Back to my old self.
After losing a job that I had for 7 years, it has taken a while to really get back to my self, or, a better way to put it is my new self. Getting laid off is very disappointing, but looking back, and looking forward, I am truly in a better place now. My new position is more intellectually challenging, the highest level position I have ever had, and I get paid more.
For those of you out there who have lost a job of no fault of your own, it does get better. In the beginning, you thing, what could I of done better? Why was I chosen? To be honest, I think it was a short sited dollars and cents decision. We were all late on our annual review/raise, and with new owners, I guess they figured it was easier to just cut all the higher paid employees and hope the lower experience/cheaper workers can take up the slack. There is really nothing you could do better. All of my reviews were great, even though the average raises were inflation level, at best.
With hindsight, it really was a good thing I was laid off. Even with great reviews, they were late and the raises sucked. I was getting bored working on the same project for years with no end in sight. Now that I am working again, I saw just how far my skills were wasting away. So far I have completed several tests that have been waiting in the wings for month, repaired broken test equipment, and participated in a new program from the very start, helping with specifications and adding standards. For the first time in a long time I finally feel like I am making a difference with my efforts.
For those of you that have lost your position of no fault of your own, don’t despair, it will get better. In fact, this may a time to start that small business you always wanted. Take some time off, regroup, and whatever path you are going to take will almost certainly be better than the one you were on. Remember, a business that has to make layoffs is, odds wise, more likely to fail in the next few years. This is not to be confused with selective terminations for ‘dead weight’, this is your classic someone drew a line in ledger and decided this is who is getting let go.
I’ll try to keep up the blogging, it is a good way to finish processing what has happened and I have more happy news to report as spring turns into summer.