Those dreaded words—“You’re fired!” I know, it is very reminiscent of our current president’s infamous tagline on Celebrity Apprentice, but for hundreds of thousands of people, it is what they start their day off going into work not expecting to hear. Then, for whatever reason, those two words are uttered and another phrase pops up: “Now what?” My situation is a little different but it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt all the same. Just a month after I went through a breakup I shared about here on The Virgo Girl, the company I had been working for as a web editor for eight months decided to restructure, thereby laying off half the editorial team and a few others. I just happened to be working from home that day when I got the call from my boss and the controller informing me I would have my health insurance for the rest of the month (damn right—it came out of my paycheck) and get my last week’s pay but the layoff was effective immediately. I was entitled to unemployment but I was still hung up on no longer having a steady job. Yes, I freelance and take on odd jobs but this was my livelihood. I was literally shaken.
When I hung up the phone, I learned I was not the only one who got laid off, so this made me feel a lot better. I was not alone and, somehow, that was a comfort. I sat on my bed, my work computer on my lap, and just kept muttering, “I am so screwed.” I told my mom, a few close friends, the guy I had just started seeing but man, I felt like a failure. It didn’t matter that my graduate school commencement was the following month or that I had overcome depression or just lost forty pounds or anything positive; I was unemployed. I felt I had nothing. I held a pity party for one for as long as I could and then that party had to end because it was time to grow up and be responsible. The pity party was not going to get me a job. It was not going to get me a paycheck or health insurance or pay my bills. This was all on me. Time to take my power back. I started connecting with a few of the coworkers who had been let go, to see how they were doing. Everyone was slowly digesting it. Now, on to me.
I immediately filed for unemployment online.
That was tough. I had never filed before and it was a very weird feeling, but I have worked for many years and there are times when we truly need help. If it is there, no shame in accepting it, so that is what I did. Following that, I contacted our work health insurance to find out how much COBRA (the insurance subsidiary employers have to offer) would cost—two weeks of unemployment insurance and then some. I tried to find insurance that suited my needs but that would take a few days and fortunately, I had about two weeks to figure out what was best for me. Since I have extensive nanny and tutoring experience, I created an updated profile on Care.com and started applying for jobs and contacted friends and family who might have known of some leads.
I did not stay in the night I got laid off but rather went out to dinner, wearing the same shirt I wore my first day as a web editor; frankly, it was all that was clean but very cyclical. I was not going to let my life stop because of this job loss. I did have moments of very bad depression and sadness because I really felt like a failure, a loser, which is completely normal. Was this my dream job? Absolutely not. Did it allow me to keep on my path as a professional writer? Yes. Did I have my own desk? Yes. Did it help pay the bills? Absolutely. There were so many fears that entered in. Would I ever be a full-time professional writer again or always the “freelancer” girl? Would I be able to make ends meet? I freaked out and panicked but I kept on trucking. I went on Indeed.com, I went on LinkedIn, I applied everywhere I thought I could tolerate and did it with dignity. I did, however, forget to file for my first week of unemployment because I didn’t know I had to file every Sunday, so there is one helpful tip for you newbies. As for the health insurance issue, I found out I was eligible for state insurance and after paying an arm and a leg out of pocket for regular health care for years, I took it.
Here is what I suggest you do within the first ninety days if you’ve lost your job:
- File for unemployment—you very well may be eligible.
- Look into your options for health insurance; there are more options than you might think! Check out this site to see which plan is right for you.
- Look into what you are good at or do as a hobby and see if you can make some fast income.
- Network! Start updating your résumé, your LinkedIn profile, and start talking to friends—let the world know you are looking for an opportunity.
- Apply, Apply, APPLY!
- Practice your interview skills.
- Consider talking with a life coach to map out your future.
It has been two months since I was laid off and I am doing pretty much everything I can to stay afloat. I am no longer devastated over losing my job because I know that was not where I belonged; there is something better on the horizon. I am getting to explore new opportunities, network, get my emergency migraine medication paid for and, in so many ways, learning how to grow up. Laid off but definitely not laid up.
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