The 1-year anniversary of the day I got laid off ...

[RedHotChiliPrepper]

... is today. Kind of hard to believe.

Fortunately for myself, I landed a new gig four days after being laid off from my first job which I had held for 9 years. But I was thinking about this yesterday, and just analyzing where my life has taken me in the course of a year at my new job, and frankly, I'm in a far better place now. I'm at a shop where the pay is still crappy and the benefits stink, but at least my work is respected and appreciated by my superiors. I'm getting the chance to cover minor league baseball which will hopefully help me one day realize my goal of covering an MLB team. I've gotten to meet some very interesting people and tell some really good stories. Part of me still misses my old job because of the people I worked with and the people I covered. But it's much easier to take knowing that I'm better off by not being there.

I'm very well aware of the fact that I got lucky when I was offered this new job two days before I was laid off at my old job, and I have the utmost sympathy for those who have been laid off and haven't been able to get back into the business, which includes one of my former colleagues who was laid off the same day I was. I don't know if the nature of the business is going to allow me to do this job for the rest of my life like I would like to be able to, but I do know that I'm going to keep working hard and keep pushing toward being the best reporter and writer I can be until someone tells me that I'm no longer allowed to write anymore.

Just wanted to share some of the thoughts I had today and wish everyone who has yet to find another job the best of luck in their search.

 

[Lugnuts]

Great story... I'm glad it's working out.

 

[WriteThinking]

I appreciate the thoughts and sentiments, RHCP, but...

If you were offered your current job two days before you were let go from your first place, you really did not and have not experienced a layoff at all.

As you said, you are fortunate in that.

 

[wissportsguy80]

Good story and I'm glad things have worked out for you. I'm one of those still searching to find a good opportunity after being laid off, so this gives me at least a little hope. I have the same passion for my writing, which makes it hard to just break away and pursue something else. That's cool that you get to cover minor league ball. I too have dreams of covering the majors one day. I had an internship in college covering a Single A team and got to cover a handful of Brewers games two years ago and really enjoyed both experiences. Best of luck to you!

 

[Keystone]

This will be my one-year anniversary this week, too. I was fortunate to find a new job within a few weeks, though it wasn't in newspapers. I still get to work in the media, though, albeit with a hugh pay cut from my previous job. At least it's more than my unemployment check. The key for me was networking hard.