Surprise! Unemployed!

Surely I must have had some clue I was going to be laid off, right?

You would think. I certainly did the first time. This time? Not so much.

I went in on Tuesday, October 2nd, just like any other day. Got in around 9am. My manager Joey, who's a great, easy-going guy, came in my cube and asked if I had a minute. I said, "Sure," and followed him out of my cube. He walked out in the hall and said that Greg, his boss, wanted to talk to me about a project I was working on. By this time I was noticing that Joey seemed nervous and wasn't looking me in the eye. We walked to the elevator and I asked where Greg was. Joey replied, still not looking at me, that he was in a meeting room downstairs. At this point I know something was very wrong. Greg would never ask to talk about a project without scheduling a meeting; he would come to the lab; etc., etc.

We got off the elevator downstairs, and Joey led me to a room that had a sign on it saying "Reserved 8am - 5pm" -- another very bad sign. When Joey knocked on the door, Greg opened it, and I could see that our HR rep was in the room with him. Worst fears confirmed.

So. I know where I stood in my group as far as ranking went, and it wasn't at the bottom. Everyone I've talked to since this point in the company (both inside and outside my department) has expressed shock at my layoff. Why was I picked? I have no idea.

I do have faith that when God closes a door, He opens a window, so now I'm looking around for windows. I was laid off once before (which is a story for another post or series of posts), and this has been a much more positive experience so far. I truly had the best co-workers anywhere, and I will really miss them, but I think I'll be able to keep in touch with them. And who knows what may be in store for me next?

My plan? I will work on my resume tomorrow. I will send it to a couple of carefully selected friends to shred... I mean edit. And then I will see if I can, as they say, land on my feet.

No one ever said this faith stuff was easy.