Look, I think I must have some kinda record because I've been made redundant 6 times. I was a case study for one redeployment company and I even managed to get onto national radio to talk about it. My take is - you're not the job. You're a whole set of skills and talents, personalities, gifts and cranky bits - but you're not your job. Most poeple describe themselves as what they do and their work location etc - but that isn't who they are. So - 1. Stop fretting about the job you just lost - that wasn't any of yourself that got lost - it was just a job. 2. It's just a job - nobody died - morn it if you will - but not for more than a day - keep a sense of perspective. 3. Research shows that 80% of people get better jobs the next time - so you should expect to be earning more, in a better environment with some great new colleagues sometime soon. 4. Nobody in my many times experience can work full-time at getting a new job - set a limit on job finding at between 3-4 hours a day. 4. Keep fit - run or walk a lot more than you would have when at full time work - it will make you feel physically better (don't hit the drink - it's a depressant and you'll be feeling worse in no time). 5. Study something new - new bass style - a language - whatever - a new skill that would help sometime in the future. 6 Try to keep the social life going - but promise me you won't winge on and on and on about not having a job - that subject is banned after two days from losing your job. People got tired of that subject one day after you lost your job and gave you another day's grace because they were sorry for you - raise it again now and they'll start avoiding you. 7. Make a list of all the things your good at. 8. Make a list of all the things you could be good at 9 make a list of the kind of jobs you'd like to do - somewhere between these lists are matches for jobs you'd be good at now, jobs you could develop into and some that are just a bad idea because you'll never enjoy those jobs because you don't have the basics and don't have the aptitude. (Don't believe that idea about you can become anything you want - if that were true we'd all be rock Gods!) 10. Now your in great shape to start talking to employers or agencies about who you are, what you can do, what you could train to do and generally how your going to make them 5 times more money than they'll be paying you. (Understand that people employ you because they want you to make them more money than you get paid - not a good idea to misunderstand that at interviews).
Think of it as a great opportunity to meet up with some new guys, start something fresh that you really want to be doing. Don't forget to interveiw the interviewer - you're giving them chunks of you life for money in return - make sure you know what it's going to be like there - find the right job and it's like being paid for being on holiday (well nearly).
I've survived 6 redundancies (adventures in employment) - Take-overs, Chapter 22, Downsizing, Reorganising, New Management - it's all been nothing to do with me - it's just the way work is nowadays - you're hired help, nothing more - when the gig finishes you stop getting paid and you go home.
I hope you have a girlfriend, You know that a bassist without a girlfriend is homeless. If you are homeless you wont have a place for your gear and that would be BAD.
