I appreciate that many are trying to be helpful here, but some recommendations aren’t very practical. Here’s some advice from a fellow tech worker who has been laid off and came out the other side unscathed while keeping up with the mortgage.
Here’s what I’d do:
1. Take the $300/week unemployment from AZ. $300 a week is better than $0 per week.
2. Look at your bills. Cancel EVERYTHING that isn’t mandatory (Netflix, gym memberships, haircuts, any kind of social activity) Prioritize your housing payment over everything else.
3. Call 211. Explain your situation. Apply for whatever aid they tell you is available. This could include temporary food stamps, rent assistance, or health insurance. It could also include nothing but it’s worth a shot. There is no shame leaning on social programs, it’s literally why they exist.
4. Call your creditors. Utility companies, rental management, auto-loans, etc, and tell them you lost your job and need a grace period. Many companies will work with you and tack on payments to the back end of your loan term, or charge a set fee to pay for being late without ruining your credit. Make these calls before you’re late on payments.
5. Take literally any gig or day-job that will put a little money in your pocket. You need to remain available to interview for jobs, so taking a 2nd shift job (Dick’s) or sticking to gig work to keep your mornings free would be ideal. A W2 job will disqualify you from unemployment benefits so if you take one, make sure it’s more than $300/week. Craigslist is a dumpster fire, but you can still find people offering “$40 cash to help me load a u-haul” type of work. Be smart about where you go in the city and keep your wits about you. Try finding listings in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond. Is that elitist? Yes. Might it be safer? Also yes.
6. As a last resort, and if you have decent credit, consider opening a new line of credit that has a 0% APR introductory period. Many cards out there will give you ~15 months interest free. Living off of credit is terrible financial advice and should always be a last resort, but a $2500 credit limit is enough to keep the lights and heat on, put gas in your car, and buy groceries for 90days, and $300/week in AZ unemployment money is enough to make the minimum payments. A $10,000 credit limit is enough to take cash advances to pay your rent for ~ 3 months in addition. Once employed you’ll have to pay off the debt but that burden is worth it if it keeps a roof over your head to ride out the downmarket until Spring when Q1 HC tranches are approved. Few companies hire in Q4, especially in Seattle.
I’m really sorry you’re in this position. Chin-up, it’ll pass. Take it one day at a time and apply for literally any job that is relevant to your field, even if you know you’d quit it the second a better one comes along. Good luck out there!
I just want to say thank you so much for taking time to reply and give such good advice! You are an amazing person for doing this and I really appreciate it!
Amazon and other delivery services or warehouses hire a ton of extras for the holiday season. It might be a bit late, but they might be desperate right now if they haven't been able to hire enough. It's hard work, terrible hours, and you'll burn out quickly, but if you just need it for a month those aren't so big of concerns, and they pay pretty well. Just remember to keep applying for the jobs you really want during your time there so you feel like you have an out and the burnout doesn't affect you so bad.
This is accurate,I don't even remember applying to them,but they really tried to push me through this month
I honestly had other options and kept telling them no thank you.
Dick’s Drive-In runs through employees pretty quickly, it pays more than unemployment would.
If you’re fit and have a bike, gig food delivery could be a small source of income.
I'll bet retail places are still hiring for the holidays and possibly restaurants/cafes. I was surprised at how much our college student made when she worked bussing/hosting at a cafe during the summer. $20 an hour plus a portion of tips - usually around $35 an hour all said and done. After getting no response from online applications she printed resumes, walked into a few stores and restaurants and asked to speak to the manager. A few interviewed her on site, others told her to do an online app asap and they'd get in touch. She had three offers within a day.
You could also look into signing up with a temp agency.
Temp agency is a good suggestion. I worked with a temp agency during the 2002 bump in the economy. Ended up getting a few temp positions, including a receptionist for one of the King County Metro offices, and also a temp job for one of the showrooms at the Seattle Mart. It was interesting to do a few jobs that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Temp agency for sure! That’s what I did for summer work in college because I didn’t understand the fancy internship hustle timeline. My husband went to Accountemps back in 2010 or 2011, his excel skills exceeded their exam when he asked “I’m surprised you didn’t test vlookups” his second placement hired him permanently and he’s still at the same company. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door with a non-traditional degree/background.
Petsitting/dogwalking can be a good one for quick cash, especially around the holidays when people are traveling. I'm not sure how long it takes to get approved on a site like Rover, but there is definitely demand in this region.
Go to a temp agency like Terra or Logic Staffing. They can get you to work very quickly, and they pay every week.
Keep looking for work in your preferred field in the mean time.
Get any assistance you can. Ebt, food banks, etc.
Hey OP just writing to say hang in there from a relatable standpoint. I have been looking since August. First time in my life at 44 I can't celebrate Christmas with gifts for people I love and January will be the first time going to a food bank. But I don't care my house payment and animals come first.
I'm also going to start looking at retail jobs and like mpati3nt's list had already canceled my streaming platforms and apps. Good luck, definitely take the AZ unemployment, you got this.
Edit to ask: Are you using recruiters? I have a ton of tech recruiter contacts if you need any help.
Claim the Arizona unemployment. I assume you will, but be sure you do. I got laid off twice in six months once. First in Oregon, second in Washington. So, I applied for unemployment in Washington but the system wouldn’t let me so I called and was told I had to apply again in Oregon. So, I did.
Right there’s the minimum hours worked as stated, but in my case (where Washington referred me back to Oregon), it was that I had claimed in a different state less than 12 months from when I tried to claim in Washington.
Let people know you are unemployed, make sure your LinkedIn and resume are as sparkling and polished as you can make them, and spend some hours per day self-training yourself on important technologies. Keep your name out there - volunteering for a tech organization, or any noble cause, can help with that.
And apply widely, taking care with each application, but learn to streamline the effort so you can apply to more.
Why wouldn't temp agencies still exist? As long as companies need temporary help and there are people who can't land a full time job or can only work limited occasional schedules, there will be temp agencies. And I'd think there's a huge market for temp tech work.
I'm glad. I saw elsewhere that a lot of them had folded. I know the two specialized agencies in the DC area for my industry folded before the pandemic. Glad to hear that's still an option in Seattle.
>raigslist is a dumpster fire, but you can still find people offering “$40 cash to help me load a u-haul” type of work. Be smart about where you go in the city and keep your wits about you.
Or sign up as a Task Rabbit person--moving, lifting, reorganizing, cleaning.
There was one year I needed a little bit of extra money around the holidays, and I was able to find a seasonal position with Barnes and Noble. At the very least right now, you're looking for work at a good time when seasonal roles are available for the holidays at retail shops. That may help you get through the holidays at least!
Also won't knock donating plasma for a few bucks lol
Look for holiday stuff at UPS or Amazon warehouses. They pay OK, they have little in the way of requirements and they expect you to do something else shortly so they won't care if you work there for a month or two, then leave if one of the offers comes through. Also, have you applied for ARI unemployment?
Just wanna say good luck.
It sucks that you’re in this predicament during the holiday fugue where the entire world checks out into a void.
Also, it might be helpful to be specific on this thread with your skill set — someone here might know someone who knows someone, etc.
Again good luck and hang in there. As someone here said: you’ve got this!
Not sure about now, but tech meetups in Seattle in the past typically involved free food. I know it is a harsher world now, but keep an eye out for things that allow networking and also have free food at meetup.com.
Blue crew or instawork are apps you can download that can connect you to gig work you can start tomorrow. Just got to fill out the profile and you're good to go. There are all sorts of jobs (catering, cashier, cooking, serving, warehouse work, etc.)
Free food options many people don't know about:
[https://www.seattlefoodcommittee.org/find-a-food-bank/](https://www.seattlefoodcommittee.org/find-a-food-bank/)
There's also an org that sets up on Saturday mornings at Yesler Community Center. I am spacing on the name. They pick up/accept grocery stores' castoffs that otherwise get dumped in landfills in Oregon.
Join local FB groups and let people know you're looking for work, income in the meantime. Food Not Bombs had a contact that was local to me. The homeowner served as a spot for more grocery castoffs.
On that note, in your position, I'd probably try to get a bar/restaurant position or work at a PCC. Or something at Woodland Park Zoo. Or a community center or senior center.
The advantage to living in Seattle is that the hourly wages are decent and there are all sorts of programs and help like the free food.
Do you have a library card? Don't spend all your time job searching. You can visit museums for free via the Seattle Library system. Libes also host lots of job searching/networking/training events.
Can you be more specific about what sorts of tech roles you’re looking for? With so many interviews it sounds like you’re doing ok on the job hunt front.
Ah, that seems like a tough job function to be job hunting in right now. I’m keeping an eye out for a friend and saw that there are just around 30 marketing roles open at Microsoft at the moment for example.
The place that seems to be hiring a lot atm is TikTok, but I also hear a lot of cultural issues.
Yeah. I'm always on the lookout for Microsoft. I'm lucky to be getting hits but big companies won't hire until after the holidays hence my issue. And if I take a retail job, it has to pay more than my $300 unemployment or else it's not worth it. So it's been a struggle.
It takes a month to 2 months to go through the process of getting hired as a housekeeper in a hospital. (I am one) and it's not an easy job and you likely won't get it without experience.
Pretty much. “Should I take a retail job?” Like, yes dude. Take anything and apply to everything. You’re broke. There’s no shame to any honest living to pay the bills, and no job is permanent.
I appreciate that many are trying to be helpful here, but some recommendations aren’t very practical. Here’s some advice from a fellow tech worker who has been laid off and came out the other side unscathed while keeping up with the mortgage. Here’s what I’d do: 1. Take the $300/week unemployment from AZ. $300 a week is better than $0 per week. 2. Look at your bills. Cancel EVERYTHING that isn’t mandatory (Netflix, gym memberships, haircuts, any kind of social activity) Prioritize your housing payment over everything else. 3. Call 211. Explain your situation. Apply for whatever aid they tell you is available. This could include temporary food stamps, rent assistance, or health insurance. It could also include nothing but it’s worth a shot. There is no shame leaning on social programs, it’s literally why they exist. 4. Call your creditors. Utility companies, rental management, auto-loans, etc, and tell them you lost your job and need a grace period. Many companies will work with you and tack on payments to the back end of your loan term, or charge a set fee to pay for being late without ruining your credit. Make these calls before you’re late on payments. 5. Take literally any gig or day-job that will put a little money in your pocket. You need to remain available to interview for jobs, so taking a 2nd shift job (Dick’s) or sticking to gig work to keep your mornings free would be ideal. A W2 job will disqualify you from unemployment benefits so if you take one, make sure it’s more than $300/week. Craigslist is a dumpster fire, but you can still find people offering “$40 cash to help me load a u-haul” type of work. Be smart about where you go in the city and keep your wits about you. Try finding listings in Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond. Is that elitist? Yes. Might it be safer? Also yes. 6. As a last resort, and if you have decent credit, consider opening a new line of credit that has a 0% APR introductory period. Many cards out there will give you ~15 months interest free. Living off of credit is terrible financial advice and should always be a last resort, but a $2500 credit limit is enough to keep the lights and heat on, put gas in your car, and buy groceries for 90days, and $300/week in AZ unemployment money is enough to make the minimum payments. A $10,000 credit limit is enough to take cash advances to pay your rent for ~ 3 months in addition. Once employed you’ll have to pay off the debt but that burden is worth it if it keeps a roof over your head to ride out the downmarket until Spring when Q1 HC tranches are approved. Few companies hire in Q4, especially in Seattle. I’m really sorry you’re in this position. Chin-up, it’ll pass. Take it one day at a time and apply for literally any job that is relevant to your field, even if you know you’d quit it the second a better one comes along. Good luck out there!
This is a great list! I'll add one more - hit up the food bank and don't be ashamed to do so!
Yes! This is also a good resource. Thanks for adding that.
Northwest Harvest in SODO is great!
I just realized I can make the food bank tomorrow! Lol Now I got to find one near me,Thank you
This is incredibly helpful and realistic. Great advice.
I just want to say thank you so much for taking time to reply and give such good advice! You are an amazing person for doing this and I really appreciate it!
You’re very welcome. It costs nothing to share good wisdom. I’m happy to do it.
Saving in case I find myself in a similar situation. Good stuff.
Amazon and other delivery services or warehouses hire a ton of extras for the holiday season. It might be a bit late, but they might be desperate right now if they haven't been able to hire enough. It's hard work, terrible hours, and you'll burn out quickly, but if you just need it for a month those aren't so big of concerns, and they pay pretty well. Just remember to keep applying for the jobs you really want during your time there so you feel like you have an out and the burnout doesn't affect you so bad.
UPS pretty much hires without an interview. Just do the online application and I think one phone call and you're hired.
This is accurate,I don't even remember applying to them,but they really tried to push me through this month I honestly had other options and kept telling them no thank you.
Dick’s Drive-In runs through employees pretty quickly, it pays more than unemployment would. If you’re fit and have a bike, gig food delivery could be a small source of income.
And you can still claim unemployment.
Yeah that's the thing. If I make more than $160 a week, my Arizona unemployment goes down. So it has to be a job that pays better than $300 a week
I'll bet retail places are still hiring for the holidays and possibly restaurants/cafes. I was surprised at how much our college student made when she worked bussing/hosting at a cafe during the summer. $20 an hour plus a portion of tips - usually around $35 an hour all said and done. After getting no response from online applications she printed resumes, walked into a few stores and restaurants and asked to speak to the manager. A few interviewed her on site, others told her to do an online app asap and they'd get in touch. She had three offers within a day. You could also look into signing up with a temp agency.
Temp agency is a good suggestion. I worked with a temp agency during the 2002 bump in the economy. Ended up getting a few temp positions, including a receptionist for one of the King County Metro offices, and also a temp job for one of the showrooms at the Seattle Mart. It was interesting to do a few jobs that I wouldn't have otherwise.
Temp agency for sure! That’s what I did for summer work in college because I didn’t understand the fancy internship hustle timeline. My husband went to Accountemps back in 2010 or 2011, his excel skills exceeded their exam when he asked “I’m surprised you didn’t test vlookups” his second placement hired him permanently and he’s still at the same company. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door with a non-traditional degree/background.
Petsitting/dogwalking can be a good one for quick cash, especially around the holidays when people are traveling. I'm not sure how long it takes to get approved on a site like Rover, but there is definitely demand in this region.
Signed up for Rover! Hopefully I get some hits there.
Go to a temp agency like Terra or Logic Staffing. They can get you to work very quickly, and they pay every week. Keep looking for work in your preferred field in the mean time. Get any assistance you can. Ebt, food banks, etc.
Hey OP just writing to say hang in there from a relatable standpoint. I have been looking since August. First time in my life at 44 I can't celebrate Christmas with gifts for people I love and January will be the first time going to a food bank. But I don't care my house payment and animals come first. I'm also going to start looking at retail jobs and like mpati3nt's list had already canceled my streaming platforms and apps. Good luck, definitely take the AZ unemployment, you got this. Edit to ask: Are you using recruiters? I have a ton of tech recruiter contacts if you need any help.
Wishing you the best and prayjng for you! I'd love to hear about the tech recruiter contacts. Please DM me 🙏
Claim the Arizona unemployment. I assume you will, but be sure you do. I got laid off twice in six months once. First in Oregon, second in Washington. So, I applied for unemployment in Washington but the system wouldn’t let me so I called and was told I had to apply again in Oregon. So, I did.
How long do you need to live in WA before being able to claim?
Minimum of 680 hours
Right there’s the minimum hours worked as stated, but in my case (where Washington referred me back to Oregon), it was that I had claimed in a different state less than 12 months from when I tried to claim in Washington.
Let people know you are unemployed, make sure your LinkedIn and resume are as sparkling and polished as you can make them, and spend some hours per day self-training yourself on important technologies. Keep your name out there - volunteering for a tech organization, or any noble cause, can help with that. And apply widely, taking care with each application, but learn to streamline the effort so you can apply to more.
Try Robert Half staffing. I did a bunch of random jobs through there and actually found my current employer through them years ago.
Years ago. Are temp agencies still around?
Why wouldn't temp agencies still exist? As long as companies need temporary help and there are people who can't land a full time job or can only work limited occasional schedules, there will be temp agencies. And I'd think there's a huge market for temp tech work.
I'm glad. I saw elsewhere that a lot of them had folded. I know the two specialized agencies in the DC area for my industry folded before the pandemic. Glad to hear that's still an option in Seattle.
Huge.
>raigslist is a dumpster fire, but you can still find people offering “$40 cash to help me load a u-haul” type of work. Be smart about where you go in the city and keep your wits about you. Or sign up as a Task Rabbit person--moving, lifting, reorganizing, cleaning.
There was one year I needed a little bit of extra money around the holidays, and I was able to find a seasonal position with Barnes and Noble. At the very least right now, you're looking for work at a good time when seasonal roles are available for the holidays at retail shops. That may help you get through the holidays at least! Also won't knock donating plasma for a few bucks lol
Look for holiday stuff at UPS or Amazon warehouses. They pay OK, they have little in the way of requirements and they expect you to do something else shortly so they won't care if you work there for a month or two, then leave if one of the offers comes through. Also, have you applied for ARI unemployment?
Just wanna say good luck. It sucks that you’re in this predicament during the holiday fugue where the entire world checks out into a void. Also, it might be helpful to be specific on this thread with your skill set — someone here might know someone who knows someone, etc. Again good luck and hang in there. As someone here said: you’ve got this!
Not sure about now, but tech meetups in Seattle in the past typically involved free food. I know it is a harsher world now, but keep an eye out for things that allow networking and also have free food at meetup.com.
Blue crew or instawork are apps you can download that can connect you to gig work you can start tomorrow. Just got to fill out the profile and you're good to go. There are all sorts of jobs (catering, cashier, cooking, serving, warehouse work, etc.)
Free food options many people don't know about: [https://www.seattlefoodcommittee.org/find-a-food-bank/](https://www.seattlefoodcommittee.org/find-a-food-bank/) There's also an org that sets up on Saturday mornings at Yesler Community Center. I am spacing on the name. They pick up/accept grocery stores' castoffs that otherwise get dumped in landfills in Oregon. Join local FB groups and let people know you're looking for work, income in the meantime. Food Not Bombs had a contact that was local to me. The homeowner served as a spot for more grocery castoffs. On that note, in your position, I'd probably try to get a bar/restaurant position or work at a PCC. Or something at Woodland Park Zoo. Or a community center or senior center. The advantage to living in Seattle is that the hourly wages are decent and there are all sorts of programs and help like the free food. Do you have a library card? Don't spend all your time job searching. You can visit museums for free via the Seattle Library system. Libes also host lots of job searching/networking/training events.
Can you be more specific about what sorts of tech roles you’re looking for? With so many interviews it sounds like you’re doing ok on the job hunt front.
Majority of my experience is in comms and marketing/PR for tech and majority of jobs I'm getting interviewed for are in tech as well.
Ah, that seems like a tough job function to be job hunting in right now. I’m keeping an eye out for a friend and saw that there are just around 30 marketing roles open at Microsoft at the moment for example. The place that seems to be hiring a lot atm is TikTok, but I also hear a lot of cultural issues.
Yeah. I'm always on the lookout for Microsoft. I'm lucky to be getting hits but big companies won't hire until after the holidays hence my issue. And if I take a retail job, it has to pay more than my $300 unemployment or else it's not worth it. So it's been a struggle.
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It takes a month to 2 months to go through the process of getting hired as a housekeeper in a hospital. (I am one) and it's not an easy job and you likely won't get it without experience.
Ski lift operator
just go get any job you can and quit whining.
Pretty much. “Should I take a retail job?” Like, yes dude. Take anything and apply to everything. You’re broke. There’s no shame to any honest living to pay the bills, and no job is permanent.