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Update: I've been thinking about this all night, and I truly apologize for this post — I would take it down but for the great information being shared in the comments. My heart goes out to everyone being affected by the shutdown; this CNN article rounds up a bunch of great organizations that are assisting federal workers.
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I've seen a few reader threads about the government shutdown that keeps dragging on… and on… and on… and I thought we might have a little thread with career tips for the shutdown, as well as a general open thread for everyone dealing with the shutdown in general.
I'm obviously not a government worker, so take these with a grain of salt — but here are some quick career tips to help you make the most of the shutdown:
- Update your resume.
- Network! Grab breakfast, lunch, or coffee with former and current coworkers. Now might be a great time to throw a party at your home (potluck/BYOB?) and invite a LOT of former coworkers since everyone might have a lot of time.
- Committee it up. If you're on any professional committees that are “extracurriculars” for you, see what you can get done — plan a conference or speech, write a speaker's bio, update the committee/organization website, interview a thought leader for your committee newsletter, or more. Here's our last post with tips for finding and joining professional organizations.
- Write an article or read an industry-specific book or magazine you've been meaning to read but haven't had a chance to.
- Get those CLEs in. If you're a lawyer or in another profession with continuing education requirements, get those CLEs in. (There are a ton of free ones on PLI's website, and the ABA just started offering free CLEs during the shutdown.)
- Resistbot the @#$@#$ out of your representatives.
For those of us who are not government employees, how is the shutdown affecting you? Are you avoiding travel because of TSA agent absences, or avoiding salad purchases because food inspectors aren't working? Are you doing anything to help workers directly affected by the shutdown, like working with any of the excellent nonprofits mentioned in this CNN article?
E
I’ve been giving people tips on how to approach their missed mortgage payments. I’ve heard of friends of friends getting calls from their lenders and it sounds like they’re afraid to answer the phone and speak with their lender about it. I work in banking and regulators are encouraging lenders to work with borrowers on creating forbearance plans and being proactive, reaching out to the lender before they miss their payment. Lenders should be agreeable in theory but I’m not sure what actual practices are occurring right now. And there’s concern on how this would be reflected in someone’s credit report. A forbearance shouldn’t be a negative remark on a credit report but the late payments will be.
Anonymous
FYI my credit union reached out with an email that they can assist, if you have an account at one you might reach out to them.
Em
I discussed this with our neighbors, who are good friends of ours, and in the military. We offered to loan them money if they needed it and they said they are funded through the Fall, thankfully, but mentioned they had lived through a few shutdowns and always just call their lender straightaway and tell them what is going on, and it has never been an issue even though it is through a not-consumer-friendly large bank. They also said they have gotten interest-free loans from USAA during previous shutdowns to pay other bills.
Joan Wilder
Respectfully, this post reads incredibly tone deaf. I recognize the spirit in which it is made but 33 days in, I’d say people are in financial or morale red alert status and can’t just put on a happy face and make the best of it. People are using foodbanks, not throwing parties for their coworkers. [I’m essential, so just working unpaid.] Also government ethics rules may require prior approval for some of the actions you suggest, depending on one’s agency. If this site wants to be helpful, a roundup of companies providing financial relief/credit extensions/etc would be far more useful.
Anonymous
I agree that this post comes off as tone deaf and removed from the reality of the shutdown.
Amy
Fortunately, my agency isn’t affected, but yes, these tips are ridiculous. Updating your resume is for a focused job search, not a hail-Mary attempt at a minimum wage job that hopefully starts paying tomorrow and is so innocuous that you can get retroactive approval from your agency. Most of the other tips either cost money, require approval, or compromise the ability to be able to return to work at the drop of a hat as required. Plus, I don’t recall feeling in the mood for chin-up and get your reading done chores during prior furloughs – it’s depressing. Not to mention all those who are spending the furlough WORKING without pay and still have no time for these ideas, with the added complication of zero money coming in for that work. The tips most people need right now are how to get money coming in, how to stretch what they have, how to defer some bills to make the emergency funds last, how to get assistance, and how to keep their chin up while working without pay.
DCR
As a furloughed fed, I completely agree
Anonymous
+ a million. A roundup of companies/organizations providing assistance would be a lot more useful.
Or, a roundup of ideas for ways the seemingly well-off readers of this site who are not personally affected by the shutdown can help. In addition to the 800,000 people who aren’t receiving paychecks right now, over 38 million people just got their last SNAP benefits for the foreseeable future, WIC and other child nutrition programs aren’t funded beyond February, food pantries might not be able to get food from USDA, and people in subsidized housing are potentially facing eviction because they can’t pay rent (and their landlords can’t afford to go without rent payments).
R
Thirding that this post reads as a tone-deaf, inappropriate. Even the threads linked above are largely about the stress and insecurity associated with the shutdown.
Annoyed Fed
This post is apparently for wealthy feds? Both my husband and I are feds (both essential too, so working unpaid). We just began home shopping after working very hard to save enough for a down payment, but we are now living off our house fund until one of us can get a paycheck again. We have over 4k a month in student loan payments, and over 3k a month in rent, have no income and have to put buying a home on hold. It completely sucks, and we are fortunate compared to others who can’t even pay their bills.
Sarah
as a furloughed government worker, agree this is inappropriate, and does not take into account the reality of ethical restrictions
SMDH
Add me to the list of those calling this post out on its tone-deafness. I have a friend who is furloughed at the moment. Due to the nature of his job, he is NOT PERMITTED to even look at something part-time to tide him over during the shutdown, as are quite a few goverment employees from what he told me. He wouldn’t even be able to consider the kind of things listed here without approval from his higher-ups, which he would not get.
Oh, and throwing a party???? Seriously??? Parties cost $$$, you know, and I am pretty sure that any government employee who is caught up in the reality of the shutdown is not in the mood to party, let alone spend money they do not have right now to throw a damn party.
nuqotw
Navy Federal is offering interest free loans to members who are not being paid.
Primavera
Here’s a roundup of resources from CNBC. Keeping anyone affected in my thoughts and donating to the local food bank.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/18/here-are-the-banks-and-credit-unions-helping-federal-workers-.html
Fed Up
I like this site, but a post like this reminds me that you cater to wealthy lawyers and investment bankers, rather than the full spectrum of professional women. It was inapproporate. I was a furloughed fed, with a fed husband who was essential. We have young children. We are better off than most other feds, but this period of time was incredibly stressful and depressing, not to mention damaging to both of our careers. Our intended career paths (in fields really only found in the public sector), and our corresponding income to support our family, are now up in the air, and we are not alone at all in this. I’m sure you have a good sized federal employee readership, so I hope in the future you consider that many types of professional women read this site.
And as a side note: so many people in this country stepped up to help. I am incredibly proud of these Americans and grateful to them.
SaiAnudeep
Hi ! Thanks for sharing this informative post , i regularly read your posts to empower my career growth