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One idea ... you could use your skills and talents to go self employed. Work for yourself. Just a thought.
I was made redundant three times as the 2007 recession began to bite. THREE TIMES. Can you imagine the financial, social and mental impacts? After that, I left the UK and went to NZ only to land a job in an organisation with major bullying issues so after two years of letting it get to me, I left and became a contractor in another city - the least secure option I could have gone for but no other options on the table. My contract eventually wasn't renewed because I was considered too expensive (but in reality they made a mistake hiring another contractor at a contractors rate but HR didn't say in their employment agreement that it was a fixed term contract, effectively making them a permanent employee. So it was easier to let me go).
I had to sell the house I'd bought 12 months previously, which I'd spent every single weekend full time renovating and hadn't had a chance to really relax in and enjoy. I returned to the UK again and the only work available was, again, contract work.
I had mild PTSD for years afterwards - flashbacks that would evoke anger and frustration would boil to the surface of my consciousness whenever I let my guard down. I went to bed and couldn't sleep because of the anger, so would drink to help me sleep. I woke up hungover and still seething in anger pretty much every day for 12 months afterwards.
I used to kill at interviews before, the redundancies sucked all my self confidence and, along with my self medication, I struggled to provide answers to questions in sufficient detail afterwards. My career progression stalled. Eventually I left my career altogether as I couldn't function and cope with my trust issues and office politics without self medicating and it was turning into a vicious spiral of anger/drink/sleep deprivation/stress/anger etc.
My wife said it was bad luck, I didn't believe her for a VERY long time and blamed myself. Until one day, we had a new opportunity and we both thought 'fuck it, nothing to lose apart from our life savings'. So we took the risk, and promptly lost our life savings (which, thankfully will be replaced). In any case, I needed the time off to get things in perspective and having a young family since has given me a new sense of self worth. If I'm ever getting flashbacks, playing with my kids will pull me out of it pretty damn quick.
All I can suggest is don't drop the ball, don't sit back on your laurels and take it easy. Start hunting for another role now and maintain that continuity if you can. Keep your hand in the game, so to speak. Or decide to go on a bucket list type adventure - anything which can be easily explained to potential employers.
[This space for rent]
Officially I still don't know whether I am finished. My biggest worry now is that they will not be laying me off!, lol; Can't see how they won't be - we had to fill in a 'matrix' which was basically four questions asking about our role with a choice of yes/ no answer. As I could only answer no (the questions were worded in such a way that they were essentially "Is your name such-and-such"!) I am assuming I am to go. But we have to wait until tomorrow to find out.
I shall of course post the outcome - another reason I dread being kept on is all the ribbing I would surely get here, hehe.
@chillidoggy I can assure you that my rates would be very favourable, although the work might not be!
So thanks again for all the words of support, it does mean a lot