Laid off for the holidays

Some of you who are reading this may have just lost your jobs. My heart goes out to you.

I’ll tell you a story about when this happened to me, how I hit rock bottom, and how that was the beginning of my success. If you’re hurting, I hope the same good fortune eventually happens to you.

Many years ago, I was working at a publishing company called Course Technology. I had been a VP in an operational role, but I persuaded the company to move me into an area creating a new technological product (educational CD-ROM — that’s how long ago it was).

In any case, in December, the company decided to shut down the CD-ROM project and lay me off along with the one other person working on the project. They told me:

• I would have to work the rest of December, including the week between Christmas and New Year’s, to wrap up the project.
• I would get 6 months severance.
• I would get my annual bonus.

Well, that was pretty bleak. It wasn’t just losing my job — which had never happened to me before. I was also suffering from a debilitating back problem and we’d just suffered a devastating pregnancy loss. I was about as depressed as I would ever be. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was also suffering from a hormone imbalance which made it hard to get motivated to do anything.

I was just lying around feeling sorry for myself and my poor family. Happy holidays it sure wasn’t.

It got worse.

In January, my former company screwed me. The promised bonus they’d used to persuade me to work through the holidays was about one-tenth what I’d expected. I complained and was told that bonuses were to motivate the existing employees, not the people who didn’t work there any more.

With no prospects, I agreed to work with a former colleague on a CD-ROM startup. There was no funding and no pay. I told my wife I would give that up and get a real job before the severance ran out.

The startup went nowhere. I had no prospects.

Except that a former colleague recommended me to an outfit that did technology research. I had no experience doing research, and my first few interviews weren’t very promising, but they saw something in me — and the job looked intriguing. Lacking other opportunities, I took it.

I worked for that research company for 20 years. I made millions of dollars in its IPO, established my reputation as a thought leader and author, and built the career I have and enjoy every day now.

If you’re down right now . . .

It’s hard. I know. While it was so many years ago for me, I remember how it felt. It sucked.

All I can tell you is this.

First, enjoy your family at this time of year. You may have a lot to worry about, but you may also have a lot to be thankful for. You’ll get another job, but you won’t get another family.

Second, if you have skills and knowledge, people will need you. Yes, I know AI is making every job harder to get. But smart, thoughtful, valuable, skilled people will continue to be in demand. It may be harder to find the folks who need them, but those positions are out there. Things will come back, especially once companies realize that AI can’t do everything they need to do.

Third, the people you know now will be your salvation. Somebody you worked with will give you a hand up. Jobs end. Relationships don’t, especially if you now put in the time to invest in them.

If this isn’t you right now, remember that it likely what somebody you know is going through. This is the moment to reach out to them. Yours could be the hand up that they need.

My heart goes out to you. Have a great holiday.