This past Monday, I was working on a customer project when I got an email from my boss — no subject, but a request to see him before I left for the day. Strange, but not out of the ordinary.
With the project update finished, I went to see him, and we walked to the conference room. We sat down, and my spidey-sense tingled slightly. Something was wrong. He asked about the customer and what needed to get done to complete the project. All the while, his body language was different, his posture and demeanour tighter than usual. Then, the bombshell dropped….
I can’t say I was shocked, sad or angry as he explained the reasons for my dismissal, which wasn’t going to be the last of the week. The company was bleeding money, and the lights had to stay on — yada yada yada. Remaining calm, hands trembling just a bit, I read the letter handed to me with a few details and the requirements to be fulfilled to get my final paycheck at the end of the week. We shook hands, and I left the office for the day, my stomach in knots. How could this happen to me?
On my way home, the gravity of the situation hit me fully. I was shell shocked, and it wasn’t my first time. I felt the same way when I got the news that my father had passed away. In this case, my career had just died in a manner of speaking. A job is a temporary thing, and after switching jobs 6.5 months earlier, I would have to look for another one, like right now.
My family was as shocked as I was, but very supportive. We needed a plan and fast: cut expenses, focus on the essentials, start talking to friends and family about possible job opportunities.
To be continued.