Can a Beggar Afford to be a Chooser in this Economy?
July 18, 2010 5:26 AM Subscribe
I was laid off from probably the nicest job/work environment I've ever had and the more job interviews I go to, the more I realize that I really want another work situation like the one I lost. Is this realistic given the bad economy (I'm in NorCal w/a 10% unemployment rate)? Should I try to hold out for an offer where I'll be similarly happy or should I just focus on getting back into the workforce?
Laid off in April and been job hunting ever since. The job that I lost was pretty close to an ideal situation: good salary, small/friendly office environment, flexible schedule, and interesting/challenging work. I've been applying for anything and everything that matches my qualifications and lately getting called out on interviews.
Being on these interviews and meeting new people almost feels like going out on first dates when you're on the rebound. For the most part, these are IT contracting engagements (or in one case, an internal change management project) and very dry/corporate environments. It's not that I can't do the work and wouldn't be good at it, but I left those type of work environments in order to be at my previous employer. I felt so much more connected/involved and happy in this work situation, that I have a really hard time picturing myself going back to working in a cube farm. It was purely a financial decision, but getting laid off from this company feels an awful lot like being kicked out of a really fun secret club.
At present, I have about 3 months' left of UI insurance, the COBRA subsidy, and almost a years' salary in my savings account. Plus I took this job in order to stay with my father while he was in hospice at home. So I also have a roof over my head that's the joint property of me & the other members of my family.
So between my finances and heartbreak (losing an ideal work situation & death of a close family member), my emotions about the job hunt are jumbled up. The practical side of my personality feels like I should just suck it up and take whatever's offered to me because the economy is so bad. But the emotional side of me knows that it would be really depressing to just take something for the sake of working, especially if it's in a cube farm after being in a small, super friendly secret club.
I have two firms calling me back for interviews at the moment and while I'm trying to keep it in my mind as "this is good practice until the right opportunity comes along," it's possible that one or both of them will offer me a job. And since both are probably going to be very dry and very stressful situations, that just complicates trying to sort out what's in my emotional versus professional/financial best interests.
Thoughts? Commiseration? Tough Love? Am I being foolish for wanting to hold out?
Laid off in April and been job hunting ever since. The job that I lost was pretty close to an ideal situation: good salary, small/friendly office environment, flexible schedule, and interesting/challenging work. I've been applying for anything and everything that matches my qualifications and lately getting called out on interviews.
Being on these interviews and meeting new people almost feels like going out on first dates when you're on the rebound. For the most part, these are IT contracting engagements (or in one case, an internal change management project) and very dry/corporate environments. It's not that I can't do the work and wouldn't be good at it, but I left those type of work environments in order to be at my previous employer. I felt so much more connected/involved and happy in this work situation, that I have a really hard time picturing myself going back to working in a cube farm. It was purely a financial decision, but getting laid off from this company feels an awful lot like being kicked out of a really fun secret club.
At present, I have about 3 months' left of UI insurance, the COBRA subsidy, and almost a years' salary in my savings account. Plus I took this job in order to stay with my father while he was in hospice at home. So I also have a roof over my head that's the joint property of me & the other members of my family.
So between my finances and heartbreak (losing an ideal work situation & death of a close family member), my emotions about the job hunt are jumbled up. The practical side of my personality feels like I should just suck it up and take whatever's offered to me because the economy is so bad. But the emotional side of me knows that it would be really depressing to just take something for the sake of working, especially if it's in a cube farm after being in a small, super friendly secret club.
I have two firms calling me back for interviews at the moment and while I'm trying to keep it in my mind as "this is good practice until the right opportunity comes along," it's possible that one or both of them will offer me a job. And since both are probably going to be very dry and very stressful situations, that just complicates trying to sort out what's in my emotional versus professional/financial best interests.
Thoughts? Commiseration? Tough Love? Am I being foolish for wanting to hold out?
I was in a very similar situation job-wise and financially. The difference for me was that I was in marketing on the client side for the cushy job and I took the plunge and now I'm agency side in advertising when I decided I needed something after 9mo's of being unemployed and doing my own work. The plan had been to just work for myself full time, but my revenue wasn't enough to sustain me there. Getting closer though.
I do have to say, aside from the much worse hours and stress, which is something I knew would be the case with this new job, I was pretty good at finding a company with the right people/work which I find to be very important.
However, if I had to go back and do it all again, I'd say stick it out. The economy is showing signs of recovery, and you still have unemployment benefits/COBRA coming in. If you don't want to work for yourself and are just holding out for a good job, assess how you've been looking for these places.
Have you been relying on recruiters/job sites? If so, try doing things backwards. Start with companies you know you would like to work at, and try to get an in there to get a job. Even in a crappy economy, if someone can prove they ADD VALUE to an organization, a smart business person will give them a job. Adding value is the key though--otherwise you are a drain on their bottom line.
Also, you might want to do some research on how unemployment law works in your state. In my state, if you have temporary work that pays over a certain threshold, your unemployment turns off, however you can then turn it back on when your work ends. So maybe you take temp things to get some money coming in while you look for your dream job.
Another thing to consider would be networking with people from your last company. It sounds like you departed on great terms and didn't burn bridges, so explain how much you loved working there (I'm sure they'll love that) and ask if they know of companies with similar environments.
Best of luck to you.
posted by Elminster24 at 8:17 AM on July 18, 2010
I do have to say, aside from the much worse hours and stress, which is something I knew would be the case with this new job, I was pretty good at finding a company with the right people/work which I find to be very important.
However, if I had to go back and do it all again, I'd say stick it out. The economy is showing signs of recovery, and you still have unemployment benefits/COBRA coming in. If you don't want to work for yourself and are just holding out for a good job, assess how you've been looking for these places.
Have you been relying on recruiters/job sites? If so, try doing things backwards. Start with companies you know you would like to work at, and try to get an in there to get a job. Even in a crappy economy, if someone can prove they ADD VALUE to an organization, a smart business person will give them a job. Adding value is the key though--otherwise you are a drain on their bottom line.
Also, you might want to do some research on how unemployment law works in your state. In my state, if you have temporary work that pays over a certain threshold, your unemployment turns off, however you can then turn it back on when your work ends. So maybe you take temp things to get some money coming in while you look for your dream job.
Another thing to consider would be networking with people from your last company. It sounds like you departed on great terms and didn't burn bridges, so explain how much you loved working there (I'm sure they'll love that) and ask if they know of companies with similar environments.
Best of luck to you.
posted by Elminster24 at 8:17 AM on July 18, 2010
Those great jobs/work environments don't come along very often. Especially not now. My advice would be to move forward in your life by going back to work. You can continue to look for another great place to work in the future, but I think you should accept the fact that you were very lucky to have that situation and face the reality that it just doesn't happen very much. Think about the details that made it such a great situation, what you valued the most and how you fit in to it, and then be a force for positive change at your next job. You will be amazed at how much difference one positive person can make in an organization.
posted by raisingsand at 8:18 AM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by raisingsand at 8:18 AM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's not foolish to want to find something similar to what you lost. And it's a good thing to know exactly what you want in a company. So many people lose sight of the fact that they should be interviewing the company as much as the company is interviewing them to ensure it's a good fit all around.
Only you can determine when your search becomes foolish - at what point do you decide you can no longer turn down the opportunity of a steady income in favor of your search for the perfect job? That's dependent on your tolerance for risk, comfort level dipping into your savings, threshold for how much savings you're willing to burn through, current expenses, etc.
Good luck in your search!
posted by cecic at 8:28 AM on July 18, 2010
Only you can determine when your search becomes foolish - at what point do you decide you can no longer turn down the opportunity of a steady income in favor of your search for the perfect job? That's dependent on your tolerance for risk, comfort level dipping into your savings, threshold for how much savings you're willing to burn through, current expenses, etc.
Good luck in your search!
posted by cecic at 8:28 AM on July 18, 2010
Get back to the workforce as quickly as you can, provided the new job is at least compatible in role & responsibility as the old job (i.e. avoid taking a junior job if you held a senior position if you can).
Looking for work while employed vs. looking for work while unemployed are two vastly different experiences.
posted by falameufilho at 10:18 AM on July 18, 2010
Looking for work while employed vs. looking for work while unemployed are two vastly different experiences.
posted by falameufilho at 10:18 AM on July 18, 2010
Are you really able to gauge the actual work environment simply from the interview? Or what other information do you have to go on?
From someone who conducts interviews (in IT), I could certainly see how an applicant might get that 'sterile office' feeling from an interview with our business. Boring, vanilla interview room, windowless lobby that could pass for a doctor's office, and no-nonsense HR staff who discourage anything other than a strictly business conversation.
But the working environment is quite different. There is much camaraderie amongst the staff of all teams. Bright, sunlit lunchroom with a big fish tank. Flexible schedules, freedom of cube decor, and the freedom to have some fun as long as the work gets done.
Are you asking these kinds of questions in the interview? Have you asked to take a tour of the office and meet some of the people you would be working with, as opposed to just the person who would be your supervisor? I can't speak for other places but I know our HR is happy to do this with applicants who ask. On preview, nthing cecic's advice to make sure you are interviewing the company too.
And... just because an environment is 'dry' doesn't mean you can't meet some of your goals. Salary is salary, regardless. A 'dry' environment still might offer some options for scheduling - especially for a contractor, and as far as the work goes, it's going to be hard to pin that down beforehand without knowing the exact assignment.
Bottom line, I guess comes down to how choosy you feel you can afford to be. You have a lot of stress in your life right now, reeling from recent events, and to be honest your mind may not be in the right place to make decisions that are right for you. How would you feel about just disconnecting for a month and do some traveling, or some other activity that would allow you to reconcile and come to terms with these changes? The extra month of employment gap won't mean anything to future employers, the job market isn't going to change much, and it will allow you to relax and sort things out. Maybe even interview in the cities you travel to; then you can write off the travel expense next year, and who knows, you might find something you really like and would be willing to relocate for.
Good luck, and condolences on the loss of your father.
posted by SquidLips at 10:21 AM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
From someone who conducts interviews (in IT), I could certainly see how an applicant might get that 'sterile office' feeling from an interview with our business. Boring, vanilla interview room, windowless lobby that could pass for a doctor's office, and no-nonsense HR staff who discourage anything other than a strictly business conversation.
But the working environment is quite different. There is much camaraderie amongst the staff of all teams. Bright, sunlit lunchroom with a big fish tank. Flexible schedules, freedom of cube decor, and the freedom to have some fun as long as the work gets done.
Are you asking these kinds of questions in the interview? Have you asked to take a tour of the office and meet some of the people you would be working with, as opposed to just the person who would be your supervisor? I can't speak for other places but I know our HR is happy to do this with applicants who ask. On preview, nthing cecic's advice to make sure you are interviewing the company too.
And... just because an environment is 'dry' doesn't mean you can't meet some of your goals. Salary is salary, regardless. A 'dry' environment still might offer some options for scheduling - especially for a contractor, and as far as the work goes, it's going to be hard to pin that down beforehand without knowing the exact assignment.
Bottom line, I guess comes down to how choosy you feel you can afford to be. You have a lot of stress in your life right now, reeling from recent events, and to be honest your mind may not be in the right place to make decisions that are right for you. How would you feel about just disconnecting for a month and do some traveling, or some other activity that would allow you to reconcile and come to terms with these changes? The extra month of employment gap won't mean anything to future employers, the job market isn't going to change much, and it will allow you to relax and sort things out. Maybe even interview in the cities you travel to; then you can write off the travel expense next year, and who knows, you might find something you really like and would be willing to relocate for.
Good luck, and condolences on the loss of your father.
posted by SquidLips at 10:21 AM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I took a job waaay below me just to get out of unemployment, and it only encouraged me to keep looking for work that I actually wanted to do. I'm also in Northern California, if that means anything to you.
posted by OrangeDrink at 1:09 PM on July 18, 2010
posted by OrangeDrink at 1:09 PM on July 18, 2010
If I waited on not taking a job because my heart didn't want it, and then still hadn't found a job I liked months later and my insurance had run out and my money ran out and at this point I couldn't even get a job at MickeyD's, I'd be kicking myself for eternity that I passed up any job at all because it wasn't as niftycool as my old one was.
I don't like the Maslow pyramid thing, but he is not wrong when he says to take care of your safety and security first before you self-actualize. I know people who have been out of work for over a year and still can't find jack shit, so I can't in all good conscience advise you NOT to take a job when it's offered to you just because you don't like it so much. (And in California, if you are offered a job and are on unemployment I believe you HAVE to take it, or at least have to cite extremely good reasons not to. I seem to recall them having some sort of policy along these lines when I was last on unemployment.)
I luuuuuved my old occupation (hint: one that's becoming extinct these days). My current cube farm one is not nearly as exciting, I don't hang out with my coworkers after work in the bar any more, it's straight 8-5 when budget cuts aren't interfering with my paycheck, I don't get random freebies or discounts at local businesses the way I used to, and I don't get to do what I love to do. But guess what? Even though current job isn't as nifty, I have found plenty of other good things and benefits that they offer and that I enjoy. For one thing, the benefits are a lot better. I work really close to a place that I love to hang out at and can go over there during lunch. I save more money because I'm not constantly at the bar or local restaurants that I used to work right next to. I still haven't been laid off yet and it might not actually happen (people leave on their own enough so that they haven't had to start picking us off one by one yet, and that's pretty amazing). The people I work with are nice. Before California went to pot I actually used to get raises, something that wouldn't happen in old profession whatsoever. I have had supportive bosses. In its own way, cube farm work is kind of relaxing because it's not as stressful as my old job could be. I don't make 80 phone calls in a day any more and thus I don't bite the heads off of friends who call "just to chat" when I get off work because I'm sick of the phone. I have worked one weekend since I started here and while I'll probably have to work next weekend, that's 2 weekends in... uh, however many years I've been doing this. It's not a big effing deal if I call in sick, and I get fat vacation time.
Bottom line is: there are advantages to taking a not-so-cool job that you might even enjoy, and I'm not just talking about the insurance and paychecks. You can't get the old job back, and you probably won't find a clone of it any time soon, but other good things can be found too.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:16 PM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
I don't like the Maslow pyramid thing, but he is not wrong when he says to take care of your safety and security first before you self-actualize. I know people who have been out of work for over a year and still can't find jack shit, so I can't in all good conscience advise you NOT to take a job when it's offered to you just because you don't like it so much. (And in California, if you are offered a job and are on unemployment I believe you HAVE to take it, or at least have to cite extremely good reasons not to. I seem to recall them having some sort of policy along these lines when I was last on unemployment.)
I luuuuuved my old occupation (hint: one that's becoming extinct these days). My current cube farm one is not nearly as exciting, I don't hang out with my coworkers after work in the bar any more, it's straight 8-5 when budget cuts aren't interfering with my paycheck, I don't get random freebies or discounts at local businesses the way I used to, and I don't get to do what I love to do. But guess what? Even though current job isn't as nifty, I have found plenty of other good things and benefits that they offer and that I enjoy. For one thing, the benefits are a lot better. I work really close to a place that I love to hang out at and can go over there during lunch. I save more money because I'm not constantly at the bar or local restaurants that I used to work right next to. I still haven't been laid off yet and it might not actually happen (people leave on their own enough so that they haven't had to start picking us off one by one yet, and that's pretty amazing). The people I work with are nice. Before California went to pot I actually used to get raises, something that wouldn't happen in old profession whatsoever. I have had supportive bosses. In its own way, cube farm work is kind of relaxing because it's not as stressful as my old job could be. I don't make 80 phone calls in a day any more and thus I don't bite the heads off of friends who call "just to chat" when I get off work because I'm sick of the phone. I have worked one weekend since I started here and while I'll probably have to work next weekend, that's 2 weekends in... uh, however many years I've been doing this. It's not a big effing deal if I call in sick, and I get fat vacation time.
Bottom line is: there are advantages to taking a not-so-cool job that you might even enjoy, and I'm not just talking about the insurance and paychecks. You can't get the old job back, and you probably won't find a clone of it any time soon, but other good things can be found too.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:16 PM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Were you laid off just because they lacked money and not for performance or other issues? If so, maybe you should just seek temp jobs and check in with your old employer from time to time about going back to work for them when they can afford you again.
posted by Jacqueline at 3:37 PM on July 18, 2010
posted by Jacqueline at 3:37 PM on July 18, 2010
You don't have to stop looking for work simply because you find a new job.
posted by chunking express at 10:40 AM on July 19, 2010
posted by chunking express at 10:40 AM on July 19, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Also, working for a large corporation doesn't always mean a dry, stuffy environment... there are still opportunities to connect with people, work in smaller groups, have fun, etc. I've worked for a corporation with 140k employees for the last 9 years - while the assignments haven't always been ideal, I have had the opportunity to work on some really great teams, in really rewarding positions, and with enough flexibility and variety to keep me here that long. Plus, the stability and pay are great, especially in these tough economic times.
posted by jshort at 5:59 AM on July 18, 2010 [1 favorite]