Not Working Nation: Tales In Transition

Carolyn, 37, Consultant in warehouse management

Where do you live? Arlington, VA

What was your job title? Senior Consultant

In what industry? Warehouse Management Consulting

How old are/were most of your coworkers? Early 20s to late 40s

How did you find out you were losing your job? Someone in the firm leaked info to the media, which alerted me to layoffs happening in the firm. I got a call from my manager the next day, which came as no surprise to me because I had not been significantly staffed with a client in over a year.

Did you have to leave immediately, or did they give you a few weeks to get used to the idea? They gave me 30 days notice. They also gave me 26 weeks severance because I'd been with the firm for 14 years.

Tell us a little about what you did: Celebrated! It was hard work and 100% travel. Not having been assigned to client work for about a year made me get used to being home every night. I wanted to quit, but was never able to get the courage to do so. The lay off forced me to leave and reevaluate my life and what will make me a happier, more satisfied person.

 What was your favorite part of the job? The team work. Every few months to a year you moved on to a new project with new teams. Sometimes you worked with people you knew, sometimes new teammates. The majority of the folks I worked with were amazing and made being away from home fun. I also enjoyed training the client staff and seeing them grasp concepts and then apply them. (I also must say hotel points and status were good as well.)

What was the worst part? "Go lives." I did not enjoy implementing software in the warehouses that usually were 24/7 facilities. Many night and weekend shifts would be necessary, with multiple weeks away from home rather than going home for the weekend.

Did you like going to work? Sometimes. When a project was staffed with people and good project management work was great. When there was even one bad element to the team, the work could be brutal and the thought of seeing that person for 12 hour days could induce insanity.

Did you feel like you were making a difference? Many times, yes. However, sometimes the client would take the work we had done and destroy it once we left.

What have you done since you've been laid off? Got a dog, started doing midweek social outings, stopped eating at restaurants because I could cook at home, started concentrating on my marathon training, decided to take some time to myself! I traveled M-F for ten years and missed out on being social during the week or being able to have a pet or sleep in my own house on a nightly basis, etc. It's nice to be home M-F!

How do you spend your days? I'm trying to write a novel, which is a dream of mine, so I do some writing. I play with my dog. I watch TV and movies. I relax. I'm completely not productive right now, and I don't feel guilty in the least! I'm living on my severance.

Have your spending habits changed since you've been laid off? (Have you cut back on anything? Given up coffee?) I've cut back on spending a little, but not as much as I had planned because it is hard to completely cut things out when you enjoy them. I use coupons now and look for sales - something I never used to do. I think twice before buying unnecessaries. I have not started buying different foods or shopping at cheaper places, etc. I have tried to keep my life mainly the same.

Do you have any financial worries? Just mortgage and condo fee which was based on what I could afford as a high paid consultant. Not sure my next job will pay as well, but I cannot keep this place if I do not make at least 75-80% of my last job's salary.

Do you have a spouse who works? No.

How many jobs have you applied for since you've  been laid off? Zero. I'm taking 6 months to myself. I deserve it.

What kind of job are you looking for next? Will it be in the same field or a different one? Why? Not sure, hopefully different. That's why I am taking a break. I don't want to travel M-F for work. Adopting a dog forces me to have to not be able to travel. I'd like something that involves writing or training (which was the best part of my consultant job).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Annie, 58, librarian

Where do you live? Western, KY

What was your job title? Circulation supervisor

In what industry? Libraries

How old were most of your coworkers? From 20's to early 60's. Mostly 30 somethings.

How did you find out you were losing your job? Boss just said I didn't know what I was doing. I had been a librarian for 20+ years. Why couldn't she just tell the truth? She just wanted to put a part-timer back on full.

Did you have to leave immediately or did they give you a few weeks to get used to the idea? They took my key and time card and I was gone. Now they won't even answer when people ask about me.

Tell us a little about what you did: Trained and supervised staff. Oversaw daily library operations. Helped patrons with reference questions.

What was your favorite part of the job? Being able to help patrons.

What was the worst part? Having to stand on my feet all day and not being allowed to help people like I had in previous jobs.

Did you like going to work? Yep--pretty much. Had some favorite patrons I enjoyed seeing.

Did you feel like you were making a difference? Not as much as other libraries where I have worked simply because I was not given the chance. I did have some patrons who asked my advise on things.

What have you done since you've been laid off? Finished an online medical transcription course and searched for jobs. Am taking a medical coding course on my own.

How do you spend your days? Job searching, studying, reading and being bored!

Have your spending habits changed since you've been laid off? (Have you cut back on anything? Given up coffee?) Have cut out everything but food and housing. No insurance so no checkups, etc. and cutting back on my medicine. Can't afford it.

Do you have any big financial worries? Yes-how will I be able to go to the hospital when my health crashes due to lack of medicine? How can I keep the house?

How many jobs have you applied for since you've been laid off? Since the end of May -- 75.

What kind of job will you apply for next? Will it be in the same field or a different field? Why? Anything. I've exhausted all possible library jobs without going back to school. Can't afford that so am trying different options. With our local unemployment rate at over 12%, not much to choose from--not to mention the age discrimination that goes on.

Faye, 34, photo editor-cum-life coach

Where do you live? Portland, Oregon

What was your last job title? Photo editor

In what industry? Photography/software

How did you find out you were losing your job? In a board meeting where the president told us that she was closing my department.

Did you have to leave immediately, or did they give you a few weeks to get used to the idea? The company has been slowly going under and there have been several waves of layoffs. The president of the company had been very transparent in that she wanted to keep as many people on board as possible for as long as she could. We had been on furlough for several months before my layoff. I had the rest of the week to collect my things, pull portfolio images off the server, etc. and was invited to be in the work space after this week to use the internet to look for work, make copies, use any equipment for job search.

Tell us a little about what you did: I stayed through the week, gathered all of my personal files and pulled work files off the server for use in my portfolio. I still have a great relationship with people in the company and stop by every once in awhile to say hello.

What was your favorite part of the job? The great people.

What was the worst part? The repetition, monotony of production work.

Did you feel like you were making a difference? Yes, as much as I could.

What have you done since you've been laid off? I have been training to become a life coach and will be certified this month. I have also taken in lots of freelance work, mostly making logos and illustrations.

Have your spending habits changed since you've been laid off? (Have you cut back on anything? Given up coffee?) Yes, I am more frugal...shopping primarily at second hand stores and buying food at discount outlets.

Do you have big financial worries? Kids in college? Etc.? I am a single mom with young kid in childcare, car, student loan, etc. no yachts or mansions.

How many jobs have you applied for since you've been laid off? 10

Are they in the same part of the country or a different part? Same.

What kind of job are you looking for next? Will it be in the same field or a different one? Why? Part time graphics work so that I can build my life coaching business, which will pay more and be very rewarding, personally.

Susan, 38, lawyer

Where do you live? Beltsville, Md.

When did you graduate or move? May of 2007

What was your field of study? Law.

How long have you been actively job-hunting? Since I finally became a member of the Maryland Bar in December of 2008.

What sort of job are you looking for? A plaintiff's attorney in employment or labor law, or in-house for a labor union or progressive non-profit.

Any interviews? One, in March.

What are your biggest obstacles? (Do you have to move back in with your parents? Do you have a mortgage to worry about?) Debt, debt, debt. I have enormous student loans. I owe my parents thousands of dollars at this point, and I owe back rent. I am living with a friend rent-free, since my family lives in other parts of the country.

What are your biggest frustrations? I'm frustrated that I worked hard to get myself through law school but I can't find steady work. There are too many lawyers and not enough jobs in this part of the country. But moving would be nearly impossible, since it would mean taking a different state's bar exam, not to mention the costs of moving.

It's also frustrating that my friends have money and spend it freely while I am constantly struggling. I can't regularly go out to eat, go to concerts, go on trips, go shopping... ultimately, I can't spend as much time with them as I would like because they are often doing things that cost money. And while I can't afford rent, they are buying houses and things to put in their houses -- and some of them like to talk about their purchases a lot, inadvertently rubbing it in. It's hard not to be resentful, since I feel I'm as deserving of a little security as they are or of the nice things they have.

 What are your biggest fears? I'm afraid I will never, ever stop owing money. I'm afraid my friends and family will tire of my situation and my frustrations. I'm afraid I will fall through the cracks. I'm afraid my mental state will deteriorate.

What do you do all day? I work out or take a long walk every day; I'd go insane if I didn't. I spend several hours every day online job hunting, looking for contacts and/or applying for jobs. I have done some pro bono and volunteer work. I volunteer for dances I like to attend so I can go to them for free -- without that opportunity, I'd be miserable. I watch a little TV, but find it depresses me if I watch too much. Sometimes I read, other times I go on day hikes. I stay current on political issues and I write my opinions about EVERYTHING (I've recently started a new blog). I do yard work and household chores. I spend copious amounts of time trying to connect with my friends on social networking sites, I think because I am so slightly worried they will forget about me if I don't. And sometimes I get angry at what seems like the futility of it all.

Do you have big financial worries -- family obligations? Loans you're supposed to pay back? A growing credit card bill? I can't get a credit card, which is for the best. I owe an unspeakable amount of money in student loans. I owe money to my parents, but they are patient with me. I also owe back rent to my last landlord. My unemployment checks don't really pay all my bills and expenses, so I borrow additional money from my parents periodically. I am lucky they can afford to help me, and they do sacrifice because of it.

Do you have a spouse or partner who works? No.

Any final thoughts? I still do want to be an attorney for a progressive cause. Most of the time, I believe that is what I was meant to do on this earth. But sometimes I can't help wondering if the decision to go to law school wasn't the biggest mistake I've ever made. Still, it does me no good to regret. The only thing I can do is keep hope alive and try not to fall through the cracks.

You can find Susan's blog at http://eatingthefruit.blogspot.com/

Martin, 31, paralegal

Where do you live? Minneapolis.

When did you graduate or move? We moved almost 2 years ago.

What was your field of study? Sociology.

 How long have you been actively job-hunting? I quit my job about a year ago and have been looking for one here ever since.

 What sort of job are you looking for? Paralegal.

 Any interviews? I have had some, but not very many.

 What are your biggest obstacles? There aren't very many paralegal jobs out there and there are a lot of people trying to get them.

 What are your biggest frustrations? I am not the best in interviews, I dislike filling out applications. I think the entire hiring process is horribly flawed. I am much better at demonstrating my skills than trying to tell them to someone. I assume there are other jobseekers like me, so this means that recruiters are hiring at least some substandard workers because they can tell the recruiter what he/she wants to hear.

 What are your biggest fears? People's perceptions of me. Losing friends because I don't have a job.

 What do you do all day? I spend a lot of time on the computer, sometimes looking for jobs, mostly just passing the day. I have been helping my brother remodel his house once a week.

Do you have big financial worries -- family obligations? Loans you're supposed to pay back? A growing credit card bill? We are doing alright with my wife's job. We have to stick to a budget strictly, so it isn't too hard.

 Any final thoughts? Looking for a job is such a purgatory. I hate telling people that I am unemployed because it is such a tired old conversation.

David C., 45, video production

Where do you live? Portland, OR

When did you graduate or move? January 2008

What was your field of study? Video Production.

How long have you been actively job-hunting? Off and on since I moved out to the Northwest.

What sort of job are you looking for? I want to get back into video production, but I've become interested in marketing, advertising, writing, etc...

Any interviews? I've been in and out of work since I moved here. The first job was as a records specialist with the Police Department. I was real curious about what this job would entail and if it would be anything like I'd seen on TV shows. After waiting through a 3-month background check period I started the job. It was all data entry, just like they told me in the interview and I wasn't that good at it but I really needed a full time job so we could buy a house. After passing the first 3-month part of the traing I went to the overnight shift to train for the second phase. The hours proved detrimental to my training and after 5 and a half months it was determined this wasn't the job for me. I'm now working with people with disabilities and exploring other options.

What are your biggest obstacles? I think I'm making enough to get by since my wife and I are both working but not making as much money as we'd like to be making.

What are your biggest frustrations? My biggest frustration is the realization of how important work really is. It takes over your life, so if you're working a job that's not quite right it's going to get to you. It's hard to fake liking a job if you don't deep down really like it. The idea that any job will do makes sense in this economy, but ultimately it gets on your nerves.

What are your biggest fears? That the economy could get worse over the course of several years, that our government maybe hasn't planned for or isn't really aware of how much worse things can get.

What do you do all day? I'm working 4 days a week, but the other 3 days have me still trying to figure out the best approach to keep looking of work. I think the best way for me to get work in video production is to network and get some personal contacts going which has proven difficult. I'm even going to get into a Job Connection program run by Good Will just to get some job search ideas.

Do you have big financial worries -- family obligations? Loans you're supposed to pay back? A growing credit card bill? When we sold our house we settled a lot of debt which was one less hassle. At the very least I'm grateful that I can at least keep my head above water a bit easier.

Do you have a spouse who works? Yes.

Any final thoughts? Yes, since you asked the "do you have a spouse who works?" that reminds me of an old Rev. Ivan Stang joke that goes: I've got a TV set and a wife and they both work. Not that that's really my attitude so much but my wife Ronna really bailed us out a bit. She was the first to work when we moved out to Portland and that took a bit of the heat off me to find a job. It takes time to find any job. The other realization I've had is that the old adage is true that you shouldn't quit a job until you have another job. It's hard to do when you move from one coast to another but I realize how naive I was to just pick up and move away and expect to get a dream job. Findng the right job takes a lot of work and having a good job that you've had for a while is a luxury if for only one reason: Paid vacation. I've been on an unpaid vacation for a year and a half.

Krissy Domm, 31, creative writer: A clean house

 It was spooky being surrounded by the translucent images of other women’s breasts in a dark room at six in the morning, but that was my main task at the hospital.  I used to hang Mammo X-rays on the illuminated rollo-scope for the radiologists to decipher.  It was a part-time job and the pay wasn’t compensating the drive, so when my summer class schedule clashed with my work schedule, I chose to dump the part-time job.  It was really quite liberating.  Being a creative writing student, I felt that the added free time would allow me to concentrate on finally writing that long-talked-about collection of short stories.  But as they say, when you are busy you do more.  I wasn’t very busy.

            Sure, I had math and science classes three times a week, which kept me semi-occupied with occasional bouts of crying and calculator throwing, but I still had plent y of time to look for jobs and do some writing.  Which I sort of did.  After spending a few weeks sending out my resumé without getting so much as a sorry-you’re-highly-unqualified-for-this-position reply, I decided to give up and enjoy the summer. 

            My boyfriend at the time rented a room in his friend’s house.  Being somewhat of a neat freak, I’d compulsively clean his bachelor pad when I was over.  Knowing that I was broke, and noticing my attention to detail, he asked me if I would clean his house for pay.  So I began to clean twice a month for twenty dollars an hour.  Then I called my former landlord and asked him if he had any work for me.  He owned an apartment complex and hired me to clean and paint the vacated apartments, the hallways, and eventually his large, ransacked-by-children house.

            The work he had me do was anything but glamorous.  In fact, I started (and then deleted) a blog about cleaning called “I Will Clean the @$%&! Outta Your House.”  I wrote about how I judged my clients when I cleaned, the diarrhea back-splash underneath the toilet seat, the mouse-droppings and dog food in the left-behind trash bin at the apartment complex, and so forth.  At one point, my former landlord had me clean out a rental house that was abandoned by (what looked like) a family of badgers.  There was broken glass in the living room, boxes full of cigarette butts, wet clothing and empty beer cans in the basement.  They stole the dishwasher and unplugged the refrigerator.  On the hottest day of the summer I stood weeping in front of that moldy fridge filled with a sloppy mess of rotting meat, vegetables and mayonnaise.  I had forgotten my latex gloves.

To read the full essay, click here.

Not working artwork

Having more free time sometimes helps people to find their muse. As we are trying to better communicate how life changes when you're out of work, we're also looking for artwork and videos to share with our audience that reflect this new phase in your life. If you have something that you would like to share, please e-mail us at editor [at] notworkingnation [dot] net (yes, that's .net). For videos, please send us your YouTube link to facilitate posting materials. If you wish, we can give you a credit line and link to your portfolio or website.

John, 39, content delivery

Where do you live? Falls Church, Va.

What was your job? Associate Director for Content Delivery

In what industry? Management consulting

How old were you coworkers? Late 30s through late 40s; the support staff was mostly early 20s.

How did you find out you were losing your job? You can't make this stuff up - I came back from bereavement leave following the funeral of my father-in-law. On my first day back, I was summoned to a meeting to discuss how my position was going to be affected by a company-wide re-organization. Within 25 minutes I was out on the street with my desk contents in a box...

Did you leave immediately, or did they give you a few weeks to get used to the idea? left immediately but was not formally released for another two weeks. As I had been with the firm only about a year, I also received no severance package (a fact that no doubt played a role in the decision to release me as it was certainly cheaper vs. releasing more experienced employees).

Tell us a little about what you did: Went to a movie that afternoon, then a bar that evening where the bartenders gave me a few for free, then wallowed in self-pity for a couple of days. After that, I started looking immediately for a new job.

What was your favorite part of the job? The travel opportunities and speaking engagements. I also felt committed to the company's mission and service, and it was one of the more organized outfits I'd worked for.

What was the worst part? Toward the end of 2008, I would say that the aforementioned level of organization began to falter as priorities began changing from week to week as the economy worsened. ("Don't do that! That was LAST week's priority!") That and the unexpected manner of my release with no warning and the lack of honesty with which it was handled. ("You don't have the kind of experience we need in light of the new reorganization" vs. "We're cutting you because we don't have to pay you severance, even though you have the highest GPA in our group at the moment...")

Did you like going to work? Very much. Despite the gripes, I thought it was a good place to work and enjoyed working with the people I had in my group. There were the natural differences on occasion, but it was a good unit.

Did you feel like you were making a difference? Being an admitted cynic, it nauseates me to answer this affirmatively, but the truth is that I felt we were making a difference for our clients and that my role played a significant part in that.

What have you done since you've been laid off? I ramped up my exercise routine and began teaching myself to play the guitar. I also never stopped sleeping on a weekday work schedule (i.e., still up by 7:00 a.m.) and continued my job search in the mornings and afternoons with "sanity breaks" in the middle of the day.

How do you spend your days? From 8:30 to noon I would job search on the Internet, follow up on leads, plan meetings and coffee appointments with contacts, etc. Mid-day activities usually involved walking the dogs, swimming, or jogging just to clear my head for a while. Afternoons were back to e-mails and networking with a sign-off time of 6:00 p.m. or so.

Have your spending habits changed since you've been laid off? (Have you cut back on anything? Given up coffee?) GIVE UP COFFEE?!?!?! 8-o No, most of my habits are still the same but have been accelerated due to the extra free time. We did, however, make some major financial cutbacks (canceling cable TV, for instance - the withdrawal tremors stop after about two weeks, by the way - and selling our Honda Accord back to Carmax.)

Do you have big financial worries? Kids in college, etc.? Big ones, no; immediate and usual ones, yes. (How will we be able to make ends meet on one salary, how long will this search take, can we look at our 401k plans without reaching for the Jack Daniels bottle too frequently, how will we AFFORD Jack Daniels, etc.)

Do you have a spouse who works? Yes.

How many jobs have you applied for since you've been laid off? Far too many too count -- probably well over 200.

What kind of job are you looking for next? Will it be in the same industry or a different one? I've continued to look in management consulting but have also broadened my approach to PR and marcom positions.