Lost my job today - now what? I am totally lost :-(

not happy wrote:

Your advice is what's idiotic - instead of reasonable steps to a steady job you suggest starting a low-income hail mary business or become a cop.

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Become a cop seems like a reasonable step to a steady job. Maybe that's not for you, but it doesn't seem "idiotic."

How are your interpersonal skills and your follow through? I know lots of people in medical equipment and pharmaceutical sales who do very well, and most of them did not have any kind of specialized background before getting into that industry. You do have to understand your product, but you can and will be trained to do that. It would require lots of time in your car, but I know plenty of runners who do it. And it may be an exhausting thing to do long term, but you are where you are. Getting your foot in the door can be a little tricky, but if you know anyone in that industry, they could probably help.

If all else fails, work retail or whatever to get by, but consider technically opening your own freelance business so that your resume looks better later on when you are searching for your more permanent job. A year as "Principal of NOT HAPPY KIDS FITNESS, LLC" makes you look entrepreneurial and like a self starter with a skill set that might be attractive to employers, even if in reality the business never gets much momentum. But don't lie on your resume - give that side business an honest effort so that you can be honest in interviews.

Become a travel blogger.

Rate this workout wrote:

Or become a stay at home mom. Even better.

It blows my mind that so many people think being a stay at home mom is easy.

You get zero time where you can slack off. If the baby cries at 3 am, you are up. If the baby cries at 3 pm, you are dealing with it. If you daydream / slack off, the baby could be dead.

Teaching also is high stress. You need to be on your game 100% ready to go at 8 am when that first period bell hits. You can't roll into the office at 9:05, go to the coffee machine , shoot the shit, check your email, go to the microwave and do basically nothing until it's time for that 10 am conference call. The call goes until 11:00.

Then you go to the bathroom, head back to your desk, check your email and voice mail, glance at your calendar and it's 11:15. Not really time to do much of substance as you need to head to lunch soon.

So you respond to a couple emails and do some online shopping until noon. Come back at 12:30 and hey, after a half day of nothing, it's time do a couple hours of work.

not happy wrote:

I don't want to say "I don't want to be a trucker" or people will call me a whiner but I want honest feedback.

Basically what would you do in my situation?

You ARE whining. You are complaining to everyone on here when you are in a very enviable position. Most people don't have three months to plan. You are acting like a spoiled child.

That being said, what I would do is redo my resume and hustle hard. I'd network, talk to people I know/respect, take a few extra classes, and see what happens. Networking is most likely to result in a job, has gotten me fantastic job offers.

You have 3 months notice that you need to find a new job. You're basically in the same position that 90%+ of graduating college seniors will be in next March. Sorry, but there's no need to be so dramatic about it. Just go find a new job like millions of 22-year-olds will be doing in a few months.

I respect your work here, but please remind me to never hire you to work for my small business should you decide to transition into something else.

rojo wrote:

You can't roll into the office at 9:05, go to the coffee machine , shoot the shit, check your email, go to the microwave and do basically nothing until it's time for that 10 am conference call. The call goes until 11:00.

Then you go to the bathroom, head back to your desk, check your email and voice mail, glance at your calendar and it's 11:15. Not really time to do much of substance as you need to head to lunch soon.

So you respond to a couple emails and do some online shopping until noon. Come back at 12:30 and hey, after a half day of nothing, it's time do a couple hours of work.

rojo wrote:

You can't roll into the office at 9:05, go to the coffee machine , shoot the shit, check your email, go to the microwave and do basically nothing until it's time for that 10 am conference call. The call goes until 11:00.

Then you go to the bathroom, head back to your desk, check your email and voice mail, glance at your calendar and it's 11:15. Not really time to do much of substance as you need to head to lunch soon.

So you respond to a couple emails and do some online shopping until noon. Come back at 12:30 and hey, after a half day of nothing, it's time do a couple hours of work.

hahaha this is my job. yes!

Tennis dude: What exactly was your degree. That will help with suggestions.

Army dude: Be a cop. That way you can continue being a racist prick and nobody will except anything different from you.

Trucking may not have a great future with the push to automating it, but the truth is that right now there is a shortage of truckers and it pays well, though few enjoy it.

goodlucktoyou - I take from your post that you were in the military. If that's the case, first, thank you for your service.

Second, you frankly sound silly complaining about 'attractive females' and 'minorities' having an advantage on the job market. Veterans are arguably the single most protected class in public-sector hiring. So please cry us the proverbial river.

Dude, this shouldn't be that hard. If you have worked for a private country club for several years you must have made some connections with some of the more well off patrons of the clubs while coaching their kids. If you have done a good job with their kids you should be able to say something along the lines of:"I understand that membership is down but I'm disappointed that they are letting me go at the end of the year. Do you know anyone who is looking to fill a vacancy?"People typically want to help acquaintances, and you aren't directly soliciting a job from the parents but most of them are probably in position to have some sway in who they hire in their companies considering they make enough money to afford a country club membership. However if you go this route you may end up with a job that requires a very different type of work than you are used to.

not happy wrote:

I saw this coming a mile away yet did nothing.

I am the kids sports manager at a private tennis/golf club. The club has been suffering financially for a couple years but I thought it would hang in there. Today I got notice that they are cancelling all sports programs and I lose my job as of January 1st.

The job is totally niche and also not something that I would like to do again.

So I'll be out on my a$$ as a 31 year old with an arts degree in 3 months. I need a fix for this and I am totally at a lose and devastated :-( I have no real hard skills to speak of. I really really don't want to be working at walmart...

C'mon man, this shouldn't be that hard. If you have worked for a private country club for several years you must have made some connections with some of the more well off patrons of the club while coaching their kids, even if it was just a brief conversation while they picked up their children. If you have done a good job with their kids you should be able to say something along the lines of:

"I understand that membership is down but I'm disappointed that they are letting me go at the end of the year. Do you know anyone who is looking to fill a vacancy?"

People typically want to help acquaintances, and you aren't directly soliciting a job from the parents but most of them are probably in position to have some sway in who they hire in their companies considering they make enough money to afford a country club membership. It's not too far fetched to think that one of the members will find a job for you (or even create one to fit your skills).

However if you go this route you may end up with a job that requires a very different type of work than you are used to.

Would you consider teaching English overseas for a year or two? I'm pretty sure you could do that with your art degree. Not sure if you're single or not.

Would you consider another job in Athletics at the collegiate level? Willing to coach basketball? If so, there is an opening at the University of Louisville in the men's department. Some fundraising (mainly to big $ sponsors and boosters) is needed. Must be willing to work late nights without telling your spouse and entertain clients.

You didn't lose your job today. You are losing it in 3 months. If you're single and willing to move, then figure out what you'd like to do and pursue that. If you're tied to your location, find out what jobs there are in the area and apply to them. Pretty much be open to whatever presents itself. Who knows, maybe you'd love driving a truck. And if you have to work at Walmart while you work towards getting trained in something else, then that's what you have to do. Going to a sh!t job every day is much easier when you know you have an endgame.

I assume you have some relationship with the kids' parents? And if it's a golf/tennis club there are probably some well-off folks with decent connections. Start there.

If you don't mind being dressed as a doughnut I know of a shop that is hiring.

rojo wrote:

Rate this workout wrote:

Or become a stay at home mom. Even better.

It blows my mind that so many people think being a stay at home mom is easy.

You get zero time where you can slack off. If the baby cries at 3 am, you are up. If the baby cries at 3 pm, you are dealing with it. If you daydream / slack off, the baby could be dead.

So true. My wife currently stays at home with our kids - putting a 6-figure career on hold - and she works way harder over the full course of the day than I do (and I wouldn't call myself a slacker one bit).

FormerTree wrote:

rojo wrote:

It blows my mind that so many people think being a stay at home mom is easy.

You get zero time where you can slack off. If the baby cries at 3 am, you are up. If the baby cries at 3 pm, you are dealing with it. If you daydream / slack off, the baby could be dead.

So true. My wife currently stays at home with our kids - putting a 6-figure career on hold - and she works way harder over the full course of the day than I do (and I wouldn't call myself a slacker one bit).

My job paid for a full year of paternity leave, so I took a full year off to be a stay at home dad. I would never describe what I did as work. Sorry. I think spending that time with my daughter was valuable and important, but it was much more like a vacation for me than work. I have no idea what part about looking after your own child that you think is "work", but, it wasn't. Yes there are unpleasant parts, dirty diapers, waking up in the middle of the night, but, that's a small part of it. Anyone who thinks looking after their own child feels like "work" has something very wrong with them. Best year of my life.