I just got laid off! Ask me anything!

[Interrobang]

Better yet, tell me who's hiring technical writers in your neck of the woods. I'm *eminently* relocatable, because London, ON is a sink-hole when you don't have a job. It's ok when you're working, but...

Anyway, the back story is that my ex-boss has been having huge mega cashflow problems because the Really Really Big Corporation (thanks a LOT, GE, thanks a HELL of a lot...) they work for doesn't pay on time, and he can't afford to keep me on, doing the work that I'm doing at the rate he was paying me, and since I'm not really cut out for the other work anyway, he elected to lay me off instead of just cut my pay by half or so. (The good news is, he thinks he can get me into this 'entrepreneurship' programme that pays a wage subsidy for up to a year, long enough for me to be gone to grad school -- I hope -- without resorting to working the phones or trying to get Welfare or something. That's not much, but it's something.)

At least I have some half-decent contacts.

So... Now that you've heard me piss and moan, ask away!

[HEyHEY]

1. Would you be willing to become a journlaist?

I just quit my job on Friday..starting the big job hunt as we speak. There is a job in Journalism I turned down, if you're interested

[Racenut20]

3. Job in Journalism??

My daughter would. She is on the verge of losing hers.

[HEyHEY]

5. seriously? Is she willing to relocate to BC

[Racenut20]

6. As a matter of fact

She has mentioned moving to Vancouver to me.

[HEyHEY]

7. check your PM

[Racenut20]

8. e me

[e-mail]

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. I'm Sorry! As a Veteran of two lay offs

keep your chin up, and do something useful with your time off.

I hope your entrpreneurship program comes through-Good Luck!

[Racenut20]

4. And of course

We are sorry about the layoff. I had that fun trip last year. You have to get organized and not let it distort your thinking.

[Interrobang]

9. Well, I'm trying to think rationally...

...but I'm fully aware that I could be panicking, without being aware that I'm panicking. I don't know. I mean, I'm not terribly *surprised* that this happened to me, but I am really *disappointed.* Being the loss-leader does kind of suck.

Anyway, I think I ought to go re-write my resume so I can send it to some places. Bye for now!

[supernova]

10. Interrobang, I'm a TW

who got laid off a year ago. :-( Sorry to hear you got laid off.

I don't know what to tell you. You're willing to relocate so you will probably have better luck than I am.

Yes, it's pretty common in the corporate world to think of the Doc department as a money pit, so out it goes in the bad times.

What kind of grad school are you going for?

[Interrobang]

11. So I take it you're still not working? Argh.

I want to go to CMU, MIT, Stanford, or Renssalaer Poly, because they have good rhetoric/linguistics programmes with foci on computers. I have these heretical ideas about user interfaces... Anyway, I would like to get my PhD. At least I have lots of time to study for the GRE now. :shrug:

Argh. Job hunting is like beating your head against a brick wall...then you get another job, and it's like beating your head against a *padded* brick wall.

[joeybee12]

12. Don't worry!

The first time it happened to me I was devastated. But it happened in June, and I realized I could have the summer off.

Second time it happend I was thrilled. It was the day after the 1992 election, and I had a free ticket for Europe that had to be used by February. I had no vacation time left, so i figured I was going to lose the ticket--worekd out just great!

[Interrobang]

13. Well...

If I'd had more than about $100 spare dollars in the bank before it happened, I might be a little more enthused, or less panicky. Unfortunately, I don't, and I don't know how much severance I'm getting, and I just got a $400 phone bill (if you had a fiance one country and 12hrs drive away -- and a job -- you'd have huge l/d bills too!), so I can't just sit here and coast. Tomorrow I guess I need to go to the bank...

[newyawker99]

16. I am sorry to hear this Interrobang. I hope you find

another job soon. :-)

[Catshrink]

14. Best of luck, Interrobang

I know it's hard... been there a few times myself. Please don't take it personally. It sounds like you do have some contacts and could land something real soon. Keep us posted!

[area51]

15. Interrobang

I'm so sorry you got laid off, Interrobang. I hope you are able to get another job soon.