RE: laid off

Subject: RE: laid off
From: Kimberly <klyle -at- smyrnacable -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 10:23:56 -0500

I must say, everyone, I am finding this discussion very encouraging. I have been unemployed for a month, now, and that is the longest I have ever been without a job since I was 16. I haven't been able to commiserate with anyone.

I "got done" (as the security guard so delicately phrased it) as part of a dot com funding problem, and though I was surprised by the layoff, I certainly didn't take it personally. In fact, I still believe in the company and its product. The company sent all the "keepers" home while we were "getting done" so we had the afternoon to clean our desks out in private and leave quietly.

That was my first permanent tech writing job; now I am probably back to contracting. I have found the job market considerably drier than it was a year ago and the payscale is way down. So far I am not willing to take a $15,000 pay cut to work, but it may come to that. I had three weeks severance, but I am the sole earner in my household, so I really need to find work.

I was despondent for the first two weeks, but suddenly I lightened up. I don't know why -- my prospects aren't looking any better and I've had only one interview and no new nibbles -- but I refuse to be freaked out. In every case so far in my career a job landed in my lap right about the time I stopped pushing so hard.

I am working at job hunting, of course. Portfolio updated, ads answered, resumes emailed, phone calls made, follow-ups followed up on; I am doing it. But I am also taking a much needed break. The spring in Georgia is absolutely beautiful, I am learning FrameMaker (finally), I am catching up on my reading for a class I am taking, my house is cleaner than it's been in a long while, I caught up with a month of taped Buffy episodes, and I finally broke my bard out of level 40 in Everquest.

Heh. Yes, enjoy the breaks that fate gives you.

Kimberly Lyle
Atlanta GA

I'm not unemployed -- I'm on involuntary vacation.


At 11:50 AM 3/12/01 -0600, you wrote:

I missed the beginning of this thread, but Bettina said

<<Looking back, I wish I had played more (gone to the beach, movies, walks
in the park) while I was looking for work. Pauses in the race of life don't
come often and soon enough I was back working full time.>>

I was laid off from my previous job, and like Bettina, I wish I had played
more. In fact, that is a comment that I hear from many people after they
realize what a blessing (a short) unemployment can be.

During unemployment you are often under the pressure (from self, spouse, or
other) to find a job. I empathize with the feelings that you have.
Regardless if you were downsized or not, the market for technical writers is
good.


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