What I would do if I lost my job

My company is in the midst of bargaining with our union right now. They want something like the equivalent of 24 low seniority jobs.

The company is not doing well. Blame the economy. Blame the Internet. Blame Craigslist. I see light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a long, dark tunnel and everyone will suffer.

After my employee review last week I feel a little more confident than I would otherwise at this point. My boss told me he will do everything he can to keep me. I hope that will be enough.

But this dire, nervous situation is making me reflect on my young career and what I would do if I were to lose my job.

First off, I would get a job waitressing while I looked for a new job. Ever since age 4 I have dreamed of being a waitress, and the closest this dream has come to fruition was when I was a barista at Applause coffeehouse. I still harbor a secret longing for this career path and I don't think it's too late to pursue it temporarily.

I would keep my cooking blog going on a new domain. I would drum up advertising for it and market it hardcore to try to make some extra dough.

I would finally start up my greeting card business that has been in the back of my mind since high school. I would start selling on Etsy and local craft fairs.

All the while I would apply for marketing and advertising jobs. If, by any slim chance, there were any newspaper jobs out there, I would definitely apply for those too, but if I can't have a job at a newspaper I'm not sure I want a job in journalism at all. Weird and harsh, but my passion truly is for newspapers.

Although I really have no advertising experience, I think my skills would translate well to that field.

And if there was no hope for finding a job, I wouldn't mind going back to school. I have no idea what I'd study - more journalism? More Spanish? Law? Advertising? Graphic design?

At some point later in life, but probably not right now, I would love to be a teacher.

But as exciting as all those opportunities sound, I am happy at my job and I think I have a lot of growing to do there. I would hate to end my affair with newspapers so soon, especially when I have such hope for their future.