call. It shows your interest and keeps your resume near the top of the pile.
Karen
Quote from: KarenLyn on January 04, 2009, 11:56:08 AM
Quote from: jamie lee on December 28, 2008, 08:50:28 PM
I too will be laid off in the middle of Feb. My company went bankrupt in June, and started to liquidate all their stores. My last day was to be Dec 31st but I got extended. I've been looking for a job since June sent over 100 resumes, and got only a few calls back, "Wow sounds really good and we'll get back to you " and they never do.
All of us left in the dept are having the same problem.
Hopefully thing will pick backup after the 1st of the year.
Jamie L
You should follow up on all the places you sent resumes. Give them a call. It shows your interest and keeps your resume near the top of the pile.
Karen
I've done this, and what I'm getting now is sorry our company now has a job freeze,and we have pulled the position, or we have filled the position. (most likely it's with someone younger at 1/2 the rate). hopefully things will get a little better with many companies approving new budgets.
Jamie L.
Quote from: soldierjane on December 27, 2008, 01:44:03 PM
Like the Fuhrer, the company I work for is kaput and we are being laid off in the early days of January. Needless to say, this is a major bummer :(
Has anyone else been laid off recently? How are you dealing? (other than searching frantically for a job). I'm scared :(
Yep, I was laid off last month.. I'm doing fairly good, unemployment has finally kicked in and it is not so bad. On the plus side is that I get to keep my house cleaned, and be with my children. I've always tried to live within my means so I am not in debt, and I have most of my expenses covered at this time. I consider this a bit of a vacation as my philosophy is, life is too short to be stuck in a cubicle 40 hours a week. So it is not all too bad for me, near the end of my job it was getting tough just to come in every day, I could not stand it anymore.
With all that said, I know not everyone is having it as easy and wish you all the best of luck. My thoughts are with anyone struggling right now, and I hope you will be able to recover from any financial burdens you may be experiencing fairly quickly. Best of luck to you all.
Sorry to hear that, Samara :-\ Glad to see you're managing though.
I'm emptying my desk today. My last day is Friday but I want to make sure I don't forget anything.
Feeling chipper though :)
I'm beginning to lose a little hope, I've sent out a few resumes since graduating in early December, yet despite having an AA and a BA degree, plus a lot of experience, most places haven't responded despite my follow-ups, and those that have give me the "sorry, we've found other candidates more qualified." Seriously, WTH?
I don't want to be stuck working in a grocery store forever...I got 16 hours this week, a girl can't live off that. :-\
QuoteI don't want to be stuck working in a grocery store forever...I got 16 hours this week, a girl can't live off that
Ever think about starting your own business?
Quote from: lisagurl on January 06, 2009, 10:27:39 AM
QuoteI don't want to be stuck working in a grocery store forever...I got 16 hours this week, a girl can't live off that
Ever think about starting your own business?
It's crossed my mind, perhaps doing consulting work for businesses on glbt inclusion, or giving communities ideas on sustainability, but I don't have any capital to start a business and wouldn't know where to start even if I did. :-\
Consulting, and running your own deal in general, requires you to be beyond outgoing, you better be a hustler - and I mean hustle from morning to night, every person is either a potential sale or a stepping stone to a potential sale (also called 'networking'). The people I know who do it get up in the morning and check and send email while the coffee is being made, and then take that first cup of coffee and start doing the phone deal for the rest of the day - I swear some of them are not off the phone for more than a minute or two. They also tend have some sort of qualifications that people can list, either professional or academic. So its published papers, conference papers, research studies, writing policy, implementing policy and the like. I think you ought to find out who is doing that kind of work, and try to work for/with them first.
Quote from: fae_reborn on January 06, 2009, 12:32:41 PM
Quote from: lisagurl on January 06, 2009, 10:27:39 AM
QuoteI don't want to be stuck working in a grocery store forever...I got 16 hours this week, a girl can't live off that
Ever think about starting your own business?
It's crossed my mind, perhaps doing consulting work for businesses on glbt inclusion, or giving communities ideas on sustainability, but I don't have any capital to start a business and wouldn't know where to start even if I did. :-\
Hello, Fae,
I have worked in a procurement and contracting office as a small business advocate and development officer (not to be confused with a corporate officer). I might have some ideas for forming your own business.
Funding for a small business may be available from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Such assistance won't happen overnight so I will share some ideas for the near term in the hope that they will be useful to you.
First, take stock of your qualifications. Make a list of what you have done. Everything! You should have a nice list of verbs.
Next, do an informal market survey. For this exercise a market is a group of people that can be identified as homogeneous within and homologous without. You can "see" them in your mind's eye. You can communicate with them to tell them that they have need of your services, and they have money to spend on what you are offering.
OK, now you know what you have to sell, and to whom you wish to sell it. It's time to write a business plan. You will do many iterations of your business plan before it is ready to present to the SBA or a potential buyer of your services.
If you intend to provide GLBT Inclusion Programs, have a draft program developed, complete with to whom the course material would be directed, course objectives, course text (Power Point, viewgraph slides, handbook, etc.) class size, duration of classes, feedback loops, quality control, and handout materials, if any. You might start developing a rate structure, too.
Keep your business plan simple at first because it will become complex on its own, LOL!!! Start with what you do, how you have identified your market, how you intend to make their need for your services known to them, your plans for quality control, your plans for growth, and a rough idea of what you will need as cash flow to stay afloat.
You can chat with me by pm if you so desire. I expect enough flak from the naysayers on this board for presenting what I know in this area.
Concerning finding work, have you considered offering your services as a contractor to a potential employer? This would allow them to hire you with reduced benefits and lowers their costs. In order to protect yourself you would need to find health insurance and life insurance. Get an estimate of the prices of each coverage and add that to your desired salary. The end result would be you working for salary plus paid holidays and vacation (or not, maybe), and a percentage above salary to help defray your costs for health and life insurance.
I have seen such arrangements between employers and employees, especially when the position being filled was of a temporary nature, 1 to 5 years. You might also have a chance to move-up to a better position and become an employee with full benefits.
I am sure that this posting will attract its share of critics and nay-sayers so please send me a pm if you wish to discuss this further.
Wing Walker
You mean tire kickers and school yard bullies. :D
Cindy
QuoteFrom the perspective of an annual survey commissioned by staffing firm Manpower, these dynamics yield a number of occupations for which openings are hard to fill. Among white-collar jobs, the following positions make Manpower's 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill list: engineers, technicians, sales reps, accountants and IT staff. And on the blue-collar side, the list includes machinists and machine operators, skilled tradespeople, mechanics, laborers and production operators.
Starting your own business takes some research and someone that has a Bachelor degree should know how to do research. Start with the Better Business bureau, government programs business incubators, other people in small business. Interview those you find in the yellow pages and make new connections.
I moved to a new place to live and wanted to work in solar. I took the phone book and went to every one I could find. Non was hiring but I always asked if they knew of anyone in the solar business that might need help. I was given a name not in the phone book and told them I was interested in working in solar and I would work for cheap. I was hired that day in the middle if a depression.
Think outside the box. Take chances and do not worry about failure be aggressive and willing to work your way up.
WW is right about the reason that business hire consultants, they are cheaper in the long run, and those costs they are not paying - health care (huge), vacation, unemployment insurance - you're going to have to find a way to pay for on your own and build into your rate structure.
The tax advantages for having your own business, even if its only part time, are huge however.
Quote from: lisagurl on January 06, 2009, 01:46:37 PM
QuoteFrom the perspective of an annual survey commissioned by staffing firm Manpower, these dynamics yield a number of occupations for which openings are hard to fill. Among white-collar jobs, the following positions make Manpower's 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill list: engineers, technicians, sales reps, accountants and IT staff. And on the blue-collar side, the list includes machinists and machine operators, skilled tradespeople, mechanics, laborers and production operators.
Starting your own business takes some research and someone that has a Bachelor degree should know how to do research. Start with the Better Business bureau, government programs business incubators, other people in small business. Interview those you find in the yellow pages and make new connections.
I moved to a new place to live and wanted to work in solar. I took the phone book and went to every one I could find. Non was hiring but I always asked if they knew of anyone in the solar business that might need help. I was given a name not in the phone book and told them I was interested in working in solar and I would work for cheap. I was hired that day in the middle if a depression.
Think outside the box. Take chances and do not worry about failure be aggressive and willing to work your way up.
What a useful posting, Lisa!
In the U.S. it is the Small Business Administration that is the major source of start-up money and "hands-on" assistance in developing a viable small business. Some states also have such programs but in my experience I have not seen any do actual start-up. They concentrate on addind small and disadvantaged business to their roster of suppliers and consultants.
I agree with Lisa. Thinking outside of the box will carry the day, IMHO. And research is the key to replacing a dried-up cash stream caused by the economic mess.
I was always looking for new suppliers of goods and services so I started by leafing through through the Yellow Pages phone directory. I read the business names on the sides of cars and trucks, and I *networked* with others in my career field and suppliers and consultants. They were great at giving me new sources.
Wing Walker
*pokes head in*
Well as of today I join the ranks of those laid off. :P
Quote from: Osiris on January 07, 2009, 04:51:22 PM
*pokes head in*
Well as of today I join the ranks of those laid off. :P
Sorry about that Osiris :( Hope you find something fast. Not happy to welcome you to the club ;)
Yeah I've already got a few applications turned in, though with the economy as it is I'm not expecting a lot of response.
Hopefully something will turn up. Gotta stay positive.
indeed.