Unemployment: Day 31

It's been 30 full days since I was laid off. I haven't kept it a secret; I've got nothing to be ashamed of. Being open about my experience may end up helping someone else.

As scary as it sounds, young professionals like ourselves are especially vulnerable to layoffs in economic downturns. That being said, the best advice I can give after all this is to constantly evaluate not only your work performance, but your position with the organization as a whole. Don't let yourself become expendable.

But enough about that, let's talk about what I've been doing.

When I first got laid off, after the shock wore off and I realized this wasn't the worst thing ever, I thought, "this would make a great blog post series. A day-by-day chronicle of today's unemployed everyman."

A month later, this is post numero uno. Sorry. Aside from the job hunt, for someone who doesn't have anything to do, I've been busy.

Top priority has been the scramble to get into grad school. I had been kicking the idea around, but I felt this was the time for action. Getting shit-canned doesn't build character, it reveals it. GSU's application deadline for fall semester is July 31, so I didn't have much time. I had to study for and take the GMAT, get my transcripts sent, get financial aid, and get my immunization record updated. That was big thing I had to get done. I actually got my acceptance today, so I start on my MBA in August.

Other than that, I've been finding ways to fill my time:

- I got a library card, so I go to the library a couple times a week.

- I've sort of become the stay-at-home-mom at the Casa De Esteban, so the dish pile in the sink stays under control.

- I talk to Ryan on G-Mail Chat sometimes. It should come as no surprise that though he is employed, he has even less to do than I do.

- Last week, I found time to completely organize my iTunes by album name and genre. I corrected numerous instances of iTunes calling albums "compilations," and every song now has album artwork. This is my second proudest achievement of the month.

- Today, I typed this entire post from my phone while getting my oil changed.

I hope you've enjoyed my update.. Enjoy your weekend. Happy Friday.

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