Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Knowing I bring a lot to the table that a resume can’t
capture. Resumes don’t capture teamwork, ability to learn quickly, fitting in
to different cultures and environments or heart. And they sure don’t capture
what you’re capable of… they only capture what you’ve done. And therein lies
the most frustrating concern. How do you convince a prospective employer that
you can do more than you have done? How do you persuade them that you are a
rock star when it doesn’t fit on a piece of paper?
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Fearing that my wants and needs are about to get defined for
me. We’ve been blessed to have been able to buy some pretty cool things. I
wouldn’t consider anything extravagant because we work(ed) hard for what we
have… and none of it have we stretched to afford. But as money gets tight,
priorities illuminate and the superfluous things we have stand out. Anyone who
knows me knows… I love my Camaro. I love most of the things we have and I feel
that through some of the blessings we have, I may have become more
materialistic than I ever expected. Not consciously… but when I think about
where on the pecking order certain things lie, it’s a bit depressing to think
what is really expendable. We’ve worked hard for what we have and to see some
of those things possibly have to disappear pretty much sucks. Maybe they won’t.
But (a) knowing they might hurts and (b) caring they might may hurt even more.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Weekends hold little meaning. TGIF? Why? Saturday feels the
same as Tuesday does. Sleeping in a bit later is nice, but I’m not a late
sleeper anyway, so I’m normally up around 7am most days anyway. I miss the joy
of leaving work on Friday, knowing the weekend is here. Days run together and
I’ve caught myself more than once looking at the calendar just to see what day
it was. Very little differentiates each day from the next. That kind of sucks.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Fearing I won’t find a job making the money I was before.
I’m trying to shift careers by leveraging my background into a new role. This
isn’t the best job market obviously and ALSO trying to shift careers in the
middle of it? I fear any kind of shift will mean a total reset to my salary. If
I have to do that, then I need to determine what factors are most important.
Here’s praying that at minimum there’s a middle ground in there somewhere.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Landing an interview only to not get the job. And even
deeper than that? Having no idea why. I’ve had a hard time gaining traction and
getting many interviews. Each one feels like a demeaning rainbow and I’m just
hoping there’s a pot of gold at the end. When that stupid leprechaun hides it,
I just want to ask, literally, why? I don’t want some generic, “We felt someone
else was a better fit…” kind of answer. I really want to know if there’s
something I could have done or said that would have changed the outcome. You
never know what those you interview are looking for. What works with one may
not with the other. That’s why I hate answering the well-intentioned question,
“How’d the interview go?” There’s only one way to judge that answer and that’s
with an eventual offer sheet. I’ve had many that went really well and didn’t
get the job. I’ve had a few that didn’t feel like they went well and did. You
just never know what the decision maker really wants… until you get the email
saying, “Thanks but no thanks…” … if you get one at all. The same principle
applies to a resume. What one person says you should do is the exact thing
someone else says you should change. Job hunting is such a subjective process
(obviously) that it’s very easy to get confused on what you should do because
there are a million ways to do something right… and apparently two million ways
to do them wrong.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Feeling like I’m letting my wife and family down. I do the
best I can at my job for a number of reasons. As a man, the primary reason is
to provide for my family. Yes, we are a two-income household, but I believe as
a man it’s inherently my responsibility to provide the things we need… and honestly,
the things we want. Life is rarely how you expect it to turn out, but I want my
wife and daughter to have the things they want. I know we won’t have
everything, but forgive me for feeling the luxuries I want us to have is a bad
thing. I know in the grand scheme they aren’t priorities, but in a sense, they
are to me because I know my family wants them.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Looking and looking and looking at job titles and
descriptions so much they all look the same. And considering how few interviews
I’ve had, they ooze the same futility. So, at times, yes… the “What’s the use?”
poison does creep into my mind… especially when some online apps take nearly
20-30 minutes to complete… AFTER registering! Of the many things I’m looking
forward to once this season in life ends is not having to look through these
blasted things all day long.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Job descriptions that don’t list salary ranges. Look… I don’t
want to waste their time and I sure don’t want to waste mine. Just list the
salary range. If it’s not close (high or low) to what I’m looking for, that
means fewer resumes to sift through for someone on the other end. I know a lot
of that is keyword automated, but still… why waste both our time. And don’t get
me started on the apps that require you to list a range but the job posting
refuses to. “Commensurate with experience” is a cop-out, by the way.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Everyone asking how the job hunt is going. Don’t get me
wrong… I appreciate the concern and would probably hate it more if people didn’t
ask… but that’s just one of those questions/issues that gets tired and old to
answer because the news never seems to change. Again… no fault to the person asking, but HAVING to answer that
question is just a reminder to how much this sucks. But, hey… I’ll take concern
over apathy. ;)
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
The strain on a marriage. You (I) go through so many
emotions, sometimes literally within minutes of each other, that it makes being
married to me tough. It’s not fair to Val for her not to know what mood I’ll be
in… and then when I’m depressed, it often bleeds onto her mood. That’s just the
natural state of marriage: You’re typically only as happy as the least happy
person. So, knowing my mood brings her down stinks. I feel guilty for that. But
then, when both of us are cranky/stressed, it just begins to snowball. I try to
recognize when this happens so that I don’t create a double-whammy as much as
possible. But, it’s hard. For anyone laid off, your spouse is/needs to be the
best support for you. They must be. But, just putting her in that position just
makes me feel sick.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Feeling like a loser. Seeing other friends who have it so
well, doing so well, who had breaks go their way in their career and then
looking at how mine has played out is frustrating. Makes me wonder if there’s
no justice… or if I earned all this hardship by not doing something I
should/could have. I know the reality is that no one has it as good as it looks
from the outside… and that others look at us like I look at someone else… but I
feel like I’ve done everything I could have to be successful and I’m not where
I want to be. And worse, some of them ARE. Seeing other people do well and me
struggle right now hurts. I’m happy for everyone doing well… but it’s just a
reminder of what I’m dealing with.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Always feeling guilty when I’m NOT searching for a job.
Look, finding a job right now is my number one priority. But, there’s just no
way anyone can focus from wake-up/bedtime on the search. It’s maddening enough…
and many days, there is nothing different out there from what you saw the day
before. I have a process and methodically run through it. Just because it hasn’t
worked doesn’t mean it’s a bad one… but I also acknowledge anything that could
help, so I’m open to it. But, whether I’m watching the Rangers, playing on
Xbox/PS3 or just decompressing, I can never really do it with a clear conscience.
Not because I feel I’m cheating my search… but because I always feel I need to
do more. But, if I don’t have the break, I’ll go mental.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Right now? Watching the Spurs and Heat in the NBA Finals and
wishing both would lose.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Never feeling like this ‘time off’ provides any rest or
relaxation. When I was working, there were always times I got burned out. I’d
pray for some time off for a break. I haven’t been to the office in four months
and not once have I felt mentally rested or relaxed. (Longer if you count the
considerable time in the last few years I’ve had to deal with layoff
potential.)
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Feeling like I’m not myself… and then having others confirm
that I’m really not. I’ve been through this before. I’ll spare the long story
(maybe another post), but having to go through this again was my worst
nightmare. But, I don’t have the same spring in my step. I find myself viewing
life through very jaded glasses. That’s not me. And if it really is me, then
that’s just even more depressing. I like to make jokes, make people laugh and
generally just be a fun guy to be around. I’m not that right now. I know it.
And others have pointed it out. Sorry.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Watching my wife work hard and knowing she’s bearing a
larger burden because I’m unemployed. Putting her in that position sucks. I’m
sorry Val.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
The feeling of being alone. Val is doing all she can for me.
Like anyone, we all have our good and bad days though. We both are dealing with
this, but at the end of the day… she can’t hire me. I may not BE alone in this,
but there are many times I feel it because I’m the one filling out the
applications. I’m the one unemployed. It affects us all obviously, but I’m the
one who has to fix it.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Feeling guilty for buying stuff. I can’t justify buying
anything that’s not necessary. I want to buy the Harry Potter series for Jordyn,
but can’t. I want to get Val a 3DS XL so she can play the new Animal Crossing,
but can’t. Those are larger examples… but even just smaller, unnecessary purchases
just can’t be made.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
The stress. Being laid off is stressful, obviously. Job
hunting is stressful. Interviews are too. Everything I’ve mentioned is
stressful. Being constantly enveloped by it all creates just a constant stream
of stress. It’s unrelenting and vicious and always there.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Feeling like I shouldn’t feel this way. Feeling like this is
all based from a lack of faith in God’s providence. For the first time, I feel
like I’m just not faithful. Maybe I’ve known I haven’t been and that this is
just the process of it slapping me in the face. This whole process reminds me
of Job and the trials he went through (on a much smaller scale obviously.)
Look, I’m not trying to overblow my situation. I know in the grand scheme that
I have it much better than many/most. But that doesn’t make what I’m going
through any less real or easier. I’m trying to keep the proper perspective. I
guess I’m spoiled and this is my comeuppance. Who knows? I just know I need to
keep praying for faith because I feel in short supply.
Want to know the worst part of being laid off?
Not knowing when it will end.
