Getting Back on My Feet

After working in the insurance industry for the last 13 years I decided that I needed to move up when my wife gave birth to our first baby. I got a job as an account manager at 21st Century Insurance and was making really good money, plus the benefits were great and the people were all pretty cool too. After my six month there we got the word that there was going to be a huge layoff due to the recession, and I was one of about 30 employees that were let go.

My wife wasn’t working and I was responsible for her and a baby, so I was doing nothing short of freaking out. The unemployment checks were not covering all the bills and our credit cards were being run up to their limits, plus we were borrowing money from family right and left. It was a really bad time.

I was looking everywhere for a job and couldn’t find anything in my industry! So basically I just started sending out resumes to any job I found that was even vaguely something I thought I could do. Finally, after three months, I got a position with an online credit card processing company as an account manager. It’s definitely a change from what I chose as a career, but it’s decent work and I have insurance, which is important with having a baby. I’ve been at this job for about four months and we’re just now starting to get caught up with bills. Paying back the family loans will have to wait, but they understand.

I’m so thankful I have something and plan to hang on to it as long as I possibly can. I’m just dreading another layoff, but it’s out of my control, so all I can do is hope for the best.

By: Mike P, Los Angeles, CA
9/04/2009

(7 votes, average: 1.00 out of 1)
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