2023 and 2024 have seen record layoffs. Here’s my take on surviving unemployment.
This post (originally published June 23, 2015 and now updated) is going to talk about an unpleasant topic: unemployment. More so, how to survive unemployment. My wife and I have faced this ugly reality four times over 18 years. The first time my wife was laid off. Then a few months later, I was laid off myself. While stressful, we were renting and didn’t have any kiddos yet. Looking back, we didn’t have as many obligations and costs as we would. The third time my wife was laid off, it hit us very hard. Since I was a full time freelancer at the time, it impacted both of us very strongly. The fourth lay off, was a full studio shut down. To make matters worse, we were just about to close on a new house and my wife had recently given birth to our 2nd kiddo. There are A LOT of folks facing this harsh situation right now so I thought it was time to update this list and re-publish it. I hope it’s helpful!
Here are a few things that helped us cope while doing the dreaded job hunt:
It’s often a Marathon. Not a sprint.
The times my family faced unemployment it felt very much like a marathon. It feels like a race where you have no idea where the finish line is or where you are on the track. Perhaps it’s a guy thing but I wanted to get the problem fixed in 2-3 weeks time. Heck, I sorta expected it! But the reality is most people find work in about 3 months or so. Edit: In 2023, it can be even longer, sadly! In my family’s experiences, the first job hunt took about four months and the second time it took three months. The third time also took about four months (give or take).
Don’t expect everything to be fixed by a certain date. You cannot throw everything you have at this problem 100% of the time. You’ll burn yourself out. You also can’t avoid it completely and pretend it will go away. So pace yourself by working on the job hunt for chunks at a time then relax by watching some of your favorite DVDs or playing a video game/board game/etc with a friend or family member. Trust me, you’re going to need some down time.
Don’t go it alone.
This is not a time for the lone wolf approach. Yes, you might feel embarrassed and angry about your situation and the temptation may be to hide away from friends and family. Sometimes answering their questions of “are you okay?” “how are you doing?” “what’s your plan?” can be overwhelming. But this is the time when you’re going to need to lean on friends and family. If you’re a member of a church, lean on that community as well! Have some good neighbors? Confide in them as well! A network of people will not only help give support in various ways, they may even help generate job leads! More on that in a bit.
2023 Update: One of the “benefits” (and I use that word very loosely) of this economy is that lay offs are, unfortunately, more common. It’s much less of a Scarlet letter than it was before. So the sense of embarrassment may not be as profound as it has been in the past. It is still a form of rejection, though. There’s even an element of grief, almost akin to a relationship ending, as you process what this lay off means for you on a personal and a professional basis.
Cast a wide net.
Job hunting, especially in a flooded market, is very hard. So you might have to look at fields that orbit your skill set or look at moving to locations you’ve not considered before. Consider new options that otherwise might have gone unnoticed. If you have the time and resources, also consider adding new skills or certifications to your resume. Depending on your situation you might have to cast a wide net right away or you could search for your ideal job fit for a while. More on that later.
Keep a balance.
When my wife and I were facing unemployment, our initial reaction was to cancel everything that wasn’t essential to our lives. We were, basically, in full on freak out mode. But after speaking with our financial advisor (strongly recommend you get one if you don’t already have one!) we realized some of those “extras” could really help us look for work. For example, our gym membership was going to be cut because we felt it was an extra thing. But as members we had 2 hour daily child care for our son at no extra cost. We realized that if we wanted to, we could drop him off at the gym daycare then use the free WiFi to surf for jobs and network in the gym’s cafe area. Plus we found going and working out to be a GREAT way to deal with the physical side of all of the stress unemployment brings into your life!
Pick your battles.
One way I deal with stress is by eating, honestly. I told my wife that while we were looking for work, I wouldn’t police myself as strictly as I normally would. Now I’m not advocating just letting yourself go and gain a ton of weight. But I am saying the routine of your normal life when you were working probably can’t exist while you’re in unemployment. I knew that I would be stressed enough as is, so a few cookies here and there helped me cope some. Again, not advocating super poor health but let’s be realistic. When people are stressed they seek comfort and, to a extent, I think that’s okay to let some things slide when searching for work.
Maybe your thing was having a super clean house? It might be that only 2/3 of the rooms are spotless and one gets chaotic. Maybe the whole house does! Maybe you fall behind on some of your other chores. It could be anything! My point is to give yourself some extra grace during the period – you’re going through a lot.
Be careful with social media.
Just know that people ARE watching what you do. If you have a meltdown or a rant session, keep it with someone you trust and away from “printed” social media. That stuff follows you everywhere. Talk with someone who knows you and won’t think less of you if you’re letting off some steam. Too often I’ve seen people completely lose it on social media and this doesn’t help attract the kind of positive attention you want from possible employers/recruiters/peers.
Find fun things to do at little to no costs.
The web is filled with great lists of free or really cheap things to do! Give yourself some days off with your spouse/family and go do some fun things. This will really help get you refocused on the tasks at hand later. Remember stress is taxing. People get sloppy the more tired and distracted they become. You need to get some fun and relief mixed in. Keeping your mental health in check will help you perform better when opportunity comes knocking. Also don’t discount the amazing impacts of getting outside, feeling the sunlight and breeze can have on your mental and physical health!
Make a plan.
Earlier I mentioned getting with a financial advisor. When my wife was laid off, the first thing we did was meet with him and he talked us through our budget. This showed us our time-frame. He was excellent at giving us the large picture while also helping us see the tiny tasks we could do right then to help with immediate needs. We made a plan that for X amount of time we’d look for ideal jobs (i.e. jobs that were directly in our career paths and/or in locations we really wanted to live in). Then after that time, we’d expand our search out to include other jobs somewhat similar to our careers and additional locations. If nothing worked out in that time period, then we’d take whatever we could find just to make ends meet. All of these milestones were mapped out according to what our savings and resources could manage. Without a plan, you feel so hopeless and might make foolish decisions.
Sometimes breaking things down into smaller, more bite sized hurdles can really help. It’s all about re-framing your mindset so you can move forward. Even if it’s baby steps. Progress IS progress.
Get Advice.
Maybe your resume is pretty old and could use some revamping? Maybe your skill set is limited and you would benefit from taking a class? One of the things I looked at when transitioning from my former employer to my current were gaps in my skill sets. After reviewing many job listings in the field I wanted to work in, I listed out the things I did know versus the things I didn’t. Then I made a plan for how I would begin to learn, acquire and then showcase those new skills.
I grabbed a Udemy course that would help fill those gaps. Even better, this class was on sale for $15 at the time! Youtube has TONS of free tutorials that can help get you going as well. Getting some other eyes on your materials and how you’re branding yourself can really help set you apart and correct any mistakes you might be missing.
You can also make a list of all of the things you can do to generate some cash. It could be that you’ve already got some skills that could help cover some bills while you job hunt. When this article was originally written, the Gig economy wasn’t nearly as strong or common as it is now. This can present some wonderful alternatives! Seek them out!
Ask, ask, ask!
In all of the instances where we were unemployed, the jobs we ended up getting were from friends in our network. Remember that earlier point about leaning on your friends and family during this time? It really does help! Don’t harass your friends and family daily but let them know about your situation. Ask around to see if they know of any openings.
Consider the Proximity Principle (credit to Ken Coleman). If you want to work in field X but have no friends or contacts that are working in the field – make an attempt to create some relationships with them. I remember when I was a school teacher with zero contacts in game development. I read two books about Game Audio and then wrote to both authors. To my delight, they both wrote back to me! One even gave me a quote I could about my music on my website then, eventually featured me in future editions of his book! Getting to know folks doing the job you’re seeking can help you learn approaches that are successful. It can help you understand the industry, lingo and techniques a bit more.
Listen to Your Body.
The stress you feel during unemployment can either help or hurt you. It can sometimes serve as a motivator, getting you energized to really push forward, make connections and look for leads. Likewise, it can present itself as negative, desperate energy in some situations. Humans, by their very nature, tend to shy away from desperation. Desperation can make something feel unpredictable and employers are seeking out secure, solid, reliable people for their new hires. If you’re feeling a bit more on edge one day, consider making that a rest day FOR YOU. Do things that restore and calm you. The job hunt will be there tomorrow.
On a similar note, don’t stack too many job interviews into one day. You need to be “on” during an interview. I would consider doing just one or maybe at the very high end, two in a day.
Release the bots!!!!
Back in 2016, I created a whole slew of bots to bring me daily lists of job openings. When I landed my gig at SciPlay, I forgot to turn them off. Now I intentionally leave them on. Not because I’m actively looking for work but because I want to remain familiar with the market. I want to already know how positions are being listed, what the minimum and bonus (“nice to haves”) requirements are as well as how recruiters are engaging and looking for talent. This way, should I need to enter the job hunt again, I’m already somewhat aware. I’m not starting from zero in an already stressful situation.
Keep your Portfolio and Resume Current.
The last thing you want to do while already stressed and emotional is craft a new portfolio and resume. So, make it easier on yourself! Update your materials once a year or so. Not only does this give you a natural milestone to potentially attract new connections in your network, it can help give you a head start on a job hunt should you find yourself suddenly looking.
Closing – Unemployment Sucks!
Unemployment is super scary and stressful. It sucks! But you can and will make it through. It may not be in the manner or time-frame you’d want but literally everyone I’ve seen go through unemployment has made it out alive to the other side. Often times with better situations than they had before. These tips above have really helped us and perhaps they’ll help you. Best of luck! Keep your chin up. Good hunting!
BIO
Nate Madsen is an established composer, sound designer with over 17 years experience and over 1,100 credits. He’s worked in-house at FUNimation Entertainment, NetDevil, Bee Cave Games, SciPlay and is currently a Senior Audio Designer at Unbroken Studios. His most recent side quest is the Harry Potter Magic Caster Wand. Two of his other side projects were Great Wolf Lodge’s Magiquest and Glass Bottom Game’s SkateBIRD. Nate also teaches Interactive Game Audio at The University of Tennessee Knoxville. He lives in Austin, Texas, loves craft beer and dreams of queso. Be sure to reach out to Nathan with any audio needs you may have!