by Hope
Some people have to get hit on the head with a frying pan over and over again before they learn. That is me! I think part of it is my whole “glass half full” outlook on life, I don’t anticipate the bad and ugly in people or situations. I assume all people are good and out for the great good. That is not the case. I am officially on the job search again.
I learned this AGAIN the hard way Monday morning when I got the call that my contract was being terminated immediately (see some of the back story here.) I’ve spent the week, thinking I was going to have a heart attack. I’m not going to drag out the details. But after 10 months of working there, I should have seen the writing on the wall.
What’s Next
Here I am in Starbucks, waiting on the kids to finish their training. And plotting my next steps. This is what I have done so far:
- Reached out on LinkedIn to all my recruiter contacts, letting them know I’m back on the job market.
- Reached out to all my existing clients, letting them know my schedule is wide open in case they need web updates, email templates or social media marketing. (Already had two throw little projects my way.)
- Applied to a gazillion jobs via LinkedIn and working on updating my resume to post on Indeed and EmployGeorgia.com
- Visited the unemployment office to sign my affidavit regarding receiving unemployment benefits. Since my last official day as an employee was January 12th, I am eligible to start claiming benefits next week.
- Doing some soul searching on what went wrong with this leap back into the corporate world. Focusing on things I can control. I have got a list of things I will do differently.
It has been a really rough week. I’ve slept alot, cried a river and snapped at the kids way more than they deserve. But I’m determined to come out of this stronger and better.
Am I the only one who’s professional life is tied so closely to their feelings of success or failure? As I’ve reflected this week, I’m not sure this is healthy, but this has definitely been a devastating loss. Any job search hints you have would be greatly appreciated.
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
What the heck is wrong with these people, man?? I know you must feel awful, getting jerked around like this. THe job market is supposed to be strong so maybe you’ll find something soon.
Oh, so sorry to hear this, but good riddance to that job. When they did that job step-down with you, that was the time to say adios. Don’t spend another minute thinking about those awful people. You are doing the right things in your job search. Keep it up.
If you signed a contract, were there no details to protect you from being let go so abruptly? I just figured when one signs a contract it’s usually to guarantee some type of work for a length of time
Aw, I’m sorry you’re having to go through this, Hope! That job sounded pretty bad, so I think you’ll be able to find a much better situation. I’m glad that at least you’ll be getting unemployment. Until I saw that I was afraid that the whole reason they had you switch away from being an employee was to get around having to pay it for you.
Well I think thats the thing; by them changing her status to a consultant she won’t get unemployment. What they did is shady af and borderline illegal. You should consider consulting an attorney.
I wondered about that too.
OMG, you could be right. IT could depend if she was a contract employee or an independent contractor, if they paid er payroll taxes and unemployment insurance or not, if she was properly classified. Varies by state. And even then, if they did this with the sole intent of firing her so she couldn’t get benefits…that still could work in her favor. Ugh all around.
Has it been seven weeks already? Seems they kept you right through the Jan/Feb changeover you wrote about previously as they planned since last summer. Good luck in job searching!
The bright side is that employer was crummy and now you can put it behind you. Best of luck searching for a new opportunity!