Afraid you're going to lose your job? Read this.

Hi all,

It has been a minute since our last issue.

References to our favorite show aside, we’ve missed you.

We know this is an incredibly challenging time for so many of you. We have heard from federal workers, artists, scientists, farmers, and tech employees who are afraid of losing their jobs.

We’re here to help. This week, we’re talking about:

• What to do if you feel like your job could be at risk.

• How to get another job - yesterday.

-Mariah and the Two Minutes’ Notice Team

P.S. If you’re also worried about your friends and family’s jobs, call your congresspeople and tell them to protect the programs and people who matter most to you. We will be calling alongside you.

POLL OF THE WEEK

MEANINGFUL RESOURCES

We’re doing something different this week. Instead of articles, we’re sharing free resources that might help make your week a little less stressful.

We use all of these tools, and we’re recommending them because they work—no paid partnerships here.

🪄 Betwixt - a beautiful app that reduces anxiety by turning meditation into a game.

🪷 Insight Timer - 250k+ guided meditations for better sleep and reduced burnout, anxiety, and depression—and most of them are available with Insight Timer’s free plan.

🧘 Yoga With Adriene - guided Yoga sessions on YouTube. Check out this practice to heal anxiety, or view the full catalog here.

😌 Headspace - Reduce feelings of panic in 3 minutes with this simple meditation.

Feeling Anxious About Losing Your Job?

We know this fear is very real right now for a lot of people. If you’re one of them, go ahead and skip directly to the tips below.

If you’re not sure whether your job is at risk, take a step back and assess:

• Where are your worries coming from? Has your company announced layoffs or budget cuts? Have you received negative feedback about your performance?

• Are you always worried about being fired? (If so, that makes two of us).

Before taking any action, make sure you have a sense of whether your job is at risk, and how imminent that risk is.

If you don’t have concrete signs that your job is at risk but you’re still anxious, you are not alone. We’ll talk about how to handle fear of losing your job at work next week.

Shore up your finances.

This part is tough, but absolutely freaking essential. It’s time to do everything you can to maximize the amount of savings you have.

Here’s what’s helped us, and could help you too:

• Learn more about unemployment offerings in your state. Are you eligible for them, and how much of your expenses would your payments cover?

• Read your credit card statements. Cancel any subscriptions or services you’re paying for that you can.

• Unsubscribe or filter emails and texts from your favorite stores.

• Check out thrift and discount stores for essentials.

• Switch to cheaper providers for major bills (e.g., Verizon to Mint Mobile)

• Look into assistance programs for health insurance and utility bills.

• Find free substitutes (e.g., free fitness apps and videos instead of a gym membership)

• Switch to store brands, batch cook meals, and try recipes from sites like BudgetBytes to reduce your food costs.

Is there someone you can ask for help?

Make the most of your benefits.

It’s time to make the most of the things your work provides.

Schedule doctors’, dentists’, and eye appointments. Apply for education reimbursements.

You can also get creative here. This author once got a free year of Apple Fitness+ and Peloton through her work health insurance — the day before quitting.

Think about your next steps.

The worst part about job insecurity is the unknown.

You may not be able to control the uncertainty in your current job. However, reducing the uncertainty about what comes next can help you regain some control.

If you left this job, would you want a new job or career? What would it look like? Where would it be? Would you want more work-life balance?

Would you be interested in freelancing, starting a business, going back to school, or taking a career break?

Is there a step you can take now to make that job, business, degree, or break easier to reach?

Find something in your future career that you can be excited or optimistic about.

Take your mind off it.

Remember, you don’t have to solve everything today. It’s not just okay to take breaks — it’s essential.

You’re going to be okay.

Things may be hard for a while. They may even be painful. But you will get through it.

And we’ll be here cheering you on and helping you out, every step of the way.

What to Do When You Need a New Job—Yesterday

Most of the time, we talk about how to get a dream job—or at least a good one.

But sometimes, job searching isn’t about finding the perfect role. It’s about finding the keep-the-lights-on, stay-above-water job, and getting it fast.

If you’re in that era of your job search, here’s where to start:

Reach out to anyone who might be able to help.

Tell as many people as possible that you’re looking.

• Former coworkers and bosses

• Friends

• Your family (really! One of us got an internship from their sister’s best friend’s dad)

• Your entire LinkedIn community

• Your neighbors

It’s okay to ask for help - most people want to help more than you know.

Make it easier for your connections by telling them what roles and industries you’re interested in. Be as specific as possible.

Go back.

Did you leave a previous employer on good terms? Check in with your former manager. If they aren’t hiring full-time, they may still have contract or part-time work.

Think small.

Small businesses and startups often have fewer applicants for their jobs and shorter, less formal application processes. Consider applying to smaller businesses.

Get creative.

If the traditional hiring process isn’t moving fast enough, try something new:

Freelancing - Can you write, code, market, design, teach, act, or manage? Consider looking for work on freelancing sites like Upwork and Fiverr.

Temping - Look up temp agencies that cover your industry. They can often place you in roles faster than full-time hiring processes.

Gig Work - It’s not ideal because of the low pay and limited worker protections, but if you need cash now, you could drive for Uber or Lyft, complete chores with TaskRabbit, pet sit with Rover, or find work on another gig app.

Keep moving.

The work you take in this moment doesn’t have to be your forever job — it just has to keep you afloat right now. It doesn’t define who you are.

COFFEE BREAK

This is our mantra this week.

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We’ll see you next Thursday!