I know, it’s been too long since my last post. How can I build a following when I post so rarely? I’ve been writing something about how and why The Searchers remains one of the all-time greatest films. I’ve been thinking about writing something defending Megalopolis, which may be one of the hugest financial flops of all time but which I kind of liked, at least in parts, and I think it will be re-evaluated in the future.
But there have been distractions. My wife’s US visa finally came through, so I was able to bring her over here, her first time in the US. That meant a lot of time showing her around Austin and the surrounding area. She went shopping-crazy, liked many of the restaurants I brought her to, and even made a few friends via some Filipino/Austin Facebook groups.
But …
Today was the third round of layoffs at my company in two years. This time I did not survive.
Think about that. Three rounds of layoffs in two years? I mean, what the actual fuck, right? The first round was a lot of driftwood, to be frank. The second round, it started to get painful. This round, I don’t know how many people got the axe, but the names I’m hearing both shock me and, to be honest, make me not feel so bad to be in that group.
What they did was they sent out an email at 3:30 Pacific time saying there was going to be a re-org and that people would be let go. Then a second email 15 minutes later on a similar topic. The idea was that if you got an email with an invitation to a meeting with HR, you were fucked. So wait and hope that you don’t get an email, right?
The rumor was that all of these emails would be sent out by 5 PM Pacific and if you didn’t get one by then, you were safe.
5 PM came and went. I breathed a long sigh of relief. And then, I got “the email” at 5:40 PM. The meeting invitation simply said, “HR Restructure Discussion.” Meeting attendees would be the head of HR, my boss, and the head of the division. No description or agenda given.
I paused. I thought about it for a few minutes. Maybe the fact that it said “restructure” simply meant I’d have a new job or a new boss? Maybe I still have my job?
And then, about 15 minutes later, I got a message saying that my company credit card was cancelled. That was about as definitive as one could get.
I’m actually kind of okay. I’m not drinking - because these days when I’m depressed I turn to chocolate, not booze. I really loved this job - terrific people, a respectful atmosphere, I felt appreciated. I was converted from contractor to employee and the target bonus in my contract was substantial. I had 4 trips to China and 2 trips to Germany. I couldn’t have asked for something better.
All things must pass.
And yes, the company, a global powerhouse, is doing very poorly at the moment. They’re shutting factories - something they’ve never done before - and laying off people worldwide. But let’s face it. The company isn’t doing well due to bad decisions made by leadership. Five years ago, ten years ago, they didn’t correctly anticipate where the market would be. Their bad decisions led to this, led to other companies eating our lunch. Those leaders, they don’t lose their jobs, or if they do, they get 7 figure send-offs. Meanwhile those of us in the trenches, the people who do the actual work, we get a hearty handshake and pushed out the door. That’s nothing new. That’s how capitalism works, how it has always worked. Was Marx right? (I know Groucho was, but what about Karl?)
I’ll find out tomorrow what severance package I’ll get, if any. I’ve been with the company for 2 years and 2 months - but I was a contractor at first. I’ve only been an employee for 10 months. So I’m not optimistic that whatever parachute they give me will be golden. I just hope it’s not lead.
So what’s next?
My wife said I should sell everything off, retire and go back to Hong Kong. I’m not ready to do that yet. (And if she doesn’t return to the US within 5 months, she’ll lose the visa that took two years and cost me $6,000 to get.)
I still want to work. I still feel mentally and physically capable and I want to be active, I want to contribute. Yes, I’m pretty fucking old. I don’t think I look my age (I may be fooling myself), I don’t think I act my age, I’m still on top of things in terms of tech, still able to learn, still able to lead. So I want to keep going. I’m really confident in my skills. (The comments I’ve heard from co-workers after I told them I was one of the ones who got cut provided real validation of my efforts the past two years.)
Will I be able to find something? How long can I hold out until I do? How long do I give it before I give up if something doesn’t pop? (I’m not accepting that.)
I tell myself that in 2022, at an “advanced” age, I was able to get a senior IT job with a six figure salary in a different country. If I could leap those hurdles then, I’m confident that I can do again.
I actually started applying for jobs a couple of weeks ago. I already have a second interview with one company tomorrow. There’s also this guy I know, he told me if anything happened to me in my current job, he might have a spot for me - let’s see if he really meant it.
(If anyone out there wants to see my resume or introduce me to someone, you can leave a comment here or drop me a line at steveschechter88 at gmail dot com.)
I think I’m going to try to sleep now. Take it easy. Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. I’ll try to post more frequently.
Hold your head high, Steve. Always continue to be amazed about your strong work ethic and what you're able to pull off. Rest fully assured that these layoffs are due to much broader systemic issues and in no way a reflection of your own performance and contributions.
As you’ve already said, you’ve done it before and you’ll do it again. Ga Yau my friend!