One Gal's Guide to Weathering a Layoff

I've been working since I was 11. My first job was in the 6th grade filing legal forms for the only lawyer in my small town, and it was a very boring job, but I always showed up on time, and suffered through paper cut after paper cut to do the job well. I've held one job or another pretty much since that time, and can gloat in the fact that I've never been fired. 

But I have been laid off. Twice now, from jobs in my chosen profession of teaching.

The first time I was laid off five years ago, I was working for Oakland Public Schools, and if anyone knows anything about that institution, it's a big fat mess. It was taken over by the state because of poor leadership many years ago, and for the two years that I worked there, we teachers worked without a contract. For many reasons I wanted to leave that position, and when my position was dissolved, I was ready to get out.

The most recent time I was laid off, I worked for a school district that at least on the outside, appeared to be in far better shape. I enjoyed the job, I taught my favorite grade level (5th), and really enjoyed many of my coworkers. But there were also downsides to the job. It is the lowest paid district in San Mateo County, and it is the first district I've worked for that doesn't offer vision insurance to its members. And for blind-as-a-bat me, vision insurance is important.

Luckily, I saw the layoff coming from far off. I knew the district was in discussion about raising class sizes from 20 to 1 to 24 to 1, which would mean at least one teacher from my school would be out. And yes, that person ended up being me, on June 17, 2010.

I've taken the past month to reflect on my layoffs. The first time I was laid off, I packed up shop, left town, and headed to live out the rest of my days in Thailand. Well, the rest of my days turned out to be a year, and at the end of that year, I headed to South Korea for a year after that. I'm very glad I took the time to go experience truly living in other countries, and the layoff from Oakland Schools afforded me just that opportunity. 

But my life is different now, and as much as sometimes I'd love to just pick up and head off again, this is home, and I don't want to completely uproot myself again, just to have to come back and start over again. I like my home, I like my life here, and I don't want to take off. So I'm learning how to live here as best I can during my unemployment. Which is the purpose of this blog.

Here are my tips for any of you experiencing, or about to experience an layoff.

1. A layoff can make you feel like you've been punched in the stomach. You can feel worthless, weakened, and devastated. Allow yourself some time to wallow in this devastation if you feel like it. But don't spend too much time wallowing, because this isn't doing anybody any good, least of all yourself, and potential employers don't want to hire someone who is downtrodden. Give yourself a bit of time to feel sorry for yourself, and then pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start that upward climb again as soon as you can.

2. Start to live lean right away.  I anticipated my layoff a couple of months ahead of time, so I started to seriously taper back on my spending. If you're like me, you're about to live on $450 a week for an indeterminate amount of time, and it's not the time to buy those $150 jeans you've had your eye on. You have a lot more clothes in your closet than you may think, and it's time to go through those drawers and closets to find and perhaps reuse all those things you might have forgotten about.

3. Speaking of clothing, with all the extra time on your hands, spend a day or two going through your closets, and find those disposable items you can perhaps sell to a consignment or second-hand store like Buffalo Exchange. This is probably a task you should be doing anyway, layoff or not. And it will free up room for all those clothes you're going to splurge on when you start pulling in a regular paycheck again.

4. Don't listen to Oprah where it comes to tipping. Waiters and waitresses are feeling the effects of the recession too, and 10% is not an acceptable amount to tip, regardless of your current financial situation. If you can't afford to tip the customary 15-20%, don't go out. Cooking at home can be just as fulfilling as heading out to that new restaurant you've heard so much about.

5. If you really need to go out, look for deals. They're everywhere. My friend's restaurant, Uva Enoteca in the Lower Haight in San Francisco, has a great happy hour deal where you can get delicious pizzas and wine on the cheap if you show up before 6:30.

6. Join all the coupon sites, like Groupon, Home Run, Feastery, Town Hog, etc. You may not use them now, but if you are one of those people who have to be out and about, these sites will help you find deals amongst the employed. Check expiration dates, though. There is nothing less worthwhile than spending $30 to get $50 worth of food at Dosa, only to not use it before the expiration date.

7. Don't obsess about finding a job. Before you know it, you're going to be spending most of your waking hours at a job, so don't spend these precious moments of unemployment sitting behind the computer. Limit yourself to an hour a day, and put the computer away on the weekend. Spend the rest of your time relishing in the opportunity to better yourself, in other more productive ways than perusing craigslist.

8. Read as much as you can! You have so much extra time to read, and there are endless books out there. Use the library. It's a highly underused resource, but you will find any and every book you're looking for there. And if you're like me, you don't love the SF main library. Use other libraries. I love the Burlingame Library. I spend many hours there perusing the stacks, sans smelly homeless. And they have DVD's too, if you're not one of us torrenters.

9. Speaking of torrenting, figure it out. You'll thank me for it.

10. Invest in an external harddrive and throw all your dvd's and cd's on it. Then sell all those cd's and dvd's at some place like Amoeba, or Half Price Music and Books. You should be getting rid of all that clutter anyhow.

11. Bank on your basic skills in the meantime. Everyone has something that they can offer this world. I am a dog walker, a babysitter, and a tutor thus far. Post ads on craigslist.

12. Learn the guitar, the piano, the flute, the saxophone, how to sew, how to knit, how to make websites. Spend some time being personally productive.

13. If you have high VISA card balances, find some 0% APR's that you can transfer the balances to in the meantime. And don't miss a payment. That 0% APR can jump to 16% with one late payment.

14. Keep up with your bills. This is not the time to let your credit take a nose-dive. Pay the minimum on all if you have to, and change your calling plan to a less expensive plan if need be.

15. If you rent, ask your landlord for a temporary rent reduction. What's the worst they can say? Remind them that this is a renter's market. It's better to keep someone in the building paying consistent rent, even if it is $50 lower than previously paid.

16. Happy hour is your friend.

17. Keep in contact with your friends, they may be hiring.

18. Stop just thinking about that grand business plan, and start thinking seriously about it. How great would it be to go from unemployed to self-employed?

19. There is no excuse not to go to the gym at 11 am when there's no line for the treadmills.

20. At least here in SF, the Bed Bath & Beyond coupons are great for purchasing toiletries. I buy all my soaps, lotions, toothpastes, mouthwash, etc. there, and I use as many 20% and $5 off coupons as I can. Remember, they have no expiration dates.

21. Shop the big box stores for your non-perishable items. It's been proven time and again that Costco has the best deals on things like laundry detergent, fabric softener, paper towels, toilet paper, dog food, etc. and there's no excuse not to pick up all your necessities in bulk to save money.

22. Leave the car parked as much as possible, and walk! You've got the time, and it's good for you, the environment, and the pocketbook.

23. Remember that at any moment, you could be running into that prospective boss, so be prepared.

24. Keep in mind that you are employable. You have bankable skills, and somebody hired you once (or twice or three times...). Someone will hire you again.

25. When you start feeling down about your situation, or you're missing your old job, remember that one coworker who drove you nuts, and keep in mind that you never have to see her again. EVER. And remember, this blissful time of unemployment is temporary, and try and enjoy every minute of it.