How I Got Laid Off Without Warning
Walking into the office last Tuesday felt totally normal – grabbed my latte, said hi to Janet at reception. Then my manager called me into the meeting room. Boom. “Company restructuring” they said. Handed me a cardboard box before I could even process it. Felt like a punch in the gut.
What I Did First
Slammed my apartment door and ugly-cried for an hour straight. Called my bestie Sarah who’d been through this last year. She yelled at me: “Stop sobbing and unlock your phone!” Made me text three people immediately:
- My hairstylist (whose client list includes HR managers)
- The barista at my regular coffee shop (networking queen)
- College friend who runs a women’s support group
The Survival Toolkit I Built
Money moves: Ripped open my emergency fund jar – $800 in crumpled twenties from side gigs. Canceled every subscription instantly. Even that $4.99 meditation app.
Job hunt blitz: Changed all my social profiles to “Open for opportunities” at 2am. Told everyone I know about my situation. Shoutout to Linda from yoga class who heard me vent and connected me to a recruiter.
Mental health triage: Printed free community resources from the library printer. Made myself attend that women’s career workshop even though I wanted to hide under blankets.
Where the Help Actually Came From
Unexpected places saved my ass:
- Dog park acquaintance gave me leads on freelance gigs
- Facebook group for laid-off women shared unemployment loopholes
- Local bakery hired me for weekend shifts same day I asked
The game-changer? Cold-messaging five former colleagues on LinkedIn. Three responded with job leads. Two remembered how I crushed that Q4 project last year.
Where I’m At Now
Two weeks out: Got a contract gig paying better than my old job. Those weekend bakery shifts cover groceries. The kicker? My ex-company’s stock crashed last week. Guess who got an email from HR asking if I’d consider returning? Yeah right. Hit delete so hard my finger hurts.
