D-Day

Today, or so rumor has it, I find out if I still have a job.

Or, at least, if I get to keep my job for a little while longer. See, I'm in an industry that is trying to kill itself. It's still viable, but the people who control it, are killing their golden goose.

And the industry scuttlebutt says today is the day they reveal their plans. Today. Inauguration day. No, it's not a slap in the face to the new administration. Rather, they hope no-one will notice.

Published reports indicate they're chopping 7% of the workforce. But, those same reports contradict themselves; they claim to know where the cuts are coming, and they claim to know the new direction the company is taking. However, if the latter is true, than the former is not.

I, and my immediate coworkers may be relatively safe, but I'm not counting on it. And even if they don't toss me out, I'm still going to lose some of my "family". Because that's what we are, even if we don't always like each other.

It won't be the first time I'm canned. The first time was during the last economic downturn, as Pres. Dubya took office. Ironic, no? In all actuality, I was let go a week before the election of 2000, and was so depressed, I didn't pay attention to who won, and who challenged it. I do remember traveling to Dallas, to look for work, stopping in a coffee shop between cold-calls, and seeing on television a Ryder truck escorted by police, media in tow, a CNN helicopter overhead. At the time, I wondered if OJ had gotten loose, and had hooked up with Tim McVeigh.

I think I'd rather be fired for incompetence than laid off. If you're fired for not doing a good job, you at least have the option to make yourself better. You can ask what the problem was, and work on it.

When you're laid off, it's for "economic reasons": things completely out of your control.

("Economic reasons" being shorthand for the CEO is only making $10,000,000 a year, and can't take a cut, even though their leadership may have contributed to the company needing to shed some fat in order to survive. "Economic reasons" meaning the board of directors is worried about the stock price day-to-day, instead of building a solid foundation for years of prosperity.)

But, there's nothing I can do about that. So, looking forward:

There's not much else in my field any more, because it's been gutted. There's not much else I can do. And even if the unemployment rate wasn't climbing to near 10%, there's not much else that interests me.

I guess that's the downside of loving what you do; hating everything else. I'm a job snob.

The line from "Say Anything" sticks with me: "I don't want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don't want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You know, as a career, I don't want to do that."

So, that limits my options. And I'm getting a little old to join the army, that fallback for a tough job market. I've considered something like a professional advocate. You know, working for the NCTE or another group, but I somehow doubt their coffers are overflowing enough to hire new staffers.

But, something will turn up. It always does.

And besides, I am still employed. For a few more hours, at the very least.