I graduated university in 1988 and had no expectations of where I wanted to work, why, or how...I just knew I needed some money (to pay off my 3month backpacking trip to Europe) and wanted to buy a car. To make a long, boring story short (and perhaps still a little boring) I eventually got a job with a large IT company through my cousin who worked there (more commonly referred to these days as 'someone in my network') and was honestly thrilled. I spent the next 12 years working in various different roles (inside sales, operations, marketing) and eventually made my way into a sales job where many had told me I should have been in the first place.
In Dec of 2004 rumours circulated, and were later confirmed that the division I worked in was sold, and in May 2005 I became one of 450ish employees in Canada at the new company. Many affected by the sale were furious and felt abandoned by the company they figured would sign their pay cheques until retirement. In fact, except for the executives who were given lucrative retention bonuses to stay, there may have been only 2 of us who were actually excited about the new company and the opportunity it would offer - me, and my friend who was to eventually become my boss and fire me. I was bored and disillusioned with the big corporate, bureaucratic world I had worked in for 12 years. I know it sounds silly, but I was tired of getting on the elevator and not knowing a single person on it, even though we all worked for the same company. I was overly excited about the prospect of 'working for a startup' but with a bunch of people I already knew and loved. okay liked. whatever. I devoured the propogandic emails about what a great opportunity this was gonna be, gulped down the koolaid, and was ready to hit the ground running to get this new business off the ground. This company was gonna be so successful that my new stock options (that were converted from my former blue chip ones and now traded on an Asian exchange that I never really understood) were gonna make me millions! To quote P.Diddy's regular twitter updates "Let's go people!"
I was laid off 2.5 years later. Fuckers.
3 comments:
I can so relate to your last 8 word paragraph even if on the other side of the world :-)
Great BLOG, I am loving reading your thoughts. At least you have been determined enough to get interviews. Though I think you have a few months on me.
I just went straight to the oh stuff it all stage and decided to focus on building a business. Pocket money is better than none I guess. The fat redundancy cheque is dwindelling at a rate of knots.
Oh dear. At least I have children I can charge board to. That helps with the electricity and water bills. Just.
I await the next installment with baited breath. Hope I can keep the internet paid for till then.
oh lis ... you do have a new career happening: writing!! there are so many fave lines from your first entry: the sentence about only two of you happy with the new company, yep, that friend, the eventual boss and fire-er! loved the elevator perspective and the sporatic two word sentences (okay liked.) loved the incorporation of a quote (diddy's) and best of all the abrupt ending and finaly one word sentence!! i want to read more about your experiences. see ... you're a writer -you've got an emerging fan base who want to read your next words!! keep writing sister!
The friend and the elevator are very powerful. This really is kind'a like Carrie from Sex in the City. I like how this is progressing. Keep writing.
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