10 lessons from my 2nd layoff

Back in April, I felt blessed to have someone from the Philippines reach out to me with a remote opportunity. Back then, I was about three months into unemployment. I didn’t think it was a scam, and I had nothing to lose, so I went for it. The company was in a hiring spree. I got onboarded with many other designers.

After a few interviews and design tests, I got the job. It was the first job that I got paid in USD. The number was great; the work was great. I still remember my first paycheck right before my band’s gig at a studio. It was a great day. I felt like I got back on my feet.

Fast forward eight months, and my supervisor got me on a 1-on-1 call. There were no prior so-called performance improvement plans, no warnings, just honest mistakes here and there. I appreciated the lack of hesitation when she said that the team needed to be trimmed and it’s gonna be me.

A bit shocked, even though not surprised at all. I’ve seen a peek at the company numbers, and it didn’t look good. Right before Christmas, right before I was set to go to the Philippines to meet my coworkers in person, right before spending another Eid without a paycheck.

I do understand that the company did what they had to do to stay afloat at that time. And I do appreciate that they offered me some kind of severance pay. So here are some lessons I got from my second layoff:

1. I’m from Indonesia, so it’s almost natural to seek full-time employment. Thus, remote freelance work is a risky thing to be put as the primary source of income.
2. If number 1 applies to you right now, don’t fall into any long-term, unforgiving debts like houses or cars.
3. The job market is tough and sometimes outright cruel. I don’t mean it in an “it’s their fault” way. But it can feel that way.
4. It could take a while before revolutions that can make regular people only need to work one job to live life. So, having two or three sources of income is probably best.
5. Don’t sell your money-making assets (like laptops) and stop your money-making subscriptions (like internet). It felt tempting to downgrade my gear, but luckily I realized it’d do more harm than good.
6. As an Indonesian, you still can’t rely on government programs like JHT or unemployment benefits (JKP). You’re kinda on your own.
7. Spread your money. I was lucky that my friend Ian recommended some high-value stocks right before I got laid off.
8. If you don’t speak English, learn it right now! Don’t read this post using the translate button. I stayed afloat thanks to this essential skill.
9. Be kind to others. It looks simple, but I feel like I’d need recommendations from other people, so ruining relationships is not the best idea.
10. Have a budget. Set up a spreadsheet, or even simple notes will do. Just track where your money is going. Spend lavishly on things you love, but watch out for those subtle, small spendings that stab you at the end of the month.

That’s pretty much it. I’ll be on LinkedIn and other sites that can land me a job soon enough.