Achoo!

Sorry about all the dust gathering here lately, folks.  It's been a wild couple of weeks.  I'm still waiting for the official ax to fall and finally sever me from this workplace, but it's only a matter of days.  The good news is that I'll still be on payroll for a month, with no official responsibilities except to turn in my badge, borrowed printer, and some network remote access key thingy.  I'm more worried about carrying out all the crap at my desk.  My toys!  I can't leave my toys behind.   In fact, remind me to bring in my digital camera tomorrow to take pictures of my toys as they look spread out here. They're likely to find a cardboard box their home for the foreseeable future.

Like others who've left before me, I'll be adding much to the piles of scavenge-able material in the halls.  Folders, mugs, books - here - take my copy of "Unix in Plain English" now if you want.  Anything with the company logo will definitely get thrown in the garbage heap.  No one will even scavenge that stuff.  We've all got the same celebratory paperweights, anniversary lanyards, and a pair of metal dice with motivational words on each cube.  Some people were so upset motivated by this last token of corporate affection - distributed a few weeks before they announced hundreds of additional layoffs were needed - they actually mailed them back to our company's CEO.  I didn't do that.  I still have them here and pick them up once in a while, look at them incredulously, and put them back in their place.

I don't take any of this personally, the getting let go.  Here, we call it Force Adjustment.  Being FA'd.  "Effayed" sounded out.  And it is sounded out frequently.  I must have said and heard the word 3,412 times this week alone. Is it really only Tuesday?  Sheesh. 

The experience is actually a shot in the arm.  A boost.  There's not a single person I've worked with here who isn't sorry to hear that I'm leaving.  There have been expressions of shock ("Not you!") and disbelief ("You're kidding?") and resignation ("It's happening everywhere").  Then come offers of references, and they'll all let me know if they hear of anything, and "send me your contact info" and "Good Luck."  I'll really miss the people here.  The ones that are left.  I already miss the many who've preceded me on the Effay trail.

I've got a few irons in the fire already, a promising phone interview behind me, and headhunters starting to call.  I'm still trying to decide if I even want to remain in corporate life.  I wish I had the resources to take six months off and just dwell on this topic, but I think I'll more likely be forced to take some similar position sometime soon.  Even if just for the medical insurance.  In any event, I'm confident it will work out.  I've been through this before and each time, I've landed on my feet.

And usually, in a better place.

Comments

[Bekah]

Being effayed or being effed in the ay? Either way, this sucks. Good luck, and here's hoping you do land in a better place!

[Jim - PRS]

That really sucks. I'll spare you the platitudes and just wish you luck.

Drop me a note if there is anything I can do.

[scorpy]

I, for one, kind of envy your position. But like I said in email the other day, I tend to freak about things happening that I did not orchestrate for myself, so I would be all angsty and panic-driven to find another job. Truth be told, I might be able to do a 6-month break if I could live on unemployment, and if Ray could afford to pay for my health insurance. It still sounds daunting.

And you know I'm here, stuck in corporate America, if you need to vent to someone who totally understands.

[Sluggo]

It blows. Big time. But I admire your attitude. I'd be sobbing in a corner. Your're going to do fine.