Bad, Bad Day

[Theunicornhunter 2]

I got tapped for the Reduction in Workforce going on our company. Sort of anticipated it but I am still in shock? Isn't it wonderful how they just say can you come with me and escort you to the door? Sorry for the personal post but I don't even have a cat to complain to. Anyone have any survivor stories that have been through this?

[Takara_Soong 4]

Haven't been taken to the door quite like that but I have been given the boot a couple of times in life. Since it was a reduction in the workforce situation hopefully you can get a good letter of reference from them.

 

The last time I was let go I went back to school, took a course to be a legal secretary then was lucky enough to get hired by the law firm I was doing work experience for.

 

Do you have the luxury of taking a look at the big picture as to what you want to do with your life or were you, like me, living pay cheque to pay cheque.

 

Good luck. Just keep a positive attitude and you'll be okay!!

[Captain Jean-Luc Picard 1]

Sure, I can uplift your spirits. You gotta answer 2 questions first though!

 

1. What was your job?

 

2. What job would you rather have, or did you have that?

[shinzonfan 0]

Personally, my first choice would be a bottle of rum. I'll have to get back to you on the inspirational part.

[shinzonfan 0]

O.K. I've found some inspiration for you. It's a quote from ST.

 

"In life, one is always tested."

- Portal to Riker - "The Last Outpost"

 

You will past the test UnicornHunter.

[Trance-Canada 0]

I'm still quite young and don't have experience like this, but I have been hired as holidy help and not told, so I was kinda left high and dry. If I had anything else I'd use it right about now, but I'm affraid that I'm just a youngin'.

[Lessa_Soong 0]

Well, perhaps this is a case of "as one dorr closes, another door opens."

 

I had jsut left a bad marriage, had no good job because the Ex had forced me to leave so many in the past, and was living at home....again!

 

I took a temp job, met a man i married, had two kids by him and am happy as a clam...one door closed...another opened...hope it works of you!

[xenexian 2]

Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened to you. In the broadcast business this happens all the time and it's never a good feeling. In 1990, I was let go from a production house that I had worked for for almost twelve years. I had just bought a house three years earlier and my son wasn't even a year old yet. If there is any advice I can give, it would be to never give up on what you want to do. I don't know if your job was something that you wanted to do as a career or just a paycheck, but the feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming. I stayed busy being a free lance engineer and even went into teaching audio production for a short time, all the while sending out demo tapes and resumes to houses all around the country. It took ten years before I latched onto a position at a large audio production facility and I had to move halfway across the country but it was well worth the effort to never give up on my chosen field. It may be tough at times and sacrifices may have to be made but never giving up is some of the best advice I can give.

[mrskirk 0]

I was "downsized" back in 1998. I was employed as a customer service representative in the Milwaukee office for Ameritech. It was in March, and the annual all-employee meeting was scheduled for that night. These meetings consisted of management telling us how we did last year and what was coming up for the following year. One of my co-workers was unsure how to get to the place where the meeting was being held, so he called the facility for driving directions. He was informed the meeting had been cancelled. Very odd. Then, about an hour later, all the supervisors on the floor disappeared. Nobody knew where they all had gone. Then, a couple of hours later, we were ALL told to report to the cafeteria. That was REALLY odd, because we had never all been taken off the phones at the same time before. All 400 of us-every single person who worked in the building-crammed into the cafeteria, and it was buzzing with questions. Then, the general manager of the call center got up in front of us and made an announcement. As of June 1st, the Milwaukee customer care center was being closed. We would all be out of jobs in 90 days. That was it. She left the room and wouldn't answer any questions. All she said is that we could go home for the rest of the day with pay. I felt like someone had kicked me in the stomach. Others were in tears. My car was in the shop! I'm a single mother! What the hell am I going to DO???? Over the next few days, we found out our options. We could take jobs in other Ameritech call centers. The nearest one was in Appleton, WI-about 150 miles north of Milwaukee. We could take severance pay (at the time, with my seniority, that came out to 3 weeks pay) and collect unemployment compensation until we found another position. My son was a junior in high school at the time and I depended on that paycheck and the benefits offered by Ameritech. I opted to move to Appleton, a decision my son HATED. We lived up there for almost 3 years, and I soon discovered my decision was a bad one. My son moved back to Milwaukee, and in to his own apartment, in November 2000. I soon moved back to Milwaukee myself-in March 2001. I now have a stable, permanent job with AOL Time Warner and things are looking up. I'm sure things will work out for you, too.

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Thanks for all the thoughts...I know I'll survive....I'm even hoping to find something closer - I hated spending almost 2 1/2 hrs a day commuting. I have actually been working on my dream which is my teaching certificate. I am getting close but it was easier to pay tuition when I had a job.

[cptwright 1]

i work at a garage door company, been there 3 years, started working for a friend. did everything i could to work for him, and not take advantage of him, but i think they took advantage of me, i worked my a** off for them. had a seasonal lay off last year, thought i had another one this year, but i just found out its a permanent one. they dont even have the guts to just come out and tell me that. i had to go ask, and got a (I'm trying to say a bad word but can't)foot answer. but im going to NORFOLK VA in june to take the test for firefighter. so hopefully my dream of being a paid firefighter will come about thanks to them laying me off. c'est la vie, things happen for a reason just got to go with the flow. things always work out in the end.