Hey fellow gog'ers

I had a little talk with my boss today and he mentioned we needed a meeting this week to discuss the couple of months and what it comes down to is: I will probably lose my job.

I'm sitting here feeling really weird and sad and angry and i have no idea because i never had this feeling before. So i'm turning to you fellow gog'ers since most of us have the same sense of games and feelings about gaming in general. So what do we do on a day like this?
Any suggestions?

You are probably right but i do not want to think about that today....

this. even if you end up keeping your current job it'll help you get over the uncertainty if you find a few alternatives you could apply for.

That might be a good idea but the weather isn't all that good here today so that wouldn't really help my mood when i get soaked all of a sudden ;)

HAMMERTIME!

Self-reflect and figure out for yourself whether you feel you did your best or not in that period.

If the answer is yes then no matter what happens feel good about yourself. Go home, and play whatever game you enjoy.

If the answer is no, then simply prepare to look for another job and hope the next one is better suited to your particular wants and needs, go home and play whatever game you enjoy that lets you shoot up people or rip apart bad guys for a while :)

Yeah i really did my best and was well liked and complimented by clients but for some reason i'm fucked. That's the thing: I worked hard, did great, made a lot less misstakes then my collegues, they have to ask me how to do stuff and all of a sudden i'm expendable? It just sucks.

Use all the toner in the printer and not tell anyone.

Sorry to hear it.

You don't say what you do or what industry you work in, but times are tough for a lot of businesses at the moment and many are having to lose otherwise good staff to stay afloat. It's happened to me more than once and it sounds like what may have happened to you - unless you were given any more detailed information in your meeting...

All I can say is don't take it too personally. Don't burn any bridges with your employer - who knows, in a couple of months things might be looking up and they may want you back? Even if that doesn't happen, you may need them for a reference. And of course, it's a small world and you never know who you may run into again at another company...

Stuff to do? Take a *bit* of time to yourself, but don't go nuts. You need to stay focused on work, and getting new work - it's much harder to get motivation back once you've had weeks or months off just bumming around playing games - trust me on this! ;)

Even if you don't want to spend much time searching and applying for jobs right now, get your CV up to date and well-presented and get it out on a few recruitment websites. Then recruitment agencies will know you're out there and will be looking for jobs for you. I got my current job from someone phoning me after seeing my CV online.

Hope that helps anyway...

Yeah this is all good advice and i will take it. I just feels like a slap in the face or something...

I know what you mean - it probably isn't anything personal though!

More advice - I don't know what you get in the Netherlands in terms of unemployment benefit (like Jobseekers Allowance in the UK) but maybe get the ball rolling on that one as well.

Last time, I held back until I thought I needed it - by the time I actually got paid anything, I *really* needed it and of course I missed out on months worth of payments I could have had if I'd been more organised...

Hey Indy, sorry to hear that you're having problems with your job. I agree with the advice from most of the other posters here. One thing I can't stress enough is that you shouldn't become too attached to a job. The best thing you can do is make sure your resume is very strong and be ready to jump ship the minute you feel like it's beneficial to your career.

Your employer has no loyalty to you, so you have no obligation to hurt your career for a company. It's a purely business arrangement; They pay you to do a job, not to be loyal. I know it may feel weird right now, but try to separate how you feel about your coworkers from your job.

As for the people you've likely become friends with while working there, as long as you aren't moving from the area for a new job you can still be friends! Just hang out with them after work.

I use simple meditation to calm down, focus on the forward part of your head, clear your mind, and breath long breaths of 5-10 seconds. You would be amazed at how a couple minutes of this simple technique can effectively clear your head and, most importantly, prevent you from spiralling into a depressed state, which isn't going to help anyone. If you feel yourself becoming more depressed you should see a doctor, it's very difficult to look for a new job or to keep your current one when depressed or suffering from anxiety attacks, and this is the primary reason they have counsellors at your local GP. And finally, WORK OUT! This is by far the best thing you can do in this situation, spend an hour a day running, swimming, playing football, whatever. It makes you more confident, keeps you in good health, and keeps you looking better. Needless to say you should cut down on your alcohol intake as well, no more than a glass of good alcohol a day and completely avoid the shite brands.

Looking for a new job while still having one is far less stressful than if you are unemployed and it can be a good vector for your uncertain energies. Try to avoid the job statistics though, just be smart about what sectors you consider and rely on you skills, education or interests. One of the best ways to get a job is through friends or family, so call a couple people up and ask around. It's much easier to talk to someone you know or someone your friend knows so make use of it if you can. Above all, remember you're not in this alone, you have friends and family, you have doctors and a relatively competent government, this is exactly the time to use all these resources.

This.

Indy, I know it feels like you're being trampled on and that your pouring your heart and soul into your job feels like it was for nothing. Don't be. You just need to see work like a business arrangement. Your employer is your client. It's like you're offering your services on a retainer. Your clients will always be trying to find a way to do without your services and save money.

With that in mind, you need to try and approach this with a certain stoicism and objectivity. Figure out what qualities you have to sell and figure out how to sell them. Then go out on an all-out marketing spree to find a "new client".

If you look at it this way, it tends to put into perspective the fact that customers come and go.

Take a few days to adjust and try and get things into perspective. You've doubtless got some statutory holiday that you're owed. Spend a bit of that time chilling out and refocusing your energies, and then go into applying for jobs refreshed and with a clear mind.

This may always happen when you're employed. What to do? Start being your own employer. Start a small business.

Nothing is forever in this life.

Also, if you are really good in what you do, you won't be unemployed for long. Unless some Polish folkes will steal your job, hehe!