It is very difficult to do my job and think creatively when I’m living each day in constant fear of being laid off. I’m grateful to have a job, but damn, sometimes I feel like I’m coming apart at the seams.

Happy Saturday, everyone.

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Posting as :
works at
You are currently posting as works at

Don’t sleep on this shit. Update that website, call your recruiters, make sure you have options. No one is looking out for you except you. Carve out a niche with a smaller agency. Or a larger one. Start those conversations now. Luck favors the prepared.

likesmart

Speaking as a highly awarded Creative who was laid off in April with no warning or explanation, it must be so tough for you guys right now. You want a hot coco?

Point is, most of the things you fear are not the things you really need to worry about. If you get laid off you’ll manage. Nobody is above it. But a lot worse things could happen to you. Like cancer, losing a limb, having your house burn down, divorce, coronavirus to name a few.

Focus on the now and on what you have and can control. Everything else is pointless worry and speculation.

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One of the most helpful things I sometimesforce myself to ask is the question: “What’s the worst that can happen“.

Not rhetorically, but literally map it out. I get laid off, then what? How many months do I have to fix it? If I get to the end of those months, then what? Will I starve? Will I lose my house?  What steps can I take to make all of those things very unlikely? Usually it involves extending my network, saving and cutting my spending, making myself extremely valuable, and making my book look damn good. do all those things and the probability of truly terrible things happening falls to quite low levels. And even if all of that did happen, how far can you really fall? If each of us is really, truly honest, the answer is not that far. At least relatively speaking.

Some of my favorite books to help get some perspective and remember all of that are:

Factfulness, by Hans Rosling
The obstacle is the way, by Ryan holiday
Enlightenment now, by Steven Pinker

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I’m in account service, not creative, but I feel the same way. I’m 25 years in this industry and while I’ve never been laid off (yet) the fear is always foremost in my mind, and because of that I’ve never been able to do my best work AND enjoy it at the same time. I’m always looking for my next job so when the axe falls I’ve got a head start. It has been exhausting to live this way for a quarter century. I pray that you figure it out.

And I hope you had a good Saturday.

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I feel like I’ve been chased around the kitchen with a knife for 22 years.

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Jesus Christ on a bicycle, this isn’t the way.

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What are your biggest inspirations in life? Immerse yourself in that. You got this. 😘

likeuplifting

I feel that the worst thing that can happen to someone in advertising is when circumstances trap them in advertising. I’m far from bitter—I enjoy my job—but I see (and read posts from) way too many who live in fear. That’s no life!

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Maybe it’s time to find your next chapter - one with less anxiety and fear. It shouldn’t be that way. It is unfortunately. But if you’re sensing the axe / it’s usually not far away.

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The best and most talented people I know have all been let go at some point. If you’re in this business long enough it’s probably inevitable. So if it happens, it happens. You can only do what’s in your control and know you are not alone. Good luck to us all.

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Pressure makes diamonds, and crushes coal. You get to choose how you react. Run the bar or the bar will run you.

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“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” - Viktor Frankl

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Same. Hang tough, friend.

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Layoffs at Walmart corporate 😬😬

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Boomer. I am in between jobs. Laid off in 10/21 after 16+ yrs, with an ABA firm. RIF. Still on excellent terms. Took my time living off generous package and didn’t seriously start applying until 01/22. Made a rookie mistake and accepted first offer.
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One of my senior managers is a boomerang and told me she was laid off when she was 7 months pregnant about 10 years ago. I think she was a senior or manager. She was in a specific group and everybody was laid off. It wasn’t performance based.

Would you work at your company again if you were laid off?

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Who is still in denial about a housing correction? The Fed just made another .75% increase. Powell said they won’t stop until inflation is 2%. He also said a recession would be better than the consequences of unchecked inflation. He announced he will bring rates to a “restrictive level” until “the job is done”. He said that labor demand needs to soften (ie: layoffs). He very explicitly said he wants to slash demand and that housing needs a “correction”.

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Hey everyone, I was recently laid off from Meta. I am a senior technical recruiter, who also served 20 years in the military. I am looking for new positions working in San Diego or remotely. Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you so much.

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PROPOSAL: Can we start naming names with respects to layoffs, furloughs, and pay cuts? Knowledge is power, and the only ones who benefit from vague exchanges of info. are the employers. Thank you!

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With so much uncertainty in the economy and waves of layoffs that have hit tech especially hard... do we think there's really such a thing as a recession-proof job anymore if you're not an "essential worker"?

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I got an email from a Cybersecurity Advisory Partner with the subject "Catch-up". Last week we all rolled-off from project abruptly b/c the client terminated the contract. Am I getting laid off?

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What are some concrete reasons why someone in consulting would be fired, other than the obvious stupid things?

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Thoughts on Veteran status and the ongoing corporate layoffs?

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If I get fired while on OPT without getting my H1-B stamped, is it useless or can it be used in future for some other job?

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Is Gary Vee still saying that all of their layoffs were not covid related? Vayner folks, is that true?

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We’re in such a vicious business. You give your heart & soul to an agency, a client, a brand. Then the wind changes & you’re laid off, reassigned, chewed up, spit out, on to the next. I’m tired.

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So if I don’t write about an excuse for my gpa or gmat or a general sob story in an optional essay, what do I write about? Do I just leave the essay blank?

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Hello, I wanted to mention that I work as a sports commentator, specifically about soccer. I used to be one of the main journalists for Spanish media, but since I moved to Miami I feel the general passion for soccer is very different 🥲 The energy and commitment are not even close to what I felt in Spain, where some businesses would close if the match was too important. I hope this nostalgia goes away soon.

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Need 11 likes to start DM

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my stress level peaks when there is so much work to do and the filing day is only 2 weeks away 🙃

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Just got back from Ford vs. Ferrari. While it probably won’t be winning any awards, it’s easily the most fun movie I’ve watched in a long while. Highly recommend!

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My last two brain cells looking for shredded cheese in the fridge at 2am:

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Thank you all for existing on Fishbowl and for being such a supportive community. It’s been a difficult year, but at the end of the day, I’m glad to have people to commiserate/celebrate with ❤️🙂❤️

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I feel like we’ve given up.

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Surprise and delight. I can’t help but not feel the sexual undertones when I read or say it.

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We’re in such a vicious business. You give your heart & soul to an agency, a client, a brand. Then the wind changes & you’re laid off, reassigned, chewed up, spit out, on to the next. I’m tired.

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Pretty excited to get back to the hustle on Tuesday... this break was really nice and much needed but I'm feeling a little antsy to get moving again. I can't be the only one ?

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