Today I was laid off, which I suppose is the term you use when you didn’t get fired for Reasons, but because they don’t want to pay money for your presence anymore. It feels a bit strange knowing I did the work I had with effort and a decent amount of speed, but in the long run, this didn’t do much for me. I believe in merit, and I am a meritorious person…though today (and I suppose for the last few months) this just hasn’t been enough.
I escaped the office with minimal weeping and as much of my things as I could fit in my backpack. I will slink back into the office during the off-hours and collect the rest of my things. I have a few days of sorting out what software belongs to who and which accounts need to be switched from my name. Splitting up furniture. It’s a weird divorce.
I haven’t been thrown entirely into the cold…some work I can continue as a freelance designer, and will be getting recommendations as well as good references in the future. This leaves me somewhat in the position to be a little bit choosy regarding what I’m looking for in employment instead of desperately grasping for whatever I can take. I don’t think it’s feasible for me to make as much as I’d like doing freelance work at this time, so I think that means I’ll be looking for a 40-hour a week job—preferably in my field—as my end goal (and doing freelance for extra income on the side).
Things I have done:
- Registered for unemployment
- Cancelled all superfluous reoccurring subscriptions
- Started taking myself off of marketing email lists for companies where I like to spend money
- Cancelled my bus subscriptions (for some reason, this was emotionally difficult to do)
- Figured out the bare minimum I need to make to not have the wolves at the door
- Ate some candy corn (which taste NOTHING like the candy pumpkins I’ve been eating)
- Played some Diablo III
- Loaded up my Netflix queue
- Figured out my hourly freelance rate
- Made a list of other things I need to do (tomorrow)
- Dishes
I currently have my last paycheck arriving on Wednesday (normally it comes on Tuesday…thanks Columbus). That will cover the rest of October’s bills. Unemployment should pay me roughly half of what I was previously making. This will also cover all of my bills (barely). That said, it may take a few weeks for my unemployment money to arrive (assuming I’m approved).
