Layoffs...
- Started
- Last post
- 12 Responses
- slinky
So, I was a part of the Washington Post mass layoffs in February. I was there for 7.5 years as a Senior/Lead Email Designer & Developer. It seems as the job market is terrible at the moment. Sending out lots of resumes/applications that seem to fall into an empty void. I am though currently in the interview process (2nd interview today that went well).
If anyone is aware of any email related jobs for design &/or dev, I'd love to hear about them.
The Post is keeping us on payroll until 4/30 even though we are not working. In April we also get a decent severance coming.
But, with 2 young kids (15, 11), I'll need to find something sooner. I also need remote jobs due to my son's serious medical struggles with PANS/PANDAS and debilitating OCD and me needing to be around the house to help.
Thanks all! ~ sLiNky.
Also, this thread could serve for anyone else facing layoffs as they are mounting!
- BusterBoy4
Sorry to hear.
My son also has/had quite severe OCD...completely engulfed his life for a few years...I feel your pain.
Psychologists didn't really help. Found a good psychiatrist and medication has finally helped big time...he's pretty much conquered it now.
Best of luck to you.
- garbage1
Sorry to hear as well.
Curious if you're open to discuss the sea change at WAPO during certain acquisitions.
- monospaced3
Hey man. I think we are connected on LinkedIn. You’re JM? If so I’ll send anything your way that I see. And if I expand my team I’ll hit you up.
Go out, talk to people. Sign up for creative recruiter sites and just get a foot in and conversations going. The only interviews I got were when recruiters found me; blind applying to hundreds of positions on linkedin got me all but jack shit.
Keep refining your portfolio and resume, find some side design jobs to keep you creative, and keep your hopes up. Things are getting warmer.
- If you buy $200-$300 of 'connects' on Upwork to promote yourself, you'll get work in the interim - plenty of email work on that site.canoe
- I have no idea what that means :)monospaced
- That was made for Slinky®canoe
- Good tips here. We all need help these days. This is the worst job market I've seen in 30 years.CyBrainX
- utopian2
Good luck slinky, keep your head up high!
- err6
I feel you! I was laid off last week and living in Brooklyn with a 7 year old. I only have a few months to find a gig. last layoff it took me over a year to find a fulltime gig
- Longcopylover9
Don’t let it get to you – just stay active in your industry and talk to lots of people. I was in the same situation as you back in October... It’s not much fun at WPP at the moment. But thanks to personal contacts, I’ve landed my next job, which is even better.
It seems that working hard, being nice to people and helping others out has paid off. That’s how you get help and good recommendations.
Good luck, there will be options.- I wish I shared your optimism. Aside from 1 or 2 recruiters, I haven't gotten a call back in about a year and a half. If I lose my job I don't know if I'll everCyBrainX
- Recruiters also didn't help. Ex colleagues are worth the most.Longcopylover
- Skip headhunters.
They're worthless.Continuity
- ideaist3
Tough time(s) all around, BUT remain positive (like a few have said) AND take care of your mind, body (AND yes spirit(s)) and you'll prevail.
Godspeed @slinky!
- Squiddy6
I’m guessing most QBN are graphic designers. Any programmers?
Anyway I live in Honolulu worked for an outfit in Los Angeles..laid off back in September.
Did random stuff and currently shelve groceries. It's zen; different kind of stress, clearly less money. No dependents however. Anyway, the time and environment allowed me to constructively think about things.
At the same time, working a different timezone had trained me to wake up at 4am - or "signs your getting old" :-) - which due to these changes, turned into walks at the beach park. Which lead to a new path: I regularly saw the corner liquor store owner’s wife and his daughter out on walks/runs. And so are training to do the Honolulu Marathon in December. More paths in there I hope
The point is, like others said, stay positive. Small things. Different things. Change your point of view.
Hope there is some nugget of usefulness in there. Hope things go well for everyone.
- I'm in advertising, and the scene isn't all that much different than it is for designers and programmers. At least, not for those looking for FT work.Continuity
- My freelance practice pays rent, food, and bills, but it's clear the environment is unstable. At the same time, I've found opportunities to gradually shift itContinuity
- ... from servicing typical generalist advertising agencies and their clients, to starting to build up fandom marketing consulting services, too. Basically:Continuity
- advertising to otakus, nerds, and geeks, which brands are only now discovering also have money to spend. Plus it's way more enjoyable to me than helpingContinuity
- ... agencies hawk the usual suspects: sugary drinks, cars, clothes, frozen pizzas.
It's a hustle like doing outreach for FL clients, but thematically is where IContinuity - ... want to be.
*strokes his manga and Macross variable fighter toys while wearing a t-shirt that says "ラーメン" on it*Continuity - Point being: even though the economy and the market for creatives are extraordinarily shit right now, it shouldn't stop one from looking for interesting ways toContinuity
- ... enhancing one's career in ways that bring a bit more satisfaction.
So, like everyone has said so far: try to stay positive. I know it's tough.Continuity - I'm a freelance web developer, mainly doing Shopify dev work. It been inconsistent on work for the past year. Been looking for more contract before FT.BabySnakes
- @Continuity Thanks! BTW I am a programmer if it wasnt clear. Part of me wants to do stuff that doesn't involve computers if that makes sense.Squiddy
- @Squiddy
Oh, I hear you loud and clear. A bit part of me wants to table-flip advertising and rage quit it, and then open a ramen shop somewhere not here.Continuity - *big partContinuity
- BonSeff0
Slinky - i came across an email related remote job
https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?j…
- Horp18
I haven't been laid off, and I haven't been a designer since about 2006 anyway.
However, I think the whole industry is continuing to shrink dramatically, and the reality is it will never return to the form any of us ever knew.
I leapfrogged my way around the general creative industry for my entire career, and was finally labelled a "brand strategist" until August 2025.
But that role was, by then, patently absurd. I'd paid off my mortgage around 6 years ago and had dabbled, between project commissions, with various things... one of which was driving for money.
I paid the money to undertake the HGV (heavy goods vehicle / trucks) tuition and test.
Got my license, and I now drive trucks. Signed up with an agency and I drive all kinds of trucks for a wide variety of organisations.
I drive for the National Health Service blood donor services, and a national food distributor, and a local business that supplies building materials. Other things will come along. Driving tippers out of quarries, or doing a run to Scotland in a massive rig. I've just got started.
The money is fine. It's less of course, but it's still more than enough.
I like it. It has a physical aspect to it, and it brings an insane amount of new experiences. I drive long distances and see places I've never been to before.
I quit LinkedIn ... about 6 weeks ago I guess. I'm out. I'm ex-creative industries. Life is good.
There's so much else that one can do.
Don't cling on to the idea that you're a designer, or a creative, or an image maker, or whatever.
It can be more exciting being brand new and having it all to learn.
- "I quit LinkedIn"
Not having that self-important circle-jerk in your daily life must be liberating.Continuity - We see you rollin', we likin'...
Enjoy the freedom.Longcopylover - Congrats, Horp, on your continued success. I was laid off with the rest of my team in November. For me, having no job or role in society has been a bummer.nuggler
- Well doneGnash
- +1 @continuity...canoe
- Interesting take.You don't have to give up being an artist or designer though. Those can be life long passions. But 100% agree. It's a big world.falcadia
- +100 Horp. There's a whole world of things out there where creativity still applies. I started a side gig that has evolved into branding vacation properties.aslip
- thanks! and glad things are working out. this is inspirationalSquiddy
- "I quit LinkedIn"
- wagshaft7
It can be soul crushing. It’s crazy how much we can put self worth on employment. That said we all need pay bills and provide for our people.
Reach out to old colleagues and get a coffee (or a beer). You never know what random conversation or connection will lead to a sweet freelance or full time gig. LinkedIn is a waste of time. Not to mention a depressing doom scroll experience. It seems every job posted there has 1000+ applicants. It’s f’ing mad.
- I haven't had to do sales work for years (besides, I don't have the time for it), word of mouth, being attentive to people and responding on time, is the key ;)OBBTKN
- this 100%
not saying Linkedin is a total waste of time, since it has it's uses... but the way to go is reconnecting with old colleagues etc...exador1