Out, but not down
Top of the morning, neighbors. It's a good day to be alive, isn't it?
It is. Even though I was separated from my job last Friday.
I cannot share specific details, but last week my supervisor and someone from our human resources department let me know that my position was being eliminated. The details of this process were outlined for me, and that was that.
So, as you can imagine, I've spent the past couple of workdays networking and contacting those whom I think can help me connect with my next opportunity. Given the tumult in the employment market since 2007, I count myself very lucky indeed NOT to have experienced this until now. After all, I'm part of that dying breed of "middle manager, " an endangered species, to be sure.
Onward and upward, I say. Companies do what they must, and while it is certainly personal to the affected parties, it cannot be to the company itself, as its actions are driven by an entirely different set of priorities and needs than the individual. In fact, when I was a college freshman in 1978 I took a freshman seminar that was titled "The Corporation, the State, and the Decline of the Individual." Fascinating course taught by a man who was apparently something of a hippie, but who nonetheless was also an attorney. The centerpiece of the course was "The Fountainhead," by the controversial author Ayn Rand. That particular book deals quite a bit with the power of individuality over the power of the collective aspects of society.
I've thought about this a bit since I received the news on Friday, but I prefer to think that we're all connected somehow, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. And I've also come to understand that today's adversary is tomorrow's potential ally. So you have to be mindful of the interconnectivity of such things in your dealings with people. I'm pretty easy to get along with overall, and most of the people for whom and with whom I've worked would agree with that statement.
I'm fortunate to have a good many contacts in my chosen industry, and most have probably either been through the same thing or know someone else who has. And they're pretty quick to help. Thanks to a number of these contacts I've been directed to potential opportunities. None of them are sure bets, of course, but they represent a place to start.
So, when you think of me for the next few days and weeks, think good thoughts. Or, as a fellow blogger often says in his posts, "expect good news." I do!
It is. Even though I was separated from my job last Friday.
I cannot share specific details, but last week my supervisor and someone from our human resources department let me know that my position was being eliminated. The details of this process were outlined for me, and that was that.
So, as you can imagine, I've spent the past couple of workdays networking and contacting those whom I think can help me connect with my next opportunity. Given the tumult in the employment market since 2007, I count myself very lucky indeed NOT to have experienced this until now. After all, I'm part of that dying breed of "middle manager, " an endangered species, to be sure.
Onward and upward, I say. Companies do what they must, and while it is certainly personal to the affected parties, it cannot be to the company itself, as its actions are driven by an entirely different set of priorities and needs than the individual. In fact, when I was a college freshman in 1978 I took a freshman seminar that was titled "The Corporation, the State, and the Decline of the Individual." Fascinating course taught by a man who was apparently something of a hippie, but who nonetheless was also an attorney. The centerpiece of the course was "The Fountainhead," by the controversial author Ayn Rand. That particular book deals quite a bit with the power of individuality over the power of the collective aspects of society.
I've thought about this a bit since I received the news on Friday, but I prefer to think that we're all connected somehow, whether we want to acknowledge it or not. And I've also come to understand that today's adversary is tomorrow's potential ally. So you have to be mindful of the interconnectivity of such things in your dealings with people. I'm pretty easy to get along with overall, and most of the people for whom and with whom I've worked would agree with that statement.
I'm fortunate to have a good many contacts in my chosen industry, and most have probably either been through the same thing or know someone else who has. And they're pretty quick to help. Thanks to a number of these contacts I've been directed to potential opportunities. None of them are sure bets, of course, but they represent a place to start.
So, when you think of me for the next few days and weeks, think good thoughts. Or, as a fellow blogger often says in his posts, "expect good news." I do!
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