Failures are finger posts on the road to achievement.
—C.S. Lewis
—C.S. Lewis
So, after my month of not working, I took the first job offered to me.
I took a job with a trucking company. A job hiring truck drivers. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.
It wasn’t an easy job. We had too many restrictions on what would qualify a driver as fit for the company. Plus, our job was made even more difficult because we had a hiring quota. We had to hire some many people in so many areas.
On top of all this, it was apparently a “Christian” place of business. This made it awkward for me. Everybody was always talking about church and talking about praying for eachother. I just didn’t fit in.
—Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
Due to my unexplained fear of being on unemployment, I took one of the first jobs offered to me.
I was offered a job hiring truck drivers for a trucking company.
The reason it was a mistake, or a bad decision, was because three or four months later, I would be laid off from this position and have to draw unemployment at a lower amount than I would have if I would have just taken my time and not rushed into a job that paid way less than my pricing analyst position.
But we will get into that layoff later.
—Carlos Castenada
I started getting restless after the first couple of weeks of unemployment. But as planned I held off the job search for a month. Or at least, for about a month. Then I started to get paranoid about having no job and being on unemployment.
I am not sure why I was so nervous about being on unemployment. It could have been that I was leery of accepting help from the government based on the stigma of being on unemployment, or I didn’t want to admit that I may not be able to find gainful employment in a timely manner.
—Unknown
For the first month of my unemployment I thought I would take some time to relax. I was burned out from the pricing analyst position, and I had a severance package to fall back on, so I decided that I would try to chill and not jump on the job search right away.
I figured I could take this time to get some stuff done around the house. I thought maybe I would read some new books or start writing. Maybe I could use the time to organize my iTunes library. Or better yet, figure out what I really wanted to do with my life and what type of job would really make me happy.
—Dr. Suess
In September of 2009, I was laid off from my Pricing Analyst position.
It was a Monday. I had just returned from a week vacation of camping in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Quite possibly, one of the best vacation of my life.
While in Colorado, a colleague of mine called to inform me that they had laid a few people off. He said he thought I was in the clear.
Here’s the thing: By this time, I was well aware of the layoffs before they even started. The rumor had been circulating for sometime now. I was also well aware of the fact that I was on the chopping block; my ever so clever boss left an email open to his supervisor stating that he wanted me gone.
But, the call from my fellow employee gave me a little hope that my position was safe.
Hope for the best, but expect the worst.
I walk into work Monday morning, unsure of what lay ahead of me. No more than a minute at my desk, when the assistant manager tells me I am needed in the “Big” boss’ office. Right away, I knew what was about to happen.
This was the first time I had ever been laid off or let go from a job. It was also the first time I had a severance package when leaving a position. That severance package can sure soften the blow.
They offered a transition coach to help me get my resume together and to get tips on searching for a job during the recession. A little helpful but at the time, utterly useless.
When I called my wife to tell her what happened, she said that it was good because I had become so fed up and unhappy there.