Jobless Week One

The day after I was "let go", I had to go in to the office and turn in equipment that I had at home. None of the management was on site, so it was a pretty low-pressure visit. I said goodbye to co-workers I had not seen the day before, retreated out the door. I proceeded to cry my eyes out all the way home.

The rest of the week I spent scouring job sites, posting my resume to countless places and even had a job interview for a job that I do not want. On the bright side, I have gotten to go visit my grandmother, who is not doing very well, and spend some time with family. I went down with J for an overnight business trip and spent the day with my lovely highly-dramatic cousin, whose constant antics at least made me laugh. A little.

I realize that the title of my previous post could be taken literally to mean that I was fired because of something I wrote. I used the title only to pay homage to the great Dooce, who was started her highly successful blog after being fired. The reality of my own situation is much less glamorous. My company got bought out and my position was one of the 50% jobs that were cut with no prior warning. That leaves myself, and almost my entire department out of work.

The management team assured me that it was nothing personal, and that it was in no way a reflection of my job performance. Still, I really feel I got screwed. I cannot think of another way to describe it.

There were several staff kept on that fall under the classic "slacker" stereotype. Several of us that worked really hard were let go. It just goes to prove something that I have known all along. Life isn't fair and the good guys don't always win.

I get no severance package - supposedly the "old" company is broke and cannot afford it. I would love to be able to say that I saw this coming, but I honestly didn't. The Company did a good job of covering their true financial status. However, they will cover my insurance to the end of the month, and they will pay out my two remaining weeks of vacation. Merry Christmas.

So, I have no idea how long my little pity party will last. I have never lost a job before, and I have no idea how to handle it. This is a terrible time for me to have to find a new job. I am at 24, almost 25 weeks, and there is absolutely no hiding my belly. I know there are laws against pregnancy discrimination, but in my field, a management team cannot help but take into account an upcoming extended absence.

I could blame the hormones, but I feel myself falling into a depression that I cannot seem to shake off. Right now I am clinging to J and the baby, while crying out to God to help me out. I do appreciate all the prayers and words of encouragement that you, my faithful internet friends, have shared with me. Your support means a lot.