What do you do when you lose your job?

Well, I found out yesterday that I have two more weeks left with my current employment.

Several things I have done since then:

Downgraded to a basic membership in SL (being I own no land anyway and just rent)
Places several resumes with firms who are looking for graphic artists
I am turning off lights and appliances that are wasting electricity

And a few things I will be doing:

I will be lurking more, rather than post in this forum. My posts don’t seem to hold any real weight, just sentimental value.
I will be discontinuing eating out at restaurants and gong to the movies.
I will be discontinuing driving my car for unnecessary trips and such
I will be conserving the funds in my bank account and just not spending on anything unless it is absolutely necessary.
Continue placing resumes with firms who are looking for graphic artists

I will be eating more humble pie

Damn Graph,I'm sorry. I was laid off once when my company closed. I just went on umemployment and headed to the beach every day.(though my income was just extra at the time in addition to my husband's so it was no big deal for ME.)


Try not to let it get to you too much.Just keep sending in those resumes and keep positive. Good luck Graph.*hugs*

*hugs*

sign up on monster.com
eat lots of beans, cornbread and ramen noodles

I voted get drunk cause that is always fun no matter the occasion.

Best of luck finding new work! You sound like you're taking a sensible approach. Unemployment like this can lead to some pretty self-critical moments. Keep an eye on yourself and remind yourself that everything is temporary when you get low. Hang with your friends; hang a lot with your friends that like to cook

Sorry to hear this has happened to you. Look around your home; see all those glowing LEDs on electronics you hardly turn on, or those wall warts plugged into your outlets that power items you rarely use? Unplug 'em, they're costing you money (electricity) that you might be wanting save right now. Every little bit adds up.

Network - contact everyone you know in any kind of company that might have a use for your skills and let them know you are looking for work.

Be proactive, don't just sit back passively waiting for someone to call you. Make personal contact with the employment personnel in any companies you are really interested in, try to meet with them if possible and explain/demonstrate why you would be a great asset for their company.

Market yourself. Promote our abilities, make a website that shows off your abilities and include the URL in your resume. Create a colored brochure illustrating your skills, something that will catch peoples eyes and make you stand out; send it out with your resume.

Contact employment agencies in your area, even if you have to pay them a fee on any job they find for you, a job minus the fee is still better then no paycheck at all.

</character>

I got laid off during the dot-com-bomb, and it was funny because I was in a lot of projects that nobody else understood, so they kept calling me back on consultant pay for over a month. (=_=)

Actually, the funniest part was that I was on the waiting list for a motorcycle. The day I was laid off was the day I got the phone call saying the bike arrived. "Hi, *****, I'm just calling to let you know that your ***** has arrived. Do you have time to come over and pick it up?" ..... I honestly responded "Sure. I just lost my job, I have all the time in the world!"

Then I had a fun 3 months riding all over the county searching for my next job.

<character> (^_^)y

Sorry this happened Graph.

Dun forget to make (or polish up) a LinkedIn.com page

Aw, that sucks.

I'm really sorry to hear that, Graph

Hang in there, and remember that no job is 'beneath' you. Accepting an offer of something that is less than you would like, doesn't mean you have to stop searching for something better - it's just a means to pay the bills until you do.

If you didn't quit you should go to the unemployment office and register. Seriously. They take unemployment pay out of your regular checks while you were working. You should get that back because that's what it's for.

oh hon, i hope you find something fast.

better to get off the net and start pounding the pavement so you won't have a lapse between paychecks.

as a graphics artist, i'm sure you can offer website creation as a part of your portfolio, right? maybe some local businesses want someone to freelance for them. just a thought. let us know how you fare. good luck!

Big hugs Graph honey....

Keep at it. Something will come up for you...I know it will.

I sorted out my finances and cut back on my tier in SL. Then I invited a few of my RL friends out for a "Don't let the b@stards grind you down" celebratory meal.

Very sorry, Graph. Good luck finding something new soon.

Graph, i couldn't answer your poll becuase you didn't offer the option to 'go find another job'

Thanks for all the hugs!

I feel better already!

(and a BIG hug to Claire!)

Ah! I KNEW I forgot something! Well that goes without saying..that is the first thing on my list...even though I didn't put it there!

That just stinks

But you seem like a resourceful guy and thats what I look for when in coworkers.
It wont be long before they snatch you up!

Professional paranormal investigation and elimination.

Oh, boo-hiss. Sorry to hear that, Graph. *hugs*

You sound like you are already doing the right things..reducing costs, watching your pennies, and above all, network, network, network..I am sure you've been in touch with colleagues at other firms, right?

Make sure you keep your same schedule. Don't sleep in or skip things you would normally do before going to work. Even if you aren't going out of the house that day, treat it as another work day. Just working at getting another job.

In the meantime, don't wait until you get hired as a graphic artist somewhere. We're in a recession, which looks to me more like a looming depression. Take ANY job you can get, anywhere, even if it's just retail sales at the mall computer store.

Examine your health insurance options. COBRA is useful but can be very expensive ($300/month and up!) so you might check into Blue Cross/Blue Shield. You can get a decent emergency type insurance for around $75/month with a $1500 deductible, assuming you can pay that in cash or credit card.

Call your credit card companies; if you have good credit, ask for a lower rate. 99% will oblige. If they don't, find one that does and transfer your balance.

Wean yourself of the luxuries: coffee, cream, beef, fancy breads and pastas, etc. Pork is much cheaper (if you eat it) than beef, and beans are cheaper still. Canned veggies are cheaper than fresh. Bread is a frivolity; rice is far cheaper pound per pound. Buy generic everything, from laundry detergent to toilet paper.

I could go on, LOL, but I'm sure you get the idea. Having honestly been on the edge of homelessness myself, I got to know pretty darn quick what my priorities were. Good luck to you!

Your job right now is to get a job. Work at it just as if you were going to work every day. Get up at the same time, do the morning stuff and at the same time you went to work before begin the job hunting routine. Three weeks tops you will have something.