My job

On March 22^nd, I lost my job.  Was I upset?  More than I thought I would be.

After 10 years with the same employer, my position was made ‘redundant’.  The news of restructuring came to us on February 15^th…that same day, two roles consisting of about 50 people, were eliminated.  The administrative assistants were to go through an A&S process from which 2 would be made redundant and 5 would remain.

Our company is going through a lot of changes.  Since I moved down to RTP, I’ve gone through several A&S processes, this being the fourth.  A&S is an appointment and selection process; like an interview but on paper to see who will keep their job and who will be let go. We fill out a form and a certain criteria needs to be met. What criteria? We haven’t a clue!  After the forms are completed, a panel of people who do not know us review the forms and a decision is made.  I did not embellish my answers.  Maybe this was a mistake – who knows, but regardless, I truly believe I was an asset to the group.  We all have our strengths and weaknesses.  I am a genuinely positive person, self-motivated, punctual, conscientious, compliant with systems we HAD to use, exceedingly reliable (according to my manager), deliver results quickly and accurately, a quick learner, a challenge seeker and always ask for more work. Sorry about that list of adjectives, I guess I am already in marketing mode to get myself a new job! My role was not particularly challenging. I would have liked it more if it were but I always did my best to provide good support and I truly cared about my work/performance, as well as for the people I supported.  Before it was decided who would be supporting ‘my people’, I provided my manager with input on who I felt would be a good match for him and the team. The input was appreciated and given consideration by my boss.

From the day we got the notice, I started telling myself that maybe I wanted, and could use a break. I even considered volunteering to receive a severance package. I was tired of going through these A&S processes every year to fight for the job that I already had and was good at. After all, I thought that better than good job performance should provide some job security. The reality is that I wanted my job more than I thought.  Maybe it’s because one gets used to a routine, seeing/working with the same people for so long.  I realize that we are nothing more than numbers to those who do the deciding, the bottom line is what’s important.  This should make it easier to move on quicker but it isn’t any easier.

A layoff is never a good thing but we can chose to make the best of it.  Even though I had a few things in mind about what to do before I was “de-selected”, this ‘time off’ has not played out exactly as I expected. A break sounded great and I can definitely make the best of the situation, but it’s best to find a new position as soon as possible.  This is why I was hoping to find a new position within the company before June 28^th, but unfortunately none of the positions that I applied for worked out. As of June 28^th I am officially terminated. If I want to get into my old company again, I have to wait six months!

As everyone knows, the economy is in shambles and I just heard a report on the radio that stated that the national unemployment rate went up and that new jobs on the market are at a low. I’ve been actively searching for a new job. It is my hope that in the next month or so, a new opportunity comes up. Who knows, maybe I will pursue a new direction in my professional life.

Regardless, I am doing my best to not stress much. Things happen for a reason, right?!

Have you or someone you know gone through a similar situation? How did you cope? What has helped you to maintain a positive attitude?

~ Lili

 

Image from Dave Granlund