Sometimes I like to browse the hardcore geek blogs like Gizmodo, Engadget, Life After Coffee, etc. One that I like to read is a general geek blog called Scobleizer. He’s a former Microsoftie, who is slightly controversial for using his blog as a PR tool for his company’s products. But hey, we all have to make a living. Even Robert Scoble knows that well.
He’s penned a How To post for getting laid off and what you can do about it. He is very realistic as some of his advice comes from his own experiences being laid off in 2002 when the dot-coms all went completely kaput. He admits to taking unemployment. It’s what it’s for.
9. Don’t feel bad about taking government assistance. You’ll need it to pay your bills. I took it and it helped me get over that tough period.
As for me, the things I can offer you as a financial counseling volunteer are these:
1. Get some health insurance. You can get catastrophic insurance or an HMO to tide you over. Unless you negotiate some continued benefits at the same rate as part of severance, you’ll end up paying ridiculous sums for COBRA coverage.
2. If you can’t get health insurance, find a local clinic with pay scaled rates so that you can pay less for services. Generally they are looking at people who make less than 150% of the poverty line, i.e. ~$15K in 2007.
3. Find a food bank. Times are tough and that’s what a food bank is for. If you can’t buy groceries, try the food bank for some short-term help.
4. If you have student loans, consider forebearance till you find a new steady job.
Just a few thoughts for you. Scoble wrote his post in support of Yahoo staffers who are being cut, but it’s still darned good advice.
ps- If you live in Northern VA and want more specific help, please email me and I can send you a list of regional resources. (mostly Arlington specific, but you can probably find an analogue in Fairfax, Alexandria and Loudon counties based off the list.)
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Remember that the point of government assistance is to help people stay afloat while they’re searching for new jobs, etc. Ideally, that’s all they’d have to cover. And people who are chronically unemployable (with certain disabilities, etc). If it helps you make it until your new job, you’re using it for what it’s meant for so it’s ok.
Thank you for this post! I’ve been reading your site for awhile now in hopes to learn a few lessons in saving money. I live in San Francisco now and was just laid off on Monday. Of course I wasn’t prepared and am now doing some scrambling. This post came at a perfect time!
Good advice! Never be too proud to ask for help.
People always hate to talk about when they are laid off. But as it has become every day’s news headline since Yahoo started it with cutting 1500 of its task force last year, now a need of platform has been in demand where people can express their selves in words how they are feeling about their company, whey the got laid off was that justified or not.
And every thing they want to tell anonymously.And http://www.layoffgossip.com is providing you that platform.