'I think I'm on a sinking ship here:' Woman lands her dream job, only to find out that everyone in her position has been laid off by budget cuts

Author image for Baiz Hoen
Baiz Hoen
Jan 25, 2025 6:00 PM EST

Everyone remembers being asked as a kid what they wanted to be when they grew up. A firefighter. A ballerina. A veterinarian. When you grow up a little bit, these dreams will probably change, but everyone does have that elusive "dream job:" the one job you could work every day of your life, and it would never feel like work. It's rare that you make it to your dream job, so the dream changes and gets a little smaller. In this case, it's best when you hit the sweet spot of a job: it isn't your whole life, but you enjoy the work you're doing, and you believe it's meaningful work. That's the ideal life we all want to live. We feel comfortable in our means, we do work we're proud of, and we can still live a good life outside of the 9-5.

When you secure this position, life feels like Swiss cheese. But, like many things in life, your job can pull the rug out from under you faster than your first paycheck hits your bank account. One woman gets unsavory information about her position at her seemingly perfect job. Should she keep her wits about her and be prepared to look elsewhere, or should she remain hopeful?


 

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    via Benjamin Child
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    I am three weeks into this amazing job that I love so much. It's a non-profit, my co-workers are chill, my boss is awesome, and the work is meaningful. EXCEPT just ten minutes ago my co-worker, who has been around 20+ years, said that everyone in my position before me has been laid off due to budget cuts, one after another.
    via heauxvietunion
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    Then I remembered them saying during the interview that the position had been open, and their team had been short-staffed, for 6 months. WHY? Because they didn't have the budget for another person?
    via heauxvietunion
  • 04
    My co-worker said, "That's how non-profits go. It is what it is, no? But maybe it'll be different for you."
    via heauxvietunion
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    AHHHH. What should I do? Keep my resume polished? Keep Indeed running in the background? Stockpile my meds and hormones? Eat beans and ramen everyday? Chill out and let whatever happen happen? I think I'm on a sinking ship here. Why would they keep refilling this position if its just not working out?
    via heauxvietunion
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    Let's look at what advice people had in the comments

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    via John Schnobrich
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    Welcome to work. You keep the resume updated and ready to go 24/7. Companies will lay you of even if you do 2x the work of your peers. Mandatory 1-4 applications per month after 6 months on a job.
    via heauxvietunion
  • 08
    Question: Is your position grant funded in any way, and if it is, what happens to the position when grant funding ends? If it is, this should have been communicated to you during the recruitment process and not after.
    via heauxvietunion
  • 09
    This would be something to, if you have a good rapport with your boss, to bring up in your next one-on-one. I also think context is key-- on one end of the spectrum, maybe coworker is thinking of layoffs during the pan mic and equating that to a chain of layoffs over the entire 20 years. On the other
    via heauxvietunion
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    entire 20 years. On the other hand, maybe the Board really wants an XYZ employee on staff but the budget varies too widely to reliably maintain one so it tends to get cut. Or it is a position they fill when they get a grant for it, but if they can't get the grant they can't get the person. Context can let you know how worried you should be.
    via heauxvietunion
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    r/nonprofit is also a good resource for questions like this one.
    via heauxvietunion
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    Harsh, but necessary

    Non-profits are a trap and a de d end from my experiences; float your resume while working.
    via heauxvietunion
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    Keep your resume polished. I work for a non profit aswell but it blows my mind they arent aware of their budget for the year
    via heauxvietunion
  • 14
    It CAN happen at any job. I recommend pushing hard for the rainy day saving. Once you have a comfortable savings, you can slowly increase your comfort levels.
    via heauxvietunion
  • 15

    Working hard or hardly working?

    Stay debt free. If you feel your position is in jeopardy, I would recommend continuing to search. Ideally you want to stay at a job longer than that but it is what it is. The best time to get a job is when you have one.
    via heauxvietunion
  • 16
    Keep that resume polished, and think about universities or colleges. They hire people with advanced degrees, employment gaps, and a variety of experience, including non-profit. There is a lot of overlap, especially in terms of scacity of resources. However,
    via heauxvietunion
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    resources. However, employment at universities and colleges isn't about how much money you're making the institution, so job security is high. You usually have to take a temp job, but there is so much work that if you're reliable and at all capable some office will snap you up.
    via heauxvietunion

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