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Topic: Laid Off Before Christmas
| Author | Message |
| momomo | Posted – 12/6/2007 12:10:31 PM | show profile | email poster I just got laid off...right before Christmas. Nice, right? Sooo...is this the worst possible time to find a new job? Should I just expect to not work the rest of the month? I'd love to hear others' experiences. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 12/6/2007 12:37:14 PM | show profile Sorry to hear that. No time is better or worse. Just start now and see what happens -- better than sitting around. |
| writesonwater | Posted – 12/6/2007 12:52:57 PM | show profile I read somewhere that the holiday season is a decent time for jobhunting except for the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Why don't you make it a goal to get as many job leads between now and Christmas as possible, and then reward yourself for your hard work with a week off -- unless you get a job, which will be its own reward. Sucks getting laid off. This happened to a friend of mine last holiday. Good luck and keep your chin up. |
| Ahppy1 | Posted – 12/6/2007 1:13:33 PM | show profile I am job hunting and I used to think the same, that the holidays are the worst time to look for a new job, nost people won't leave till they holiday bonuses. I read that it is actually a good time to be sending out resumes due to companies figuring out the hiring bugets for the following year and having your resume in with the company now, will help cause you are in their minds when deciding on when to call people in for interviews. I havent stopped sending out resumes and actually have a bunch of interviews lined up between thanksgiving and the new year. |
| mad fingers | Posted – 12/6/2007 1:13:40 PM | show profile Apply for unempoyment as soon as you can and start looking. I've heard some companies do have hiring quotas to fill before end of year, but don't know if it applies to this industry. Lost my job a day prior to Thanksgiving last year, so I feel your pain. Good luck. |
| WritingEd | Posted – 12/6/2007 1:19:27 PM | show profile Sorry about your job. I've known of two people who were laid off around the holidays, one right before Christmas and one right after New Year's. The one who was laid off in January probably had a worse time of things, since she had spent on holiday shopping and celebrating in her typical manner and was left with bills to pay off in January that she couldn't afford. So maybe in a small way, now is better than later because at least you can limit your spending during a spending time of year. I don't know what kind of work you do, but editors who are looking to take vacation at the holidays may find themselves with a last minute assignment or two to dole out to a freelance. |
| LorMarie | Posted – 12/6/2007 1:39:47 PM | show profile | email poster Not too nice I know. The fact that it is just before Christmas makes it even more of a low blow. As for it being the worst time to find a job, that depends on the field you're in. Still, I hear the job market picks back up in January. Now is the time to take any little job that will hold you over until you get you really want and need. ------ LorMarie.com |
| thewritestuff | Posted – 12/6/2007 2:30:11 PM | show profile I got laid off recently as well. I talked to one recruiter (I'm in Chicago) who said that openings for full-time positions tend to be slow now but will pick up around mid to late January. But it's not impossible to find something now - one of my friends who just got laid off last week got a new job 2 days later, and another friend who is looking has had 2 interviews in the past week, so people are still interviewing/hiring this time of year. I haven't been looking for temp work (yet), but you might have better luck with that during December/January. My plan right now is just to get my resume out there as much as possible so when people are ready to hire it is already in the pile. Best of luck to you! |
| Cyrus | Posted – 12/6/2007 2:42:46 PM | show profile While it does suck in terms of timing, remember that since most people believe they should sit it out until year's end, if you hustle, you'll put yourself in front of them. Before I went out on my own, I can't tell you how many jobs I got during the summer, in December and in other times of the year that were allegedly slow. Truth is, companies don't really have hiring schedules, as they have to react to current needs. So if you're hustling more than others, your odds of finding a company that has a current need to fill are greater. Good luck, Cyrus ------ Cyrus Afzali Astoria Communications www.astoriacomm.com |
| Chamsah | Posted – 12/6/2007 3:43:58 PM | show profile Sorry to hear it I've found out I was being laid off before Christmas too. It sucks and I am sorry. It really ruins this time of year, so I feel for you. Best thing you can do? Take the rest of the month off and relax! Look at is as a winter vacation. Get away, if you can. (There are lots of great last-minute travel deals to be had, especially around Christmas. Surprising, I know!) Go someplace warm. Oh, and apply for unemployment immediately. It takes a few weeks to kick in. Truth is, no one is hiring right now. (Sure you'll see job listings but no one is digging through apps until the start of the new year.) Most companies are couting their losses, maybe budgeting for next year, lots of people are out on vacation or gearing up for the holidays. It's far more common to be fired than hired in December. Harsh but true. Start in January. The new year will feel fresh to you; your layoff and your company will be sooo last year. I think you'll be in a better mindframe after a nice break than if you jump into a job search during a bad time for you and for the industry. Good luck. |
| foodlit | Posted – 12/6/2007 3:51:14 PM | show profile | email poster The best kept secret is that companies DO hire now. I am very busy and expecting two offers to go out this week. What happens is that most job seekers take the attitude of the poster above me, and assume that nothing happens. Big mistake. While they sit twiddling their thumbs, the sharp job seeker is actively applying and interviewing and one key advantage you have is that in the month of December this is far less competition because so many people assume that nothing happens. You know what they say about people who assume things? :) Don't make that mistake. Apply now full force and get yourself out there. Even if you don't get hired in December, you can network like crazy so people know you and when new budgets are approved in late January, you'll be top of mind, especially when you touch base then to remind them....and you'll stand out from the flurry of people who have put their search on hold, but come out of the woodwork in January. Good luck! If you want my word doc of interviewing/resume/networking hints...shoot me an email. Happy Holidays! Pam |
| foodlit | Posted – 12/6/2007 3:56:28 PM | show profile | email poster Forgot to add, that one reason why there is so much hiring that happens in December is because with larger companies especially, job openings often need to be filled by end of year, or they lose their headcount/budget. So there is a huge incentive to fill these positions, rather than lose the headcount. Also, meant to mention, if anyone wishes to connect with me on LinkedIn, I will accept all invites. I have a rather large network there, with over 1000 direct contacts, and by linking, you'll have access to a huge network that you can tap into to find company/job leads. http://www.linkedin.com/in/pamclaughton |
| Chamsah | Posted – 12/6/2007 4:48:29 PM | show profile To Food Lit... We've spoken before and I respect your opinion so I know you didn't mean anything personal by your post. But this happened to me, I know a little about what's going on in the industry AND I didn't sit twiddling my thumbs. T I made the mistake of searching like a crazy person in December only to be told by editors, managers and HR people to call back in January. That they didn't have their budgets done, they weren't sure what their needs would be and that everyone in charge had taken the month off. So instead of taking that time getting over the layoff (believe me, getting shitcanned this time of year is the worst of all sucker punches) I wasted my time and energy. Especially my emotional energy. When January came along, I was way too stressed out by my layoff and my rocky start to the job search. I was better off taking a vacation and coming to it with a fresh mind. Sure, there might be a few secret openings, but that is the exception to the rule. It's NEVER a bad idea to take a break after something so traumatic and coming back to it when EVERYONE is fresh and new, job seeker and employers. |
| foodlit | Posted – 12/6/2007 5:14:44 PM | show profile Chamsah, My 'twiddling the thumbs' comment was not directed specifically at you! I'm so sorry if it felt that way, it was not my intention, but rather more of a total generalization. Absolutely, some companies do slow down to a painful crawl and little gets done from Christmas to New Year's Eve especially. But, right now, many companies are actively hiring, and this is not the exception at all. Though I do respect that you have had a different experience. I'm just speaking to what I've seen, across many industries, and over many years. And trying to put a positive spin on things. Sure, you can take downtime and sit it out.....or you can dive in and be really proactive, and relax during the week between the holidays. To each his own! :) Pam |
| writesonwater | Posted – 12/6/2007 7:51:37 PM | show profile Here's another idea for you: go for the best of both worlds. Tell yourself you will do a lot of job searching, but to honor a little unexpected free time, you will savor time otherwise spent commuting by doing something fun. Give yourself Fridays off (unless you have an interview.) Be good to yourself while protecting your future. |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 12/7/2007 11:41:15 AM | show profile I'm so sorry to hear of your layoff. I was laid off in Oct. Are you over 40? If so, you should read the "age discrimination" thread. Pretty compelling! |
| editordebit | Posted – 12/7/2007 12:45:24 PM | show profile It does seem to me that around the holidays is a very good time to network, if you can take the emotional energy to do so. It's sort of expected that people will be socializing a little more at this time, and you can use holiday greetings and catch-up letters as a way of putting yourself out there. Are you in a city that has temp agencies who have work in your area? |
| Jerose | Posted – 12/7/2007 2:43:52 PM | show profile People are definitely hiring!! My advice is NOT to wait. We are so desperate for a sales exec, an asst editor, and a designer that we may not make through the holidays without losing our sanities! While this advice is unsolicited, I offer some sage words of wisdom on hunting. I'm reading through resumes today that leave little to be desired. 1. Proofread your resume for consistencies and errors. Would seem obvious from journalism professionals, huh? 2. Cover letter...don't just tell them how great you are and what you are currently doing. Tell them how you will best benefit the company out of all the other candidates. I got a cover letter yesterday that read: "Dear Sir/Madam, My salary reqs are $45-55 per year with full benefits especially a medical plan that the company pays 100% and a good 401K match. I hope to hear from you soon." In the resume, he spelled his website wrong. I'm glad that he only wants to make $45 per year, too. I'll shut up now. Good luck with the hunt. January will definitely be better, but it's not as bleak out there as you think. |
| ConfidentDesigner | Posted – 12/7/2007 2:59:39 PM | show profile | email poster Srose: You're in need of a designer? I can help you out temporarily. I am an award winning freelance designer. Email me if you are interested in my offer of help. My rates are reasonable and I always meet deadlines! |
