Back in late September, 30 of us at my job were invited to a Zoom meeting called “Mandatory Meeting” at 10 a.m. My heart sank. I knew what was coming.
I’ve been with this company since 2019, starting out as a front desk assistant. A year later, I climbed my way into their publishing department as a junior graphic designer by teaching myself how to use Adobe Creative Suite and digital illustration tools. I became a writer and illustrator by the end of my time there. I was praised for my work and my rapid improvement. My co-workers were all talented and amazing mentors. We collaborated, making high-quality children’s books that were both fun and educational. Our success was further measured by the fact that the books we created saved the company millions of dollars from buying books from other publishers.
Although we were initially told last August that the company was growing and succeeding, half of the company was let go a couple of weeks later.
My co-workers in unemployment. Or is my job title now “Full-Time Pet Mom”?
To be fair, as an emotional person, I didn’t cry the first day. Nor the second or third day of unemployment. It was only on the fourth day—when I was rewatching Sex and the City: The Movie, and when Carrie Bradshaw talked about her glamorous writing job as a columnist—that I finally cried.
It sunk in that I just got kicked out of the job of my dreams.
My brain went into a flurry of panic. I began to fall into a constant mode of “I need to get a job fast!”
At first, I didn’t allow myself to relax. For the first two weeks, as soon as I woke up, I would check my phone, mess with my LinkedIn, talk to fellow ex-employees, and apply, apply, apply.
I promised myself I wasn’t going back to teaching, and that I wanted to continue to stay in writing or any creative profession that involved making books or telling stories. My experience wasn’t limited to fiction writing. I was an essay editor at some point, wrote web content using SEO keywords, and did some copywriting for clients.
I ended up applying for positions that had anything to do with writing: content writer, copywriter, editorial assistant, SEO writer, publishing coordinator, marketing assistant, etc. I even tried my luck at entry-level graphic designer positions.
I scored an interview with a university in Philadelphia to be a marketing coordinator. The hiring manager and the head of the department who would be the boss were really interested in me and told me that they think my experience and my personality made me great for the job. The only reason I didn’t get hired was the fact that I was moving to a different state, and they strictly had a hybrid schedule. Back to the drawing board.
For eight hours a day or even long after my husband fell asleep, I sent dozens and dozens of applications. I wrote personalized cover letters for each and rechecked my resume every time. It felt like a full-time job. It was my full-time job, and I was exhausting myself.
I complained to Nick about feeling tired during these first two weeks of unemployment. And he told me, “Maybe you should take a week off, then get back to it.”
GIVING MYSELF TIME
It was such simple advice.
So, I took the week off.
I know that my family has an income that allowed me this week off. I recognize that other people don’t have the luxury. But I think giving myself a break to get myself back in the groove helped. For an entire week, I watched movies and played games, and even if I didn’t talk to anyone much or create anything (writing or illustration-wise), it was a good feeling to let go and be on vacation.
GOING ON A SCHEDULE
After the week that I’ve given myself, I felt refreshed. So, I started a schedule.
I aimed to continue waking up early and avoid sleeping in during the week. This helps me maintain a working schedule, even in unemployment. I also factored in what I was going to do, which became my daily to-do list. I pinned the list on my corkboard because seeing it was helpful for me to keep track of what I needed to do.
I set some time for job application, for portfolio improvement, for lunch, and for learning.
KNOWLEDGE BUILDING
Whenever I’m in between jobs, I always aim to learn something new. We don’t have the budget for me to go back to school right now, but there are many other places to learn that don’t break the bank. So, I began taking online courses.
I took writing and editing courses (to brush up and keep my skills fresh), graphic design courses (so I could have more knowledge beyond the practical experience I had at my old job), and gaming design courses (because I wanted to learn about narrative design and because why not?).
PORTFOLIO IMPROVEMENT
With all the classes, I had some homework that allowed me to think about what to add to my portfolio. I have a list that I need to get through, which is broken down into writing, graphic design, and illustration.
It’s a heavy list, but the goal is to improve. Since I’m unemployed, I have a lot of time and I need to do some work that would well get me work. I also constantly change my portfolio, discarding old stuff and adding new projects that would make it better. I also signed myself up for free portfolio reviews from industry professionals to see what else I can improve on.
NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS
I also spoke to old colleagues of mine and got their opinions on things. Having them as a support system really helped. We sent each other job leads (even though we’re technically competing for them) and we asked each other questions on how to improve. Sometimes, we just commiserate when some days are harder than others. It was good to hear from them.
I also made an effort to establish new networks. I’ve reached out to hiring managers and employees in companies I want to work in and asked for advice. I never asked for a job. I only asked how they got their start. They are great sources of knowledge and it’s good to connect with people in the industry. I know it feels weird to reach out to strangers but I can’t broaden my network and gain information if I just stay in my own sphere of comfort.
OTHER WAYS TO WORK
Despite still being out of full-time employment, I also connected with my self-publishing clients. When I revealed to them that I had been laid off, they shared their sympathies with me. And then joy, because now I get to focus on their projects. It made me chuckle.
I’m very grateful for them because they’re a source of extra income for my family and I get to continue doing what I love doing, which is working on books and telling stories. They also provide me with referrals, which help grow my client pool.
LEARNING MY VALUE
Right now, I’m still on the job search. There are days when it’s tough and exhausting to see rejections. But the only thing I could do (and maybe you, whoever is reading this if you’re in the same situation as I am, could do) is to keep going.
Time is valuable and the only way to spend it is to be productive. Being productive doesn’t only mean applying to jobs, but it also means building relationships and improving yourself. I learned that I have to invest in myself because who else will? It’s also important to give myself time to rest. Like time, I am valuable, whether I’m employed or not.