sorry to hear man, good luck in the search for a new one!

 

hang on there! best of luck

 

Sorry to hear about the lay off. Apply online for unemployment asap so you atleast have some kind of money coming in. My uncle is suppose to be busy next month, so Ill double check if he'll be hiring.

 

damn, wasnt expecting that Ray. Im really sorry to hear that bro, keep your head up though. Im sure you will be back on your feet in no time

 

This sucks man. But that company was a ***** anyway. Hopefully now you can find a better place.

 

Yeah I didn't really see it coming. I thought maybe a month or so it could happen but things have been half way decent. We just signed a $35,000 budget for ideas. That's it just ideas. Not even actual design and development. Add to the fact that they hired a new production manager a couple months ago and a new lady on monday... yeah monday of the week I got laid off. Apparently they are going strictly freelance with the design department and focusing on new business. I mean I don't really blame them. It's a tough time to be a small business. I am just surprised that they let me go and not the new production manager. He's only been here a few months and I can do his job... I was doing it before he got here. He can not do my job. So instead of having one guy that can do two things... production and design they have a guy that does production and probably costs more than I did. The guy that's been here for a few years now and carried the department alone while we were between production managers and my boss was fighting cancer. I did it all... and won some awards while I was at it from multiple publications.


As for all the questions. I am a graphic designer. I was working for a small marketing firm that specializes in packaging. My previous experience is in magazines and record companies. I also spent 7.5 years designing for corporate america... Pacbell/SBC now AT&T.

I got 2 weeks severance plus my other pay.

I'm in the office right now cleaning off my computer and my office and collecting PDF's and what not of my work while I was here so I can build a new portfolio and website. I'll basically keep going to work every day but now my job is to get a new job.

I guess this is the kick in the butt I needed to apply for the police department... also not hiring... haaaa. So on monday I'm going to unemployment to get my papers going, applying for the police department and looking for design jobs. Be nice if I can get back to corporate america and back to what I was making. I was making about 60% of what I was making in 2004. But I'm a better designer for it. I really did learn a lot and liked my job.

So if any of you know of any design work I am now available.

I'll be searching craigslist and anything else I can think of on a daily basis for freelance work and full time work. My boss said that when they need a freelancer they'll call me so hopefully I'll still get work from time to time. I know their style and their clients as well as the system here so I'm the perfect freelancer. And hopefully I'll get paid more per hour. Basically gonna search ALL of california as my wife can go anywhere sutter health has an office.

Just a ****ty time. My wife had a surgery last week. She actually on her way to urgent care right now as she's not doing good... called me when I got here. Sucks. My mom is gonna go with her.

So all prayers and thoughts would be welcome. You probably won't see much of me so if I take a few days to get back to you don't fret. I don't have the internet at home so the only time I'll be on is the few hours a day I'll be spending job hunting and building my resume and portfolio.... hey not to many people can list the award numbers that I have and toss out that they made their company well over $500,000,000 while they worked for them (Pacbell/SBC).


if you need reference of my skillset check out www.mcdill.com. That's the place I worked.

 

I'm guessing that you've been in the work force for a while, but don't forget that when you do freelance work, you need to ask for a higher hourly rate because you will be paying the full 15% of Social Security & Medicare taxes. That catches people way too many times.

Good luck with the job search.

 

Sorry Rayman, Ill buy you a pitcher at 99 next time we go there.

 

Yeah, my freelance rates vary quite a bit depending on client and situation. I used to try for a $50 an hour minimum but those rates are much harder to get these days. But when quoting something out that's where I start in most cases.

I need to talk with a couple friends of mine and work up a new scale that's more market current.

 

sounds good... when is the next 99 day?


Man... I did a lot of work here. I'm still copying my project records. I should be done in about 30 minutes or so... been here for 6 stinking hours.

want to go home and sleep. Day one of find a job starts tomorrow.
Wake up. Work out. Unemployment office. Job hunt. Finish my beers. Start all over again on tuesday.

I've already sent 4 emails out about freelance work so hopefully I'll get something.

 

aww that sucks Ray. Yeah freelance and underbid everyone is what you gotta do i guess

 

Ditto, well it'll be signed-sealed-delivered at the end of June when the program is shutdown. If I stay till then, my severance is about 9weeks of pay. If I find another job before that, I only get paid out my 5 week of banked pto.

Luckily I'm in reference checks for another IT job, so *hopefully* will be at that one starting mid-April. Will still be able to work as an independent contractor with the layoff employer through the program close date, so that'd be some nice side $$ until July 1st.

Its hell out there, do your unemployment application ASAP online..that's what my VP of HR told me.

 

you can do that isht online? I don't have to go in and feel like a looser and argue with the telephone...

 

Sorry to hear that Ray :/ I hope you find work soon! I also hope you wife gets better soon.. Best wishes to the both of you!

 

Now a days you can take care of it online for the benefits and you file your weekly pay online. Make it convenient to take care of the paper work and i also know that feeling of walking in there.