Jank Wins the Lottery!

The severance package lottery, that is. As of Friday, I’m a statistic.

Truth be told, I’m not as devastated as being one of the last victims of the recession as I probably should be. Two months of paid vacation, and a job market finally on the up-swing is a good thing. I’d mostly maxed out my potential with my former employer, and had accomplished my goals for the position. It’s nice to finally be able to be completely open about being in the job market.

So if y’all know anyone looking for a BS Engineering/MBA type, feel free to drop me a line.

The whole weekend has been somewhat surreal. I wasn’t exactly surprised when my boss called me in to give me the boot; it had been clear the company hadn’t been bringing in the work necessary to support it. Truthfully, I was kind of relieved, since an uncertainty became a certainty. And I think it’ll improve my marketability, since I’ll no longer go into an interview saying “Well, the biggest reason I’m in the market is because my current job bores me.”

The company’s severance was pretty generous; like I said - two months vacation, and Missy and I have done OK saving for just such an occurrence. Money’s not an immediate issue.

The whole thing is pretty interesting emotionally. I keep swinging from a feeling of almost elation - freedom to actually hunt down a better job; time to catch up with the family and nagging projects around the house; time to continue getting in shape; plus it’s prime-time for catching specs and reds in the bays.

Then there are the times completely filled with despair - Holy crap, I’ve had friends out of work for months and months; there’s the kid on the way; am I letting down (my wife, my folks, my friends); why was I the one cut - Sometimes it’s tough.

But most of the time, it’s a question of continually running through possibilities - Do I immediately turn around and fire off resumes to the clients I had and stay in the industry I’d been trying to leave? Or do I spend more time targeting interests (I’m leaning towards the latter, at least for the first few weeks… At the worst, it’d be a nice break). And do I continue to look in Houston, or can I take advantage of a chance to move somewhere more attractive?

Regardless, it’s change, and I’ve been ready for it since returning from OIF. Be careful what you ask for…

Posted by jank at November 2, 2003 11:31 PM