Lost my job

Stevyamda

I don't think I've posted in Off-Topic before, I hope I'm in the right place.

Anyway, Friday, the ax fell. And not just on me, on 8 or 9 people. I was the plumbing QA manager for a mechanical company. I had been a plumbing foreman there previously to getting this position. I really enjoyed my work, doing jobsite visits, writing reports, developing training, reviewing submittals and so on. Regardless of all that, here I am, with a paycheck, a PTO check, and a little bit of severance. I have a few weeks to find a job.

I'm 66, which makes things a little tougher. Commercial construction is in a bit of a slowdown, and that doesn't help either. I've got some feelers out already, and Monday the hunt starts in earnest. I don't think I'm going back to the company that just let me go when things "pick up", due to the fact that they have been slowly laying people off for a couple of months now. They are either circling the drain, and hoping to eke out whatever is left in existing jobs, or it's going to be a long, difficult recovery. The fact that they let go some high-skilled people makes me lean toward the former.

"You're 66, why don't you just retire?" Couple of reasons, one being I can't afford it. Also, I don't really feel like it. In some ways, I feel like I'm getting my second wind. Physically, I have some of the maladies that come with age, such as arthritis and so on, but I'm still capable of running work, and I can still do some of it. I'm not going to be a production plumber, though. The job I had was ideal, and I was hoping to be there until age 70 or so.

Just felt like unloading.

Dynlingan

I see it's been a while since you’ve posted, but I just want to ask if things have turned around for you in any way. I’ve been through something similar and found that diving into bass projects or picking up small gigs helped with the mental side of things. Did you end up finding some cool side hustles or any unexpected opportunities through music?

LuisMiller

I went through something similar last year and found some good leads using a hybrid job board that focuses on part-time music and tech gigs. It helped me get a few short-term contracts while figuring out my next steps. Sometimes these boards list stuff you wouldn’t find on the usual job sites. Worth checking regularly and setting up alerts so you don’t miss anything that fits your skills.