I got laid off in January, applied for unemployment immediately and started working on starting my own marketing company. Now I'm pretty busy with that and down the road it will be a really good thing for me.

The recession will force you to innovate, but in the end it will make us stronger.

Good luck bro

Posted by tkf:

I agree, take the unemployment, most people think it is a handout, but it isn't, it is inurance, unemployment insurance that you earn by working , as you have been. TAke it! then hit the market hard, looking for a job in your field or any related field. You may have to take something you don't really like, but you have to eat and live, so always keep your eyes open, but keep your income flowing..

Good luck, and sorry to hear that....

I would only take the unemployment IF I could not find a job or two. Unemployment runs out---jobs sometimes have a funny way of materializing into better opportunities. Right now I would secure a job --probably two. Rely on the jobs not free money. Hard work is always the answer--work hard and it will pay off.

Dude, you pay into unemployment fund while you're working, its rightfully yours when you get terminated. Collect what is due you. There is no shame in that. That's what its for.

Sorry to hear it, SC. Best of luck finding a new job soon. Sorry I don't have any advice for you, nor do I have any leads... but if I do, I'll be sure to let you know.

Posted by JohnWallace44:

I got laid off in January, applied for unemployment immediately and started working on starting my own marketing company. Now I'm pretty busy with that and down the road it will be a really good thing for me.

The recession will force you to innovate, but in the end it will make us stronger.

Good luck bro

Good sh!t dude. You doing anything similar to what you did at your old gig?

Posted by eViL:

Posted by JohnWallace44:

I got laid off in January, applied for unemployment immediately and started working on starting my own marketing company. Now I'm pretty busy with that and down the road it will be a really good thing for me.

The recession will force you to innovate, but in the end it will make us stronger.

Good luck bro

Good sh!t dude. You doing anything similar to what you did at your old gig?

yeah, with a few other tweaks. I'm doing more design now. I've got some shirts I designed on their way to Urban and Bloomindales.

here's my e-mail

adam@brandaidmarketing.net

I'm going to try to make it, yeah. I don't think I can afford my own t-shirts yet, but soon.

sorry to hear that, SC. don't be shy or embarassed about reaching out to all your contacts - no matter how tenuous. you'd be surprised at who is willing to help. i was laid off in december and was able to find a job a week later through a good professional contact. i know i got extremely lucky, but i think working personal connections is the only way to go.

good luck. things seem to be going a little better for banks right now, so maybe investment banking will be on the upswing again, soon. best of luck.

Posted by SupremeCommander:

I'd say laid off, but don't know if that's accurate. Long story short, I'm completely inexperienced at the position I was hired at and they needed more experience there, which they can get more cheaply if they hire in house. Because I was contract, my hours end at 5 PM today. Well, the cat got out of the bag before then, so now I'm sitting in an apartment I can't afford.

I really have no idea where to look for a job or what to do now. My training is to be a financial analyst at an investment bank (good luck now, right) and I have a successful sales history. I don't want to call anyone. I really have no idea what my next step is. So, I'm looking here for advice

[Edited by - supremecommander on 03-25-2009 4:12 PM]

Sorry to hear that. I know you are going through it but try to hang in there. You have to stay busy. Here are some things that I think you should do.

1. Update your resume.
2.look through the job listings. (including non-profits, check idealist.org)
3. Think about ways you can be self-employed. Are there any skills that you picked up while you were at your job? If so maybe you can become a consultant.
Also find out what you are really passionate about and find a way to make money off it.

email me if you need more details on these points.

-BigC

What happened to the gig overseas in Qatar? Weren't you looking at that a few months ago?

That sucks man. I was laid off in early February. I'm very realistic about my situation, but refuse to feel sorry for myself or panic. I embrace the challenge and look forward to new opportunities.

It's tough out there, but not impossible to find a job. Last time I was faced with unemployment (4 years ago) I spent almost all my time flooding the market with my resume and this produced very few results. After 3 months I only received 1 interview and that was because I knew someone working at Target Corporation at the time. During the first 7 weeks of my current job search, I've dedicated 99% of my time to networking. So far I've had 3 interviews!

Being thrown into the world of unemployment has been challenging, but I'm trying to make the most of the opportunity. Your attitude will take you places.


Links
linkedin.com
craigslist
simplyhired
indeed
http://www.job-hunt.org/
www.realmatch.com
http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov


What I've learned...

-You should totally take the unemployment.

-Bury the hatchet. I have no hard feelings towards the company that laid me off. None whatsoever. It's business and I understand that. Building and maintaining relationships with people within your industry is key. It would be foolish of me to cut ties with a great company. I had lunch with the VP of my former employer last week. He's been a GREAT resource.

-I'm glad I kept my gym membership. You'd think logically it would be one of the first things to go, but my good friend convinced me I'd benefit by keeping it. She was right.

-Before applying to a job... check if you have a Linkedin connection with someone who works there. (a friend of a friend, etc.) A little extra work, but it could pay off BIG TIME.

-Challenge yourself and never be content.

-Establish a routine. Can you believe I'm up at 6:30am everyday to job hunt? It's true. About 8-12 hours of my day are dedicated to my search.

-Figure out what you'd do in a worst case scenario and work your way up from there. It's comforting to know what you'd do and it's always good to have a plan. Right now I have plans A through G established. I'm ready for almost anything life throws at me now!

-Focus on the present/future rather than the past. Thinking about how life used to be only leads to trouble.

-Attitude is everything.

-Making a list of everything that is currently working in my favor has been huge. It's nice to read through it from time to time.

-Everyone i know is able to help my transition back to the world of employment in their own little way. Just because they don't know of any jobs doesn't mean they are unable to help me. Every little bit helps. For example: a friend of mine was able to provide me with cheap health insurance.

NETWORK!