Day 2

I never thought I would have to tell my 6-year-old about my job loss. Unfortunately, the topic came up about our summer vacation and I had to explain to him why we were not going on vacation this summer. He was devastated. Not about my job loss, mind you, but about not going on vacation. It made me glad in a way. His teacher used the term "tender-hearted" one time to describe him and it suited him well. So, I was glad he did not realize the impact of the news. Fortunately, he was able to accept the alternative option I suggested: a stay-cation. He really just wanted to go fishing with his dad, so I told him we could go to the Community Park and fish there. He said we would have to clean the house up real nice like at the hotel and make pretend sliding keys for room and make the bed just like at the hotel. Guess we got a project out of the conversation, so it didn't turn out as badly as I thought it would. 

I am still trying to close out on all the projects I have been working on and transferring the information to my manager. I also need to start informing my customers. 

It was a dilemma for me deciding whether to inform my customer of the change or not. I struggled with it a bit, but since the news was so public (I already had people contacting me about it), I felt I had to inform them even at the risk of losing on some of these open projects. I have always believed in communicating to my customers information they needed to make the right decision which would benefit them in the short and long term. I would not wish for my customers to think that I have, in any way, deceived them by not revealing the fact that I was leaving. For those main reasons and various others, I have chose to inform them early. 

I still believe in our company and what we have to offer. I still hope for the best for my company. I believe everyone at our company who has worked there and still works there believe in it, too. 

Though the future remains uncertain, I am sure about one thing: I need a job and I need it fast. Everyone I talked to so far has asked about how long I have with severance package and such. I know financially we will be all right. I have saved for a rainy day. Guess it's time to pull out the plan. What I worry most about is my marketability. The longer I am out of employment, the harder it is to find employment. That said, I know I have something to offer, so I won't sell myself short. However, I still think it would be in my best interest is find a job quickly. Before long, the news will have subsided and I will become one among thousands of others seeking employment. 

So, what are my prospects? Here's the statistics, which I plan to publicize on this blog in an attempt to determine how well networking works for job seekers as the days pass:

LinkedIn: 1 prospect

Facebook: 2 positions - both out of state

Direct Contact: 1 prospect

Recruiters: 3 positions - all out of state

I once knew a man who was unemployed and made a rigorous schedule for himself to find a job everyday. He woke up everyday and dressed for work as if it was any other working day. He made finding a job a job. I admire that discipline and will take up this strategy. I am not unemployed. My new job is to find my next career path.