U N E M P L O Y E D


I reported yesterday about the potential layoff at work. Well, it happened today. My employer laid off 15 people, approximately 25% of our employees. The other technical writer and I were both among those laid off.

Since I've been mentally (if not financially) prepared for this for some months now, I had everything with me to endure just under three hours at the unemployment office (about one hour of which was for three different waiting periods). Except for the verifications by phone or the Web twice this week, then once each week thereafter, I don't have to return to the unemployment office unless I want to attend one of their workshops or for some unknown reason. BTW, there were close to 300 clients in the office while I was there. They just kept pouring into the building. This is a serious recession/depression. Unemployment rate in Atlanta is around 7% the last I heard.

Over the next few weeks, I will get four weeks of severance pay from my former employer, so my unemployment payments will not kick in until the end of that period. I'm also eligible for COBRA benefits for up to 18 months, which will start February. Of course, they are fairly expensive, but at my age, I don't need to be without health insurance. Why can't we have a Medicare health care system like Canada, damn it all?!

Since I've been home, I called my fortnightly house cleaner to cancel her service. I hated to do that. She is a very nice older lady, who I am sure needs the money. I don't use a cleaning service. I also canceled a routine medical doctor's appointment.

To my delight, I got a call from a former employee at my former company (sounds odd to me still) who now works for a staffing company in the Atlanta Perimeter area. I have an appointment with one of her colleagues for an interview Wednesday at 10:30 AM. This is just a preliminary interview...no immediate job I'm pretty sure, but it is a start.

Now, I need just a few minor edits to my résumé, and I'll be ready for tomorrow. I knew enough to have electronic samples of my work ready on my USB drive.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers (if you are religious). And if you hear of any technical writing jobs, write or call me ASAP.

My LinkedIn profile is at http://www.linkedin.com/in/rbell.
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Comments

  1. RachelJanuary 6, 2009 at 3:52 PM

    Oh, Roger, I'm so sorry to hear this! It sounds like you knew all the right things to do, which is great, but I'm sure it's still a blow to your psyche. I will say some prayers for you!
    Love,
    Rachel

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 6, 2009 at 6:36 PM

    So sorry to hear this happened to you, Roger. Have you thought about freelancing at all? I just signed up with both Guru.com and elance, both free in basic accounts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownJanuary 6, 2009 at 7:00 PM

    Thanks Rachel. Thanks Ann. I will check out both sites. In this economy, I'm willing to consider both consulting and direct hire jobs. I am getting some leads, but keep them coming.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ShannonJanuary 8, 2009 at 7:38 AM

    Roger, go to atlantagaychamber.net and look at some of the companies with memberships there. It's a good place to network. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. UnknownJanuary 8, 2009 at 9:51 AM

    Thanks for the tip, Shannon. I did not know of that website. I'll check it out.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 8, 2009 at 1:26 PM

    Sorry to hear of your unemployment. I've been underemployed in a no-benefits McJob for the last five years, and I see no end in sight, as the unemployment rate is similar where I am. I've basically given up.

    But I'm sure you'll do better than I have.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownJanuary 8, 2009 at 2:14 PM

    Sorry also about your plight, Libertine. The health care insurance part of life has got to be one of the major components in this recovery plan. If we die from lack of health care, the rest doesn't matter.

    ReplyDelete
  8. lisahgoldenJanuary 8, 2009 at 3:10 PM

    I'm so sorry I'm late to comment. Finally catching up. Crap! I hate this for you. I got lucky for now, but who knows, right? Please let me know if I can help you in any way. Have you looked at gov't jobs like with the CDC doing technical writing?

    ReplyDelete
  9. UnknownJanuary 8, 2009 at 3:23 PM

    Thanks Lisa. I haven't looked at govt. jobs yet but I may. The CDC would be much too far a commute for me. I'm in Woodstock, and I can't even imagine how long a drive that might be, but thanks for the idea. I'm mostly looking in Marietta, Roswell, and Alpharetta...maybe Sandy Springs. In farther is too hard on my old bones.

    ReplyDelete

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