New Adventures - Part 1

Hello again.

Well, my new adventure isn't as exotic as the last adventure that I recorded here on my "Tea or Chocolate" blog.  But it's actually more novel, at least for me.   I'm getting laid off soon!  Or, given that the layoff is confidential until it happens, by the time you see this I should be able to say "I've been laid off!".

Layoffs are certainly not novel within the tech world.  Far from it.  As anyone who's been involved in the industry for more than a few years is well aware, layoffs are a routine part of the picture.   Technology changes quickly.  Companies' fortunes fluctuate.  And when you get right down to it, the vast majority of tech companies have a limited lifespan.  So it's not so much a matter of whether or not you'll be touched by layoffs during your career, but how you'll be affected and when.

Some people take pride in having survived many rounds of layoffs:  that's because at least the first layoff at a company might well be designed to reduce headcount (and costs) by getting rid of those that they consider poorer performers.  So surviving 3 or 8 or even 11 layoffs makes you feel essential and appreciated.  Others take pride in never having being laid off:  they find a job elsewhere before they can be canned and feel smart because they anticipate trouble, and feel valued because their skills are in demand elsewhere.  Some get lucky, and don't happen to be at companies that are doing layoffs....or, given the relative youth of people in the industry, haven't YET been at companies that are doing layoffs.  The reality is that sooner or later the majority of us who work in tech will find ourselves laid off.

I've been luckier than many:  in my 22 years in the industry I've survived a total of .... is it 4?...layoffs at various companies.  That's a pretty low number.   Partly that's been luck, partly it's been a matter of choosing to leave companies that were shifting from growth or stability to contraction.

But my number finally came up -- or rather, I finally decided not to dodge the bullet.  Despite the fact that we've had 2 layoffs in the past 2 years already, and that overall I knew that things weren't going wonderfully at my current (former) company, I'd decided to stick it out as voluntary attrition soared.  (Voluntary attrition is manager-speak for people quitting while the quitting is good.)

For part of that time, I stayed on because I felt like I had a mission.  Okay, laugh at me if you like.  But I  felt like I was making a real difference within my limited sphere of influence.  And I was doing great work and getting recognized for it.  And I was being paid very well too.  So I didn't so much ignore the warning signs as decide that they weren't important to me.  

But admittedly, for part of the time I stayed out of inertia.  But by the time I got the news that my name was on a LIST, I had actually started looking for something new....at least half-heartedly.   So I decided to take a layoff and a severance package as a gift....a gift of a summer off work.

So, here I am. Still waiting for my present to arrive.   And wondering what I'm going to do with my summer and then the rest of my life.