Have officially been pushed out--how to prepare for not working

[Anonymous]

Same old story, company got acquired. I'm out. I'm devastated and trying to get my head together. Outside of the practicalities of finances etc, how did you cope w unemployment during job searching? What kept you positive? How did you structure your day? I'm really worried about feeling like I'm a waste. My husband is trying to get me pumped to catch up on a ton of stuff I've been wanting to do, but not there right now. What got you through it, or if you are currently unemployed what helps you keep at it? Thanks. Having a heard night.

[Anonymous]

Work out. The longer you're out-of-work, the better bod you'll have.

[Anonymous]

GL OP. I'm trying to work out as well, and trying not to start cock-tail hour too early!

[Anonymous]

I just got cut last Monday. Keep a schedule for yourself. Make yourself make the bed, change, go for a run, clean 1 floor of the house a day, then start applying to jobs you really want, while collecting unemployment.

Keep MOVING!!

[Anonymous]

OP, what do you do for work? At what salary are you looking to find a job? This is not your fault and you should not feel like a waste. Definitely do not beat yourself up, screw the company and take advantage of this new opportunity, now you have personal freedom and the option to do something even better - maybe something you've always wanted to do. I went through something similar, I felt like a failure, was resentful and felt like I had no value or chance to succeed again. I was wrong. Life is such, ups and downs, its not like you've got cancer or just lost a loved one, this is not a big deal - you can do it.

[Anonymous]

Be kind to yourself, OP.

[Anonymous]

I do crisis consulting and looking for around 90k. But also trying to really use this time to confirm I want to stay in the field. I could go a lot of different directions I think.

I just checked my local indoor pool schedule. Maybe I'll start swimming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do crisis consulting and looking for around 90k. But also trying to really use this time to confirm I want to stay in the field. I could go a lot of different directions I think.

I just checked my local indoor pool schedule. Maybe I'll start swimming.

Olivia Pope is that you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same old story, company got acquired. I'm out. I'm devastated and trying to get my head together. Outside of the practicalities of finances etc, how did you cope w unemployment during job searching? What kept you positive? How did you structure your day? I'm really worried about feeling like I'm a waste. My husband is trying to get me pumped to catch up on a ton of stuff I've been wanting to do, but not there right now. What got you through it, or if you are currently unemployed what helps you keep at it? Thanks. Having a heard night.

National Geographic?

Eff Rupert Murdoch. Eff him. I'm sorry.

[Anonymous]

My mom lost her job as an accountant after 30 years at the same company last year at the age of 60. The company sold them and then the new company shut them down. As soon as she knew her job was ending she went to the unemployment office. They were awesome. Within about a months time she went on 3 interviews and she got a new job right away. She ended up working both jobs for about 3 months while the old company was shutting down and she got about a 40k severence package.

There is hope op. Brush up your resume and hold your head high.

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry. I lost my job years ago when the dot com bubble burst and it was a stressful few months.

As PPs said, set yourself a schedule. For a while I felt like if I wasn't spending 8hrs a day every day job searching then I was slacking. Reality is, you probably can't. Block yourself X amount of hours every day to job hunt, touch base with contacts, send resumes, make phone calls. Build the rest of your day around that - working out, house-related chores or other things you are behind on, even some enjoyment time reading a book or whatever you find fun. Get up and shower every day.

I never want to be in that position again, but having done it once, I would structure myself better.
Good luck and I hope you find your next step quickly.

[Anonymous]

I was laid off as the recession got started (in Nov 2008). I had a cushion and was able to get unemployment - so while money was tight, we weren't struggling and I had a little bit of a luxury (not to feel like I HAD to have something tomorrow). I spent the first week doing projects around the house. Cleaning my closet. Organizing things I didn't have time to. I also applied for unemployment.

Then I spent time really fine-tuning my resume. Different resumes for different types of positions. I knew I wanted to focus my search on a government job- so I made a long resume(4 plus pages). I also knew I needed to have a backup plan- so I had a regular resume (a 1 pager). Then I made it a point of applying for a couple of jobs a day. I would tailor my resume to the job and apply. Did all of this before noon.

After noon- I would either meet up with friends for lunch or plan a dinner that I never had time to cook for in the past. I also went and spent a couple of weeks with my mom.

I was unemployed for about 9 months- I ended up getting a government job and have been with the same agency since 2009.

The biggest thing is not to stress over it. Look at this as a refresher and while it is hard to plan for the unknown - allow yourself some down time to do stuff you have wanted/needed to do.

[Anonymous]

I think it's hard not to take personally, but it's not personal.

I would do three things in your shoes. 1) I'd come up with a way to process. Whether that's writing down all your fears and all your bad feelings in a diary or seeking a counselor, clergy member.... When bad things happen to people, much of how you process the bad thing affects your and your family's long-term happiness.

2) I would come up with a list of how this is an opportunity. In the beginning the list might be kind of short (well, I guess I have more time to get to the gym). But keep at it. It might be chance to learn a new skill, volunteer at your child's school, have a family member come and visit, get ready for the holidays, go to all the free museums, read a book you've wanted to read... It's also an opportunity professionally, to catch up with old colleagues and alumni, get your LinkedIn profile cleaned up, join a professional society, etc.

3) I would think about how your new time could save your family money. Could you cook more instead of eating out? Could you sell your old junk on Craigslist? Could you take over yard work instead of paying for someone else to do it? This is just me, because I'm a money planner and I would (personally) want to adjust our spending with our income.

[Anonymous]

Strongly encourage you to take on a parttime volunteer project or even a consulting project you can get it. That way you can avoid a hole in your resume, while also engaging in a project that will help you stay engaged and maybe even help with networking.

[Anonymous]

My spouse who was in this position wishes to have spent more time decluttering, cleaning and organizing. Now no time to do so with new job. Good luck!!!! It's okay to take some time to mourn, too, just make sure that after a week or so you have stuff scheduled to get out of the house so you don't get in s rut.