Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Thank You Corporate Restructuring!

Welcome
Welcome to my (almost) unemployed life. Thanks to Steve Safran for help picking a name. (And thank you Esther and Chaim for some really fun suggestions).

As of 5pm tomorrow, June 30th, I will be unemployed for the first time since that awkward period following my college graduation in 2001. Despite a fair severance package, I'm scared. Yet I feel as though I have to put up a strong front. I spend a lot of time saying things like "Well, now I can finally take a vacation" or "This will be a great opportunity for me to make a career transition" or "I'll take some classes and maybe get a graduate degree". And I do mean them, just not 100%. Nothing is scarier than the unknown, and unemployment in today's world of outsourcing and downsizing is an ultimate unknown.

The Magic of Technology
So come along with me on my journey to the land of the slackers! (Just remember, I'm not there by choice).

3 comments:

-Ann said...

Hang in there. In the period from 2000 to 2003, I was laid off 3 times (11/2000, 11/2001, and 10/2003). I learned that there is ALWAYS another job and that it's important not to get too stressed out in the in-between-jobs period.

My completely unsolicited advice is this - take at least 2 weeks and go visit a friend or family member or several friends/family members whom you don't get to see very often. If they live in cool places, so much the better. Priceline is your friend, as is your newfound flexibility. If anyone lives in or around Washington DC, that is a great place to visit because of all the cool, free museums and the excellent public transport.

For those two weeks, do not think about finding a job, think about what you want out of life. This is an opportunity to reevaluate and reposition yourself if necessary.

The point is two-fold. 1. Don't just say things like "I can take a vacation" or "I can make a career transition" - like Ben Stiller says in Starsky and Hutch "DO IT, JUST DO IT". 2. Your mental attitude is going to play a big role in how you get through the jobless period, so be kind to yourself.

Good luck!

Anonymous said...

A blog is always a good place to start. It keeps you focused on writing and lets you communicate with the outside world. I'm proud to have helped name it. Blog on, young Lyss. Lost Remote is hoping you find your remote...

Bill T said...

Personally, I'd like to think that if and when I'm thrown out (one former boss refers to it as being "blown up") I'll try my hand at that acting career, being on-air in radio or even TV, or getting out of television altogether.

But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it...