A Series of Unfortunate Events

Last Tuesday, I found out that the company for which I work is closing its office here. Almost everyone in the office is being given the opportunity to work remotely, from home. Almost. Except, it seems, for the people in my group. Our group is being eliminated. This affects six full time employees.

I didn't mention this before, because one of my co-workers who is also a friend is affected by this, she also reads my blog, and she was on vacation last week. I really didn't want her to find out she was being laid off by reading my blog.

While this was not entirely unexpected, it still sucks. I know it's not personal, but it's hard not to take it that way, especially when there's a story on the company website about how they've added 200 jobs in North America in the last six months. They've also added about the same number of jobs in India, and apparently they're proud of that. But let's not go there.

I guess I'm lucky in a way. I still have this job until the middle of February, and then I have a small severance package after that. I'm sure a lot of other people that are being laid off in the midst of this economic downturn are not so lucky. What I'm getting is a lot better than, "Oh, by the way, we're closing the office next week, and good luck."

I would like to have another job lined up by the time this one ends, so instead of having to use the severance money to live, it could be like a little bonus, or an addition to the emergency fund.

Now I just have to decide what I want to do next. I have a few ideas kicking around, but this is still new, and still a bit sore, so I haven't really started thinking about it too much yet. I'm still in the stage where I wake up at 4am and think, "Oh my gosh, my job is being eliminated."

Actually, in a way I'm kind of glad to have the opportunity to do something else. I've been doing this for four years, which is sort of a glorified help-desk position. I'm bored here, and I've been bored for quite a while. However, it's much easier to stay here and be bored, than it is to venture out and look for something else. Especially now, when jobs are going to be more scarce. I'm bored, yes. But also hurt, a little angry, and more than a little worried. My job is a large enough chunk of our income that we would have a hard time doing without it.

At least I have some time. I'm so glad I don't have to run out and find something, like, yesterday. So now I just have to figure out exactly what I want to do when I grow up.