Work and the nature of employment
I wrote this in April of 2019. Just happened onto it today and hit publish.
I lost my job this week. It was a long time coming, I have to acknowledge, but it was still a shock. I didn't get fired, though. My position was terminated. I suppose that should make me feel better, but it really doesn't.
During the termination meeting, the shock of it altered me to such a degree that my hand shook as I signed and dated their lay-off form. That was surprising to me, as well as aggravating. I never want other people to see the effect they have on me. But I suppose some things are simply out of our control.
A parade of different worries and emotions took up temporary residence before my eyes, as the next couple of days went by. My first concern should be easily imagined: what will I do for money. Not in the long run, necessarily, but in the immediate future. I spent over three years with this company, but, as the employee handbook clearly stated, any unused vacation or sick days are lost. I expected no compensation and they offered none. That means my final check is all I received upon my departure. I will cut down on spending where I can, but my expenses are high.
Another matter that quickly drew my concern is my age. I am no longer a young man, and my profession is not for the old. My energy level has wound down through the years, and I lack the stamina and inclination to throw myself into the job market like a fireball.
A few days have gone by since I started this post. I've applied to many jobs, had one phone interview and attended one face-to-face. Nobody out there seems overly eager to hire me, that's for sure. I know how it works. People either like you and think you're a good fit, or they don't. You can bring the greatest credentials around and it still boils down to whether they get a good gut feeling about you or not. Still, the most nerve-wracking part of the entire job-seeking process is waiting for a callback to a sent resume. You just can't tell if they've even looked at it.
I put a lot of effort into my resume. A few years back, when it seemed nobody was responding to my job applications, my wife convinced me to hire one of those resume-writers-for-hire you find occasionally on Groupon. I'd always had the type of resume you create on a Word template. Never thought much about it. But once I had the new one commissioned, it made all the difference in the world. I started getting callbacks immediately. They didn't necessarily convert into job offers, but at least I knew my work experience was getting looked at. That took away some of the frustration.
I go out walking early every morning. Then I go to our community gym for a little while and do a little lifting. I come home, shower and shave, have some breakfast, and sit downstairs with my laptop; answering emails, filling out job applications, and sending out resumes. I'm trying to be as disciplined as possible about sticking to my regular routines. Without an actual obligation to get up and move every day it's easy to fall out of practice and just become a bum. I'm sure my wife is sick of having me at home all day as it is, I can't imagine how she'd feel if I wasn't even bothering to make an effort.
During the termination meeting, the shock of it altered me to such a degree that my hand shook as I signed and dated their lay-off form. That was surprising to me, as well as aggravating. I never want other people to see the effect they have on me. But I suppose some things are simply out of our control.
A parade of different worries and emotions took up temporary residence before my eyes, as the next couple of days went by. My first concern should be easily imagined: what will I do for money. Not in the long run, necessarily, but in the immediate future. I spent over three years with this company, but, as the employee handbook clearly stated, any unused vacation or sick days are lost. I expected no compensation and they offered none. That means my final check is all I received upon my departure. I will cut down on spending where I can, but my expenses are high.
Another matter that quickly drew my concern is my age. I am no longer a young man, and my profession is not for the old. My energy level has wound down through the years, and I lack the stamina and inclination to throw myself into the job market like a fireball.
A few days have gone by since I started this post. I've applied to many jobs, had one phone interview and attended one face-to-face. Nobody out there seems overly eager to hire me, that's for sure. I know how it works. People either like you and think you're a good fit, or they don't. You can bring the greatest credentials around and it still boils down to whether they get a good gut feeling about you or not. Still, the most nerve-wracking part of the entire job-seeking process is waiting for a callback to a sent resume. You just can't tell if they've even looked at it.
I put a lot of effort into my resume. A few years back, when it seemed nobody was responding to my job applications, my wife convinced me to hire one of those resume-writers-for-hire you find occasionally on Groupon. I'd always had the type of resume you create on a Word template. Never thought much about it. But once I had the new one commissioned, it made all the difference in the world. I started getting callbacks immediately. They didn't necessarily convert into job offers, but at least I knew my work experience was getting looked at. That took away some of the frustration.
I go out walking early every morning. Then I go to our community gym for a little while and do a little lifting. I come home, shower and shave, have some breakfast, and sit downstairs with my laptop; answering emails, filling out job applications, and sending out resumes. I'm trying to be as disciplined as possible about sticking to my regular routines. Without an actual obligation to get up and move every day it's easy to fall out of practice and just become a bum. I'm sure my wife is sick of having me at home all day as it is, I can't imagine how she'd feel if I wasn't even bothering to make an effort.
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