Thursday, July 21, 2011

It's a mixture of good news and bad news

job fails - of course that's what i meant
see more Monday Through Friday

Depressing Study du Jour:Female unemployment at its highest in 15 years... outlook bleak.
That study was in England. I'm not looking for a job in the UK. I keep telling myself that makes a difference.

Good: I don't have to worry about a crazy work schedule any more.
Bad: I don't have a job, but still have bills to pay.

I am surprised that they indulged in another round of layoffs when the company is already so short-staffed. It bodes ominous in terms of the quality of the output. Maybe the layoffs mean more money for the ones who are still there. A lot of people were quitting because the company hadn't given any raises in three years, and the engineers could find higher-paying jobs elsewhere.

Luckily, this now means that I know a bunch of people who are now employed in other companies. Companies that might be hiring.

I know I should feel panicked about losing the steady paycheck, and I probably will panic shortly. But right now I feel as if I've been let out of prison.

Also on the Bad side is the fact that I really can't exercise at present. A couple weeks ago I tripped and fell, landing on my hands and knees. My left arm was so swollen that I couldn't bend it more than 90 degrees for several days. The left leg didn't feel so bad at first, but as the arm has gotten better, the knee has gotten steadily worse.

Went to a doctor, who admired all my bruises (not to brag, but they were impressive). All he said was "well, if it hurts then rest it." Seems to me that it should be showing some sign of getting better by this time. I don't think the skin should still feel numb to the touch after two weeks. Going to see another doc next week. Maybe he can recommend a brace, or stretching exercises, or something.

At present, I can only exercise using my right arm and leg. Know any good one-sided workouts? I'm thinking I could get back into running, but only if I could find someone to share in a three-legged race.

In the meantime, I'm working on that Positive Thinking stuff.

The New York Times has their own take on this ... turn yourself into a start-up. Lots of advice, ending with:
Finally, you have to strengthen the muscles of resilience. “You may have seen the news that [the] online radio service Pandora went public the other week,” Hoffman said. “What’s lesser known is that in the early days [the founder] pitched his idea more than 300 times to V.C.’s with no luck.”

18 comments:

C said...

I'm so sorry you got laid off but I'm so very happy you are finally out of that shithole job. You are a fab writer and very hardworking employee so I'm sure you'll get another job soon.

Hang in there and hope your left side heals soon.

messymimi said...

Agreeing with Xenia, sorry for the bad news, glad you have this opportunity.

Get a copy of the book "Forty-Eight Days To The Work You Love" and "The Power of Who". They can help in the job search.

Shelley said...

You are FREE!!!!! What a relief. I feel like this was probably the only way you were going to get out from under that awful job...good things are coming your way, I just know it. In the meantime, you'll get unemployment, right?

The Merry said...

Yes, I will get unemployment and a severance package. They were quite nice about it for the most part. (I know it's company policy to have someone hover over you while you pack up your stuff, but even so it made me feel guilty. Still, they did that to everyone. I don't think that they think that I'm some nefarious SuperSpy tech writer.)

The Merry said...

MessyM, I will check those books out, thanks.

Xenia, thanks for the kind words. It's true that getting laid off can do horrible things to the self-esteem... I will keep telling myself that I am a good writer, damn it. (The 'damn it' part is very important.)

solarity said...

You are a good writer: you prove it every time you post. (Sorry we can't afford to pay you.) Wishing you a much better job SOON.

Mary Anne in Kentucky

Keith said...

I went nearly a year looking for work. At first it's nice, but it gets to be really tough sledding after a while. Get back on the exercise as soon as you can, even if it's yoga and stretching and core stuff. That's all good. Get on the job hunting bandwagon now. It's a hard balance, but you have to work hard chasing potential work, but you also have step away from it, and do other stuff in your life. Biggest thing? Get up at the regular time, pour a cup of whatever you drink in the morning, and get at it. If you start sleeping in next thing you know it will be noon or later when you emerge. Keeping a routine is important.

RebeccaJ said...

I'm with everyone else. It's hard to cry about getting laid off from a job that worked you to death. I'll be keeping good thoughts for you.

Amy said...

I'm sorry you were laid off, but I think that just means that bigger and better things are around the corner!

If you ever want to go for a 3-legged run on an every other Friday, let me know! :)

I'll be thinking of you!

Judith said...

I'm with everyone else. I'm sorry you got laid off but I am happy that you are FREE from that job that worked you so hard! And yes, damn it, you are a very good writer indeed. You will find something, I know it. And Keith has good advice.

I hope your wounded side heals. Sending positive thoughts your way. (Yes, I know it's cheesy but you never know, it might do some good)

Spilling Ink said...

I wish you were in Australia because I'm looking for a replacement for a technical writer who just left us to advance her career.

I can't find anyone!

(Except for this exceptionally boring guy with a dead fish handshake and a cover letter for his application in which the first paragraph (four full lines) is one poorly structured sentence that means nothing.)

Life's a bit unfair; you need a job and I need a technical writer.

the mcbeitz group said...

Definitely sorry that you got laid off as well. Sounds like it's been awful for quite a while though, so enjoy the freedom. =)

For the bruises, I recommend trying arnica cream. I got some monumental bruises last year from a bike accident, and it really helped.

Crabby McSlacker said...

I'm with the rest of the bunch--this lay-off thing may be a blessing in disguise. (As to the injuries--er, that's just too gratuitously mean. I think fate owes you a nice pleasant surprise after that one).

With your talents and work ethic, I suspect you will end up somewhere far better than where you just left. Glad to hear you're grabbing what's good from this experience and looking to the future.

Hmm, for some reason the song "Ding Dong the witch is dead" is going through my head...

Nitmos said...

Ha! So the doc gave you the ole:

You: "It hurts when I move my arm like this."

Doc: "Then don't move your arm like that."

Classic.

But sorry about the unemployment.

The Merry said...

Wow! Thanks for all the encouraging comments. For some reason, now I have 'ding dong the witch is dead' running through my head. :)

LaShaune said...

Hey...if you're considering WebMD or eMedicine, let me know. I have a few contacts and would gladly make the introduction.

JavaChick said...

Ouch! Sounds like you are having a rough go of it. Just catching up and sorry to hear about your bad news.

I had a similar experience a few years back - I was laid off and it was almost a relief because the job had become frustrating beyond belief. There followed a period where I simultaneously enjoyed not working while stressing about not having a job. Mine turned out all right in the end - best of luck to you that yours does to!

London Mabel said...

Sorry I didn't tune in with supportive comments at this time! Went through a period of having to get a handle back on my blog reading, one blog à la time. And now I'm all "What? What? She's job hunting??" This was close to what I went through last November. There wasn't a round of layoffs, but my boss (of many years) and I became Mutually Le Tired of one another. Which was good because it was a financially easier way to go. ;-)

Sorry about the physical injury though!