“The time has come,” the Walrus said…

Well, the economy has finally caught up with me. As of yesterday, I have been laid off from my favorite job as a designer. I knew it was coming but it was still a bit of a shock. However, I left on very good terms, receiving hugs and apologies from two special people I will never forget.

So it’s odd. I’ve had plenty of jobs in the past, but this is the first one where I left involuntarily. I cried when I found out. I cried when I packed my things and took them down to my car. I cried when I hugged my boss. I cried myself to sleep when I got home. And I cried when I had to tell the whole story to both my mom and my husband. Needless to say, all that crying helped me sleep well last night.

But instead of letting this all get me down, I’ve decided to blog about it. I will blog every day now until I find another job.  I figure it’s an interesting way to occupy my time and examine the process of getting a job. I’ll start with yesterday:

Between bouts of tears, I applied for any and everything in the Knoxville area, including: cashier at Jo-Ann Fabrics and Best Buy; bank teller at two separate banks; and, the most surprising…tire/battery installer at Sears. I filled out this last application figuring it would never go anywhere, but lo and behold, the last section on the application required me to choose a time for an interview.

…

So I signed up for 11AM tomorrow. I figure that sure, I can do this. I know absolutely nothing about cars but that is not in the qualifications:

 Must be able to adapt to weather – originally from Michigan, now live in Tennessee (check)

 Valid drivers license – just changed my license due to marriage (check)

 Ability to lift equipment and tires weighing in excess of 50 lbs. – sure…(half a check)

 Must be able to stand and walk for long periods of time – I’m running a mile everyday (check)

 Must be able to bend, stoop and kneel frequently – no need for knee replacements here (check)

 Must pass drug screen – willing and able (check)

 Must be at least 18 years of age – just had a birthday, making me SIX years older than 18 (check)

I’m excited for this. It’ll be a great experiment. I have no idea how it will go but for once I’m not nervous. I consider it a great opportunity to do hard labor and not stare in front of a computer all day. The only problem I’m having is deciding what to wear for an interview at an auto care center.

Today I decided I still needed to apply for jobs that fall under my specialties and career path. If you have come across this entry because I sent you an email requesting you take a look at me and my work, welcome! 

Moving on: I find it difficult to find jobs for print designers. I’m constantly disappointed every time I click a “Graphic Designer” job to find that what they really should have put is “Web Designer.” It’s hard enough that I only have a working knowledge of Dreamweaver. However, my good friend Allie has offered to send me copies of her boyfriend’s future best-seller, Head First into Web Design. Hopefully I’ll be able to expand upon my already awesome skills.

I also broke down and filed for unemployment today. I have no idea if I did it right so we’ll just have to see. I am looking forward to not having this as soon as possible. Thank God you can complete the process online, because I wouldn’t want another fiasco like the “Great Name Change of 08.”