Getting Laid Off

[grcenter47]

I got laid off from my full time job on late april and I have yet to find a full time job. I worked as a librarian and with recent budget cuts everywhere in the state, it makes finding a job in this field difficult.

Has anyone here been laid off and how are you dealing with it? I am close to becoming depressed by this

[DaneykoIsGod]

I got laid off close to two years ago. It's rough. In the time since getting laid off, I've collected Unemployment, worked in landscaping and finally got back into an office last fall as a temp. The temp gig was only supposed to last a few months, but I busted my ass for them and they've been finding ways to keep me on while hoping things pick up enough to open a full-time slot for me. I'm currently helping fill in for a maternity leave. It's far from ideal, but it pays the bills.

Were you eligible for Unemployment Insurance? That stuff kept me fed for several months.

The best advice I got was to treat job-hunting like a full-time job. Wake up early, shower, shave, get dressed ... do everything you would normally do before going to work ... and put in a solid 8 or so hours digging through the internet, newspaper classifieds, whatever. It can be really, really easy to get discouraged, but hang in there. Things'll pick up.

Best of luck to ya.

[grcenter47]

I got laid off close to two years ago. It's rough. In the time since getting laid off, I've collected Unemployment, worked in landscaping and finally got back into an office last fall as a temp. The temp gig was only supposed to last a few months, but I busted my ass for them and they've been finding ways to keep me on while hoping things pick up enough to open a full-time slot for me. I'm currently helping fill in for a maternity leave. It's far from ideal, but it pays the bills.

Were you eligible for Unemployment Insurance? That stuff kept me fed for several months.

The best advice I got was to treat job-hunting like a full-time job. Wake up early, shower, shave, get dressed ... do everything you would normally do before going to work ... and put in a solid 8 or so hours digging through the internet, newspaper classifieds, whatever. It can be really, really easy to get discouraged, but hang in there. Things'll pick up.

Best of luck to ya.

I am collecting unemployment and I think I have about 100 weeks of it. I am paying though for my own health insurance out of my pocket which is only 180 a month which isnt too bad. I was going to get the COBRA but it was ridiculous how high the premium was. My field is very limited right now cuz I am currently getting my masters in library science and once I get that, I can apply for a a wide array of jobs but I need the degree.

[coryrafalski]

Hang in there buddy.

I was made redundant just before Christmas 2003. It was an awful time to go through all that but I guess at least the economy was in a slightly better order back then.

About a month later, after the holidays, I was seriously thinking of doing some menial jobs, factory work, deliveries, but my case officer at the job center kept encouraging me to go for the jobs I was actually qualified for (I have a degree). She said that once you go for an easier job it can be harder to find a 'proper' job that will get your career back on track.

I'm not saying that factory work and delivery work isn't a proper job, btw, just that if you've studied hard and got a degree then ideally you'd like to find something in your field.

Before made redundant I had the opinion that there are jobs for everybody out there, you just have to look for them and only losers are out of work, yada yada. How naive. It's funny how your perspectives change when it happens to yourself. Although it was seven years ago now so I guess I was still relatively young then...

[aylbert]

My story:

I was laid off from my Index Arb job in Sep '08 which was rough. I maxed out unemployment, which for me did not cover my mortgage, let alone utilities, car payment, school loans and food... but I was still very grateful to receive anything - it definitely helped.

I was given a good severance package and had sizable savings to get me by, or so I thought. The old rule of thumb was to have 6 months salary in savings for this type of situation... unfortunately I was out of work for 14 months. It sounds so long, but I was searching every day... the first 4 months were barren... as the financials just collapsed. In February I saw very limited opportunities but did not get calls back except for one where I did several interviews with. I was selected as the candidate they wanted to hire at one company - but then the budget was cut for this new role.

In the summer, I went on several interviews I was overqualified for but ultimately was not selected because of this. I was the selected candidate for a position in Jersey City, however, I was told by the manager that HR had an internal candidate and wanted to promote from within. By this time, I was out of work for 12 months and that became a detriment to my career as opposed to unfortunate setback. I began having to defend "why" I was not working, etc. I interviewed for my current job, but during the late stages they needed to change the requisition to fill a more urgent vacancy. However, they called back almost 2 months later and asked if I was still interested. I was officially hired on Thanksgiving morning and started Dec 14 --- And that ended my horror of being in the financial field in a financial crisis.

My advice:

My advice through this is to not give up, to keep a positive attitude and don't be afraid to reach for positions. Often times you may find yourself saying you can't do this, or you're not qualified (through experience) for that... Most requirements are simply a wish list from employers. Kinda like a teen boy wanting to date a super model. Then they meet this cute redhead with freckles and they fall for each other, etc. Don't sell yourself short, and don't be afraid of rejection. Remember to customize your resume for each position - it sounds obvious, but after you applied to 50 jobs, you may find it a bit tedious, or pointless... which will only continue the cycle of not working.

How close are you with your masters? Be careful if you are doing this during the day and/or full time. A lot of states have provisions against this as you are classified as a 'student' and not 'unemployed'. My sister had to do her studies outside her former working hours. If you get to the point that your within 6 months or so, don't be afraid to post for jobs that require your masters. A lot of times they will work around this contingent that you complete your Masters... or hold the position, etc depending on the urgency of the vacancy. My wife is seeing this with her near completion of her PhD.

[grcenter47]

My story:

I was laid off from my Index Arb job in Sep '08 which was rough. I maxed out unemployment, which for me did not cover my mortgage, let alone utilities, car payment, school loans and food... but I was still very grateful to receive anything - it definitely helped.

I was given a good severance package and had sizable savings to get me by, or so I thought. The old rule of thumb was to have 6 months salary in savings for this type of situation... unfortunately I was out of work for 14 months. It sounds so long, but I was searching every day... the first 4 months were barren... as the financials just collapsed. In February I saw very limited opportunities but did not get calls back except for one where I did several interviews with. I was selected as the candidate they wanted to hire at one company - but then the budget was cut for this new role.

In the summer, I went on several interviews I was overqualified for but ultimately was not selected because of this. I was the selected candidate for a position in Jersey City, however, I was told by the manager that HR had an internal candidate and wanted to promote from within. By this time, I was out of work for 12 months and that became a detriment to my career as opposed to unfortunate setback. I began having to defend "why" I was not working, etc. I interviewed for my current job, but during the late stages they needed to change the requisition to fill a more urgent vacancy. However, they called back almost 2 months later and asked if I was still interested. I was officially hired on Thanksgiving morning and started Dec 14 --- And that ended my horror of being in the financial field in a financial crisis.

My advice:

My advice through this is to not give up, to keep a positive attitude and don't be afraid to reach for positions. Often times you may find yourself saying you can't do this, or you're not qualified (through experience) for that... Most requirements are simply a wish list from employers. Kinda like a teen boy wanting to date a super model. Then they meet this cute redhead with freckles and they fall for each other, etc. Don't sell yourself short, and don't be afraid of rejection. Remember to customize your resume for each position - it sounds obvious, but after you applied to 50 jobs, you may find it a bit tedious, or pointless... which will only continue the cycle of not working.

How close are you with your masters? Be careful if you are doing this during the day and/or full time. A lot of states have provisions against this as you are classified as a 'student' and not 'unemployed'. My sister had to do her studies outside her former working hours. If you get to the point that your within 6 months or so, don't be afraid to post for jobs that require your masters. A lot of times they will work around this contingent that you complete your Masters... or hold the position, etc depending on the urgency of the vacancy. My wife is seeing this with her near completion of her PhD.

I am happy to hear that you finally got a job. its pretty cool though that you got a call on thanksgivng morning. i would of been super happy and thankful. the only positive thing for me is that i still live at home with the parents even though i would prefer not to. Luckily, they have provided me with a good support network. My plan was to move in with some friends but with bills and tuition, its not realistic. Luckily my job that laid me off decided to continue my tuition reimbursement until the end of this semester so thats a plus. I am at Rutgers currently getting my Masters in Library Acience. When I started there, I was working fulltime and going for my masters part time. Now that i got laid off, I was considering going full timr to school but then worried what if i get a job so i decided to stay part time. I only got 18 credits to go which is 6 classes which means I graduate next year. Once I get my degree I can actually apply for librarian jobs in which you need your masters. The jobs I have been applying for are circulation desk job and other jobs at libraries that dont involve the masters degree.

I have only been laid off for 3 months and by my count I have a while left of unemployment. Since then I have only interviewed for one position which actually happened 2 days after my layoff but nothing evolved from it even though they called me in for a 2nd interview. I even applied for a part time librarian internship for students going for their masters but that position never happened due to budget issues. I have been mailing a cover letter and my resume to every public library in NJ and luckily I got a call about meeting for an informal interview about a possible opening in September.

Should I apply for a part time job in the mean time instead of just sitting home?

Also does anyone know if the unemployment office provide financial support for those going to school?

[aylbert]

Should I apply for a part time job in the mean time instead of just sitting home?

Also does anyone know if the unemployment office provide financial support for those going to school?

Working part time can give you some extra cash and keep you in the mindset of working... its best if its in your field somehow so you can stay 'relevant'.

You can check with unemployment, but you can make something like $100 a week and still collect full unemployment... if you make more than that, the partial unemployment kicks in (which will give you the difference between full you unemployment check, and what you earned (plus that extra $100). (ie, you earned $220, you were receiving $500 from unemployment... you'll get a check for $380)

Unemployment has provisions to send you to like community college and other training programs... but you have lesser priority over paying students. It does not have a tuition reimbursement plan, etc.

[grcenter47]

Working part time can give you some extra cash and keep you in the mindset of working... its best if its in your field somehow so you can stay 'relevant'.

You can check with unemployment, but you can make something like $100 a week and still collect full unemployment... if you make more than that, the partial unemployment kicks in (which will give you the difference between full you unemployment check, and what you earned (plus that extra $100). (ie, you earned $220, you were receiving $500 from unemployment... you'll get a check for $380)

Unemployment has provisions to send you to like community college and other training programs... but you have lesser priority over paying students. It does not have a tuition reimbursement plan, etc.

cool..... thanks man for the response and all your help