Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Ch-ch-ch-changes

A funny thing happened in the midst of my own personal life reorg- my company decided to do another reorg of its own. This time, I didn't make it through: I was laid off today. I saw this coming almost a month ago (and I signed some papers today saying that I won't disparage my company or its officers, so that is all I'll say about that), and was prepared. Of course, as I have mentioned before, I think anyone working in biotech should always be ready to walk into work and find out you won't be coming back tomorrow, and for the most part, I do have my financial house in order. I am not worried about our ability to make our mortgage payments or keep food on the table, and for that I am grateful. But a lay off also takes an emotional toll, and no matter how much you accept the volatility of your industry and understand the reason for the changes, it is never fun when it is your job that evaporates.

However, since I saw this one coming, I had already made peace with it, and I had started networking and looking for a new job well before the cuts were finally announced. I have a few leads, but nothing definite yet. Interestingly, the most promising lead would be a job that would be more hands on sciencey-techie work than I've done in a while. Honestly, it sounds like a lot of fun. I'm not sure it would be the smartest career move, but since I was in the midst of trying to figure out what my career should really be, maybe just following the work that sounds fun is the way to go.

I have some time to sort all of this out, and some help- my company sprang for outplacement services, so I start what I affectionately call "lay off school" tomorrow. Or at least, I go to orientation tomorrow. After that, I can decide when to start.  I want to take a little time to relax and truly make sure that any hard feelings about how this job ended are behind me- I've interviewed enough people to know that sour grapes don't make a good impression. I also have some non-work things I'd like to do. If you look at my life list, there is a travel website I've been wanting to set up for some time. I've scribbled lots of ideas for that website down in a notebook over the years, but never had the time to invest in the initial set up. Now I do, and I don't want to waste this opportunity! I'll probably make some changes here, too, and try some things out, not so much because I expect this blog to replace my lost income but because there are things I've wanted to try and have never had the time to get set up.  So, stay tuned. It should be an interesting time.

15 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear it, but I'm glad you are turning the situation into an opportunity. Best of luck!

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  2. Gosh Cloud, I'm so impressed at how positive you are about, well, everything. I can tend to get lost in my half empty glass sometimes, and your way of being rational and positive and logical about things is why I love reading your blog. Good for you for taking a negative and seeing the silver lining to make it something good for you. Can't wait to see your travel website!

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  3. There are worse things than losing a job that you didn't like. I am glad that you have the presence of mind to see that. I hope you land a better position soon! Now send me your CV, stat!

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  4. Sad to hear that your instincts are still 'right on.' We were wondering out loud about you when the RSS feed came in with the news. After sleeping as much as you can, embrace those creative impulses!

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  5. Thanks, everyone!

    @Melba, trust me, I wasn't quite so positive when I first found out. No matter how it is done or how ready you are to move on, a lay off stings. But this one does seem to be working out rather well for me. Fingers crossed that my luck continues!

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  6. Sorry to hear about your job loss, though from your recent postings, it might not be such a bad thing. I'm glad to see you have such a positive attitude about it all. I'm sure there's a better opportunity out there for you somewhere. I look forward to hearing more about your journey to find it.

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  7. I was laid off a couple of years ago and it does sting, even if it is expected. I have sort of the same process, feel all the emotions then look at where I am and the choices available and move forward.
    The extra free time is a great perk of being temporarily unemployed, enjoy it!
    And I hope you get to go down a more science/techy path since that seems to be where your passion lies.
    Best of luck with this new part in the journey!! :)

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  8. Sorry to hear you've been laid off - even if you don't love your job, it's still not nice to be told you're not wanted.

    Still, it sounds likes you've found your silver linings. I'm definitely interested to hear/see how the travel website develops.

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  9. That had to be some very hard news to hear, I'm really sorry. Their loss - I mean who in their right minds would let Cloud go? Sheesh. I'm amazed at how upbeat you sound - I think that will serve you well. And it is so great that you kind of saw this coming and were prepared financially. Hugs to you!

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  10. Good luck. Its good to hear you putting such a positive spin on things. Here's hoping you get some time to relax, get some of those interesting projects happening, and then have a fabulous job land right in your lap!

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  11. Anonymous8:48 AM

    Ah yes -- well, sometimes your instincts are on-target.

    My only advice is embrace this time to take care of some of those things you've been putting off or never seem to have time to get around to.

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  12. Good luck in your job search, I hope you find something good. I do find that although I'm not 100% satisfied, being at the bench is good for me as I actually do something with my hands every day and I think there is something to be said for that.

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  13. I'm so sorry you got laid off. That just sucks, even if you were expecting it.

    I'm really excited about a Cloud travel site! Also, I'm going to email you about an idea I've had...

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  14. paola5:10 AM

    Ouch!!

    I'm so sorry to hear about the lay off. I'm sure it won't be too long before you're back working.

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  15. I am so sorry about the lay-off. It is a huge blow, but thankfully you will be ok financially. Definitely take advantage of that and use this time to explore and create! and take some (safe) risks!

    You are a great person with amazing assets and skills, so I have no doubt something good will come along. Gotta love the networking tools we have available today! GOOD LUCK!!

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