Just got laid off

kak125 · #1 11-14-2008, 01:29 PM

So when I got to work today my boss called me into the vp of the company's office. When I walked in, there were 3 other people in there too and they told us we were going to be laid off. I was so surprised but the signs were there I just didnt see them at the time. I had to grab my stuff real quick and then say goodbye to some of my friends and then that was it. I called my husband and he assures me everything will be ok but its just tough to start over again. I work in the computer field doing Quality Assurance testing and I have had 6 jobs in the 8 years that I have been doing this so its been tough. I left a lot of places for more money but I also have been laid off 3 times. Its crazy when you watch the news everyday and see that the unemployment rate is so high. Its just a bad time since I have had the worst 2 months ever and this is just one more thing. I should have known since our company has been cutting back on everything, they even stopped buying cleaning products and aspirin. Oh well I gotta try to be optimistic that i can find something in the next month or two. Thank goodness for unemployment

**mylittledemon** · #2 11-14-2008, 01:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kak125

So when I got to work today my boss called me into the vp of the company's office. When I walked in, there were 3 other people in there too and they told us we were going to be laid off. I was so surprised but the signs were there I just didnt see them at the time. I had to grab my stuff real quick and then say goodbye to some of my friends and then that was it. I called my husband and he assures me everything will be ok but its just tough to start over again. I work in the computer field doing Quality Assurance testing and I have had 6 jobs in the 8 years that I have been doing this so its been tough. I left a lot of places for more money but I also have been laid off 3 times. Its crazy when you watch the news everyday and see that the unemployment rate is so high. Its just a bad time since I have had the worst 2 months ever and this is just one more thing. I should have known since our company has been cutting back on everything, they even stopped buying cleaning products and aspirin. Oh well I gotta try to be optimistic that i can find something in the next month or two. Thank goodness for unemployment

God bless ya...I'm sorry you lost your job. Maybe something better will come along!

kak125 · #3 11-14-2008, 01:30 PM

I just found out a total of 30 people were laid off. Geesh!!

**mylittledemon** · #4 11-14-2008, 01:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kak125

I just found out a total of 30 people were laid off. Geesh!!

Egaaaads!

Well I work for Geek Squad. We were told the "Christmas help" company-wide was not being hired this year (on average I think the company hires about 5,000 extra employees to cover the Christmas rush). So not only are they cutting that, but the rumour I've heard is that 20% of MY side of the business will be cut after the new year. And with Circuit City going under? It doesn't surprise me.

kak125 · #5 11-14-2008, 01:56 PM

Thank you for the nice words. Sorry to hear about your situation too. Its scary times out there now and everything is so expensive. Every time I go food shopping I spend $100 and hardly get any food. Ridiculous! I told my mom today that I am going to have to cut way back on Christmas this year. I feel bad but I cant be spending as much on gifts for everybody when I dont have it.

Betsy · #6 11-14-2008, 02:18 PM

I am sorry to hear about you being laid off. I hope that you can find something soon...maybe a seasonal job to get you through.

The credit card crunch has hit my state. HELOC's are being frozen (Home Equity Line of Credit) and credit card companies are lowering the available credit. Be sure and check your credit card statements...it just appears as a lower amount.

One guy had $25,000 and his latest statment shows that they have limited him to $5000, even though he pays it off every month.

I have people paying by credit card and the cards are being declined, because the daily limits are lower.

A Kohl's worker told me that they are finding more theft, particularly in the shoe deparment. She finds empty boxes, or better yet, worn pairs of shoes in the boxes.

My sister lives in Nebraska. She said that people are stealing vegetables out of gardens. When I laughed, she said it's no laughing matter.

I guess each area of the county has its concerns.

Being laid loff is such a sinking feeling...keep your chin up. Things have got to get better.

kak125 · #7 11-14-2008, 02:41 PM

Betsy
Thank you so much for the kind words. I will keep my head up and stay positive!
Wow its crazy about all of those things going on with people stealing shoes and vegetables. I sure hope things get better soon for everybody!

strandinthewind · #8 11-14-2008, 03:30 PM

Sorry to hear about this.

I think none of us are safe.

I pray we all get through this without too much suffering.

skcin · #9 11-14-2008, 04:36 PM

Sorry to hear this. At least you're in a field where you'll always be able to get a job, but it sucks that you've had to get work at so many different places in that period of time. I can sympathize - my husband's been laid off 3 times in the past 10 years.

Musicman408 · #10 11-14-2008, 05:01 PM

I'm sorry to hear about this. I really hope that something happens for ya. It's so depressing, the way the economy has been as of late.

iamnotafraid · #11 11-14-2008, 05:45 PM

Sorry you got laid off.

I hope you find something even better.

David · #12 11-14-2008, 10:49 PM

Sorry to hear such rotten news, kak.

Do you think you'd have any luck applying for contract/assignment work at a temp agency that deals specifically with high tech? A lot of companies are in the "Try It Before You Buy It" mode, so they're turning to temp agencies.

strandinthewind · #13 11-14-2008, 11:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Sorry to hear such rotten news, kak.

Do you think you'd have any luck applying for contract/assignment work at a temp agency that deals specifically with high tech? A lot of companies are in the "Try It Before You Buy It" mode, so they're turning to temp agencies.

I agree. I temped when I first moved here in '93. The pay was not that great, but I got to work at some great places and made many contacts that proved useful in the future.

kak125 · #14 11-15-2008, 05:27 PM

Thank you to everybody for all the kind words. I am glad that my company is giving me one more full pay and then I have signed up for unemployment so that will help out for a while until I can find something else. I had free benefits for my husband and I at my job so they are going to continue them until the end of december which was nice.
I went online yesterday and applied for 3 QA jobs and my friend is trying to get me in where she works at Highmark so I hope one of those work out. I cant say I really loved my job that much but the pay was good and it was fairly low stress even though I thought my boss was an idiot.
When I first started at this place I came in and told my boss what they needed to do to make the QA team better and to be more productive and he basically just ignored everything I said. After a while I just stopped offering suggestions but I found it ironic that just recently the suggestions I made were becomingn processes and of course my boss was taking the credit for them.
Then last week my boss and I had a meeting where he asked me when I would be done testing this application that I had been working on for a few weeks. I told him it would be done in about 2 week s and he bitched at me how it needed to be done right away which didnt make sense since it wasnt due until December. So this past week I worked really hard and was just about finished testing and then they let me go. I really should have seen that coming, that is why they wanted me to hurry up and finish what I was working on. The people at that place didnt know how to run a business and I forsee them closing in the next year.
David, I think I am going to check into the contact/temp jobs too in my field. Thats a good idea to do that until I can find something more permanent. Its just crazy it seems that everybody I know is getting laid off these days.

Steviefan49 · #15 11-16-2008, 02:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kak125

Thank you to everybody for all the kind words. I am glad that my company is giving me one more full pay and then I have signed up for unemployment so that will help out for a while until I can find something else. I had free benefits for my husband and I at my job so they are going to continue them until the end of december which was nice.
I went online yesterday and applied for 3 QA jobs and my friend is trying to get me in where she works at Highmark so I hope one of those work out. I cant say I really loved my job that much but the pay was good and it was fairly low stress even though I thought my boss was an idiot.
When I first started at this place I came in and told my boss what they needed to do to make the QA team better and to be more productive and he basically just ignored everything I said. After a while I just stopped offering suggestions but I found it ironic that just recently the suggestions I made were becomingn processes and of course my boss was taking the credit for them.
Then last week my boss and I had a meeting where he asked me when I would be done testing this application that I had been working on for a few weeks. I told him it would be done in about 2 week s and he bitched at me how it needed to be done right away which didnt make sense since it wasnt due until December. So this past week I worked really hard and was just about finished testing and then they let me go. I really should have seen that coming, that is why they wanted me to hurry up and finish what I was working on. The people at that place didnt know how to run a business and I forsee them closing in the next year.
David, I think I am going to check into the contact/temp jobs too in my field. Thats a good idea to do that until I can find something more permanent. Its just crazy it seems that everybody I know is getting laid off these days.

Hi there!

I'm SOOO sorry to just now read that this happened to you! I got laid off of a brand new job, back in August of this year, as I went with the founder of my prior company, over with him- to a company that we thought offered more "growth potential".. Well, unfortunately, they wanted it to go in a different direction, and there I was, being called into a meeting with him, and his boss (a new guy to that position), and told that our department was being "done away with" as we were in "Product Development" (Engineering) at a pretty well known company. At any rate, I felt the same way you did, and I tell you unemployment only goes so far! What I do want to tell you, is that there's several ways to "network" as I know you mentioned that you've already started sending your resume out there, but also, I found a really helpful thing, besides using the temp agencies- was posting your resume on Monster.com, and also Careerbuilder.com! Those are great resources too! Also, as everyone says, please keep your chin up, and KNOW that there is something better out there waiting for you, as I just found another job, and my first week was last week! I'm now with a fantastic Manufacturing company, and am lead "Document Control Coordinator" and it's very challenging, as there's a ton of paperwork! I SOO know that you're in for something wonderful as well! Just know that I'm praying for you, and I know there's a great opportunity that has your name on it!

Best of luck always..

Arlene