Daniel,
From my own experiences about 20 years ago, I can also relate very well.
What are some of the possible opportunities that can come of it?
Response: New challenges, new experiences, new workplace, new opportunities.
How do you bounce back from being laid off?
Response: Establish a support network, family as you note, friends, ASCE folks, others = alumni network, others laid off from same company or different company, unemployment office and job re-training resources.
About a year after completing a MSCE and back into consulting, I was laid off without much warning ... your job will not exist at the end of the month. I was much younger, no family and only renting, not owning a home. Nevertheless, not a good circumstance. The timing was just about when academic year ended in May. I was able to find some work, position as a GIS summer intern, paying $10 (in Year 2001). Not ideal but I wanted to work rather than not work. I connected and networked as best I could. I reached out to a local university early in the summer, not where I attended. I inquired what companies were searching for recent graduates. That did not yield any leads for work at the time. However, later in the summer, early August, someone quit a full time teaching position and that same department reached out to me, was I available? I was available/made myself available and ended up as a visiting faculty member. Recent TA experience prepared me a bit.
Had I not reached out to that academic department, to folks I did not really know but had met just a bit through industry connections, I would have not known about the opening that occurred suddenly at the end of the summer.
Having a broad experience base helps also as then a work search can be into several types of work, i.e. not just traffic signal design or not just estimating.
Look into any free training that is available (or low cost training). Download some software you know just a bit about or may not have ever used, if there is a free version/trial version/software from a government entity like EPA, US Army Corps. Work through tutorials and the manual, watch what others have on YouTube.
Connect with people you do not know: Can I visit some company office, a competitor of where you previously worked, a related company or even non-related company. Can I visit some job site or a government agency?
Keep Spirits UP!
dpd
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David Devine P.E., L.S., M.ASCE
Fort Wayne IN
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-03-2020 05:21 PM
From: Daniel Bressler
Subject: Being Laidoff Discussion
Being laid off is a terrible feeling but it's a harsh reality that some of us are facing during this time (speaking from very recent experience).
It's important that after being laid off you have a strong family, friends to fall back on and to take care of yourself and your mental health first and foremost.
You should always be optimistic and look at the positive that being laid off can lead to. Such as the start of a path that would have never been pursued or perhaps a total change in your career path. Being laid is terrible and doesn't feel good but like all bad situations, you must make the most of it.
I wanted to start a thread to discuss being laid off:
What are some of the possible opportunities that can come of it?
How do you bounce back from being laid off?
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Daniel Bressler EIT, A.M.ASCE
Junior Engineer
Brooklyn NY
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