Ever lost a job that you never would have had the nerve to quit and ended up with a better one?

[NNN0LHI]

Or know anyone this has happened to?

Its never happened to me but I did know a few guys who for them getting laid off turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to them. They ended up with their dream jobs that they really liked after working for years in a factory on jobs they hated.

One guy I worked with and who never had any of intentions on leaving was laid off and became mailman. He didn't even make as much money but he just loved being outside all day instead of being cooped up inside of a factory. He said he wouldn't come back to the factory if they doubled his pay. Wasn't interested. He liked what he was doing and kept on doing it.

Another guy opened up and ran a small independent restaurant with some other investors and the damn thing just took off. There are four of those restaurants now. He is in charge of them all. And he loves every minute of it.

Anyone else ever see something like this occur?

Now on the other hand I knew some guys who actually quit their jobs in the factory to go do something else they thought they would like better and things didn't work out so good for them. Some are still regretting their decision.

Don

[Xipe Totec]

1. Yes. Twice.

It opens up all sorts of opportunities.

[greymattermom]

2. my brother

It just happened to my brother. He was laid off from a job he hated, and a couple of months later has a better job that pays better too.

[B Calm]

3. My last employer loved making the employees insecure. They thought

that made you a better worker. I got pretty fed up with it and just told them to shove it. Took me three months before I landed a better job, but now I'm happy I walked out of that damn place! I'm making a little less money, but. . . . .

[FLPanhandle]

4. I did.

It was the best thing to ever happen to me.

The severance package gave me an entire summer of paid vacation to spend with my kids. How many adults get a paid summer off?

Next job pays more, like it much better, and has much more career growth.

[Avalux]

5. Yes, it happened to me.

At the time, I was devastated by the 'downsizing' that caused me to lose my job....I really enjoyed what I was doing and of course, financially it was difficult. I ended up in a different place a few months later, better than where I was before and almost doubling my salary.

[Turbineguy]

6. Oh yes.

Not only that, but the clown who fired me got fired himself 6 months later and the company went bankrupt and did not survive it.

I however, flourished. I got a really nice job and retired from that.

[Not Me]

10. A little twist on your story

I lost a job once, and it was the policy of the company to pay 2 weeks severance pay for each year worked. Lump sum. (Not a bad deal for me with 20+ years).

Shortly thereafter, business continued to plummet, and they discontinued the policy. The next round included the guy who fired me. Karma.

[county worker]

7. I have always ended up better until just recently.

I have been laid off and every job I got after that I was paid more. In between jobs I was on unemployment or worked as a temp which was a reduction in income. I've had long periods of unemployment so the increases didn't do much but help to get caught up.

My current job is a lower level position from the one I had when I started here. I was supposed to be laid off but because my seniority I was able to move into a lower paying position. So I'm now making less but at least I'm still working.

[NNN0LHI]

9. Got close once to improving my financial position while laid off once

Was working for a tree trimming company that Com-Ed was contracting out to trim trees around their electrical lines. Got to be pretty good friends with the Com-Ed manager who was in charge of everything and he had enough pull to get me on with Com-Ed in some position. About the time he was going to try and pull some strings for me and see if he could get me on I got recalled to the job I was laid off from. And that was the end of that.

Thinking back about it that could have ended up been a sweet deal. Good pay, good benefits and no layoffs to worry about.

Never look back.

Don

[Jackpine Radical]

8. Yes. On one occasion I was dumped because I became too expensive

on their insurance plan (a county) & got a much better job with the State. Then I left that job (early retirement) when it started getting uncomfortable (new, bad boss). Took my retirement & bought into the health insurance plan & went to work for myself. Now I make more money in a lot less time. I could have done it years ago but for the health insurance hangup.

[RebelOne]

11. Yes, I was working as a customer service person.

Then I was laid off and was hired as a typesetter for a publishing company and then was promoted to copy editor. I copy-edited 30 hunting and fishing magazines. This was a very large company. The only clue I can give you is the owner was the financial manager of John Edwards campaign in the 2008 election. But unfortunately, the company had to downsize in 2010 and I was laid off along with my boss and two of our top editors. But being paid for reading was my dream job.