Newly unemployed brickpicker

[labfreak7]

So as of January 29th I will no longer be employed after 15 years of faithful service at a big biotech company. First time unemployed and frankly I'm scared. Mortgage , kids , insurance are at the forefront of my concerns, but also my Lego collection. Any advice?

[Migration]

Damn, man sorry to hear that. Where are you located? And what's your specialty? 

[waddamon]

Hit the streets double time and get gainfully employed again.  Hopefully you planned ahead and have resources to provide for yourself.

[marcandre]

 Sell the lego if you need to. You can always get more once your working again. Create a linkedin profile if you don't have one. Recruiters will see it. Good luck. 

[redcell]

38 minutes ago, labfreak7 said:

So as of January 29th I will no longer be employed after 15 years of faithful service at a big biotech company. First time unemployed and frankly I'm scared. Mortgage , kids , insurance are at the forefront of my concerns, but also my Lego collection. Any advice?

If you need to raise funds, sell your collection...Lego is a fairly liquid asset around here.  There are plenty of folks around here who buy substantial collections and have the ability to close large transactions so if you need to go down that road, it should be fairly easy.  PM me if you want to sell out...I'm always buying.

[matt1147]

LinkedIn is a great networking and recruiting tool - also don't be shy about getting some "professional" help sprucing up your resume and brushing up on your job search and interview skills. 15 years is a long time to let those things go dormant and I know that was tricky for me when I changed jobs after 10 years!

[Sandwraith]

I would sell only what you need to sell to "stay afloat" while looking for a new job. If you have a big inventory you may be able to keep going like that for a while. In that time hopefully you will have found something!

Sometimes when i make a big purchase (i actually totaled my car a couple weeks ago and will need to fork over some money for a new one) i sell enough LEGO to cover said purchase and hold onto the rest until the next big purchase or until i think it's time to part with it.

Good luck, been there before

[minicoopers11]

You got more than 2 weeks of notice!! I guess that's my only advice. Stay positive, look at the bright side. I loved being laid off twice in six months early in my career with zero notice and no severance.

Apply for unemployment as soon as you are allowed to.

Brush up that resume and get it out there.

Don't be afraid of moving if you need to.

You got this.

[Guest brickcrazyhouse]

was in the same boat two years ago.  sold almost everything that wasn't a gift.  Was able to keep head above water thanks to these bricks, and there will always be more.  good luck and remember set backs are unavoidable but failing isn't an option.

[Kenxxx]

Go all in on Lego! To hell with workin' for the man!

[tractorboy]

The only advice I could offer is don't buy any more Lego until you've found new employment, which hopefully will be soon. Good luck!

[siddji]

Sorry to hear about your situation. The first thing you need to do is let your contacts know you are available. I am assuming that you have LinkedIn account. Networking is key in this darn age.

Secondly if your resume and LinkedIn are not up to date, do it now. Make sure you put in looking for opportunities. Ask for Recommendations and Endorsements from contacts that you already know or have a good relation with (Assuming they have LinkedIn account). In my past experience your contacts are less likely to write you a recommendation than click to endorse your skills, but ask them anyway as you don't have anything to loose.

I would also file for unemployment as it is a benefit you have earned, use it. Its 100% online so you can do it from home. The paperwork should show up in the mail 2-3 days later with your PIN and then you do the rest online every week until the benefit expires or you have found work. Certainly the amount is very minimal, but it is additional income you never had.

Now comes the hard part.. If money is going to be tight, start identifying Lego sets to sell. Start with the ones that you think you can make a good return on. Don’t sell the ones that you recently acquired. Also, return any that you think are within the 30/90 day return policy as it will give you some needed cash or free up some debt on the credit card.

Definitely cut off your unnecessary expenses, like HBO, superfast internet, and eating out. Call your cable companies and ask for a lower rate or speak to cancellations dept. I have had better luck in the past by threatening to cancel due to unemployment as they gave me a much discounted rate to keep me than loose me.

I would take time to pursue a certification or any other training relevant to your as you might have a lot of free time. Reading books on professional development. I read “Knock em Dead” interview questions book.

Wish you best of Luck!

[jbacunn]

Sorry man. I may be in a similar situation later this year or early next year. Hopefully you got a decent severance package that will keep you afloat for a while until you find a job. Lay off investing until you find a new job. Don't need your cash tied up in sets that might not sell for years. If you need to sell some stuff go ahead. Start with the sets you would be selling soon any way and work your way down if necessary. 

[Ed Mack]

I would get a job at a local LEGO store or Toys R' Us and use that to your advantage.  

[jaisonline]

18 minutes ago, tractorboy said:

The only advice I could offer is don't buy any more Lego until you've found new employment, which hopefully will be soon. Good luck!

great advice.

[jaisonline]

2 hours ago, labfreak7 said:

So as of January 29th I will no longer be employed after 15 years of faithful service at a big biotech company. First time unemployed and frankly I'm scared. Mortgage , kids , insurance are at the forefront of my concerns, but also my Lego collection. Any advice?

first, forget lego.  sell if you must.   2nd, focus on what you typed above in bold. focus on getting the resume and linked profile updated ASAP.

let's hope as an employee with 15 years in, you'll get an adequate severance (or as they call it, separation) package.  i hope that helps enough until a new job comes around.  did the employer offer new job hunting assistance? if so, take advantage of it. speak with people you know such as friends and consulting companies already at your company.  .

good luck.

[Ed Mack]

Don't be afraid to do something different.  There are plenty of great jobs out there, but many are outside of your field.  Employers are searching for responsible and dependable people to hire, but many are lazy and incompetent.  

[cardkid]

That sucks Lab. Sometimes getting laid off will lead to better opportunities.

• Totally agree with applying for unemployment as soon as you can
• Linkedin is great for finding people who work at companies you are applying to. Don't be shy about hitting people up who work at those companies and get an inside track to a potential job. My most recent job and previous opportunities were a result of getting recommended by people who know people.
• Do your diligence in finding a job, but don't let the stress of it sap the added time you have with your family
• If you have to sell your Legos that you feel have hit a plateau 
• Open some sets your kids or you have been eyeing and have fun with them

[hockeyweasel]

Hopefully you are in a biotech hub area.  Assuming you have it, 15 years of familiarity with bioprocessing, good manufacturing practice, and good laboratory practice, and FDA regulations in general should make you a highly desirable asset. If you are certified on assays and the like that is better than training someone new.  Biggest enemy would be the younglings that have the same knowledge and skills but cost less.  Look for BioBuzz and BioBeers networking events in your area.  If you know colleagues who have gone to other biotechs/pharmaceuticals, look them up.

[labfreak7]

Thanks guys- I appreciate the support and input. I will definitely do some of the things you guys mentioned like cutting unnecessary expenses, updating my resume and linked in account. It's going to be challenging and it definitely is unchartered territory so the advice is very much appreciated!

[biking_tiger]

3 hours ago, Ed Mack said:

Don't be afraid to do something different.  There are plenty of great jobs out there, but many are outside of your field.  Employers are searching for responsible and dependable people to hire, but many are lazy and incompetent.  

As a HS guidance counselor, I hear this from colleges, tech schools, and employers all the time. Do the work and be dependable. It makes a difference. LinkedIn can definitely be your friend. Good luck!

[bricketycricket]

You've got 15+ years of experience and have been incredibly loyal to your past employer. Those will not go unnoticed and you'll get hired by someone else pretty quickly I'd bet. Good luck

[pete411]

Agree with all of the posts here. It's important to not get your spirits down. Losing a job is terrifying especially after 15 years of loyal service to a company. Most of that is the lack of familiar routine, so I'd advise that you make a new one to replace your work week. Spend a few hours each "work" day researching prospective employers and updating your employment information. Maybe join a gym and add that to your routine. Spend an hour formulating a plan to sell some of your matured Lego sets. Keep busy and again... keep your spirits up! You have extremely employable skills in an industry that's in high demand for good talent so you're in a terrific position. 

[lego rules]

4 hours ago, Ed Mack said:

I would get a job at a local LEGO store or Toys R' Us and use that to your advantage.  

Sort of tried that at Lego store and felt like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty.

[gbg108]

3 hours ago, cardkid said:

That sucks Lab. Sometimes getting laid off will lead to better opportunities

This is very true, try and keep a positive attitude.

A little story...I was laid off once in my life, about 4 years ago. The branch of the company I was working for was in a dying market and so I was supposed to be transferred to another branch which was thriving and needed help. However due to politics and higher ups trying to maintain direct report headcount, the transfer never went through and eventually my office was closed. I got the call that I was laid off on Monday morning while I was at the airport leaving for my honeymoon. By the time the flight landed my phone had been erased and was completely disabled. Needless to say the timing wasn't the best

But I kept a positive attitude and did what many others have already recommended in this thread (collect unemployment, use your contacts, LinkedIn, ect) and eventually got a new job. One year later I was contacted by the company that laid me off and was hired back to the branch I was supposed to be transferred...with a 25% increase in pay.

Keep a positive attitude, keep pushing forward and eventually things have a way of working out for the best.