It has now been two weeks since I was laid off and I am finally settling in to my new found free time (though not to comfy, I’m still looking for work). In this time I have found there are two philosophies on being laid off, either you don’t talk about it or you tell the world (though I’m sure there might be a middle ground as well).

Some people see being laid off as a comment on the person, therefore you should hide the fact at all cost. They seem to blend together getting downsized and just plain getting fired. Others like myself, differentiate the two. Layoffs to me are a part of life. Companies are constantly restructuring and trying to save money (or make more) and strategies used for this include downsizing and outsorcing. No matter how comfortable you are in a job, this is always possible. So I have taken to telling anyone who will care to listen that I have been laid off. The way I look at it, the more people that know, the more likely I am to find out about the job possibilities that are out there.

In the mean time, after straightening out my resume and starting the job application process, I am now starting to get used to not having to go to work every morning. That doesn’t mean I lie in bed all day (a good as that might sound), instead I have been going to school with my wife, and working form there. There are less distractions for me at MUN and it is allowing me to get some IEEE work done and focus on writing my thesis.