The team knows.
With a team meeting today, the announcement of my leaving the company was officially made, and that is that. I will clean my desk (nothing to clean as the spaces I use are flex) and be on my way by Friday. As I still qualify for my Q4 bonus, I will spend the week adding to that what I can perhaps, or instead just spend the time talking to colleagues and forego the cash. I have already reached about 70% of my targets anyway, so that gets me something.
Also, now that everyone knows, I will spend some of the time talking with some of the team and department leads, to see if they are willing to take me on for targeted consulting work. A lot of the needs I know they have would benefit from outside assistance, that doesn't have its hands tied by leadership in the same way. There can be a big difference between what leadership wants, and what they do to try and get there. I know I have something to offer, but will they take it?
Maybe not.
But, it is worth a try, because if I can convince them, it would help get my business up and running that much faster, as well as give me a much needed boost in terms of references. It has been a while since I have actively looked to build, so my network is a little sparse and fragile to say the least. It really is silly me for not doing the maintenance work over the years, but there is only so much energy in the tank at any one time.
Because the severance agreement essentially means I resigned and my supervisor said that it was through mutual agreement, my colleagues asked "what my plans are?", as if I really had something else in the pipeline. I just replied that I don't really know yet, but will take some time to work it out more fully. While I can't say anything about what is inside the contract I signed due to a non-disclosure, I am being as transparent as possible with people also.
Maybe it will help someone.
As I said a couple weeks ago when I found out about all of this, I believe that my transparency has cost me in the leadup to this situation, and has affected the outcomes. Perhaps it is a time where people are meant to just do what they are told unquestioningly, and that just isn't me. I am bad at playing that game.
What games am I good at?
That is a pertinent question that I don't have a clear answer for, because while I used to know what I am good at, I don't think those things are that relevant anymore. And, "retraining" isn't really what my brain is cut out to do either, so I am not sure what I am left with that is saleable. I have a lot of experience in many areas, but is it enough to be hirable?
I don't think so.
Not in Finland at least and I am not that interested in looking for completely remote work. Some people seem to really want it, but those I know who do it, never seem to last very long at any of the places, even though the salary might be okay. There is a reason that people who are only interested in the salary and not the job, aren't often hired. The companies know by now that money alone isn't enough for retention.
Unless the money is obscene. And even then....
If the money really was obscene though, I guess I could do any crappy job for a short period of time. One of my friends headed up finance in a large pharmaceutical and managed for almost ten years across a few countries, but eventually he tired of the stress and moved back to Finland. Wealthy.
Ten years isn't a long time.
In January, it will be eight years since I started writing on a blockchain. That is a pretty long time, and it is easy to track because my account is almost the same age as my daughter. I started this for her, I took the job I just lost for her, and perhaps in 2025, all the other work I have been doing will secure her financial future, and give her a better start in life than I received. I feel that if I can do that, then I have done better than my parents.
If I miss....
I don't know if there is going to be another train.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
I feel the same way by giving the next generation a head start is important. I also had nothing and I do think if I had something I could have done far more. Another train will come because you have too much to offer. Personally I would love to work with you mainly as you think differently in a good way and offer another perspective which is important. Their loss will be some one else's gain.
The place of not knowing ... where you are leaving one situation that you know but the new thing hasn't arrived yet. It's hard to sit in that place, but some say it's a time of creativity when you are no longer shackled by the old but the new hasn't yet got its iron grip on you. Our minds can go to new places that we didn't know were there because we were too busy with the old stuff and now that's gone.
Doesn't help with the practicalities, mind, but you seem to have already got those organised. Talking to your peers about potential work opportunities is a great idea, too. It can all be a bit exhausting, this change stuff, so good to let targets ride.
A friend said to me once, when I was in some scrape or another, "Shani, you can't imagine the scrapes you are going to get into in the future, this [current scrape] will pale in comparison, you'll wonder what you were worrying about." I think he was trying to cheer me up 😂.
A type of purgatory I guess.
This I believe in, but I also am unsure how it is going to go with me. My mind doesn't really go anywhere, unless I force it.
Instead of "could be worse" - it is going to be worse... :D
Good friend!
The departure time is always tough. In my last role my director never bothered to tell the team I was leaving because she was mad I decided to leave. My decision to leave was that much more confirmed that it was the right choice, because although I busted my ass for her, she was too childish to be a professional and do what was right.
Consulting work can be a good thing because you get to provide outside perspectives and insight into things that internally are sometimes difficult to convey without repercussions. Hopefully one of the other teams hires you as a contract worker, it certainly makes it easier when you are familiar to them!
I worked for a small company once that did this when someone left and they treated her badly. As a result, the entire team fell apart after and the business failed, as the woman was the social glue and kept them centered.
I had some meetings today and while no promises, it looks promising for end of Q1. I will keep hounding them ;)
Ahhh man, I'm sorry... all of this sucks. I hope you're able to build your own business quickly.
Just to push back slightly on your thoughts about remote work, I've been working remotely for 8 of the past 9 years at two different companies and really enjoy it. I'm able to focus properly and not have colleagues constantly interrupting my flow, it's honestly really great. Maybe you'd actually like it once you got the hang of it.
Yeah, I get it and I have worked remotely a lot, even before Corona. However, it also depends on the tasks at hand and what makes the most impact. For my kind of work, it is okay at times, but if it is the standard, the relationships don't develop deeply enough, even over long periods of time.
Yeah, that's totally understandable, I really do think it's super task-specific.
Wow, that's too bad that the people you work with can't really know how it went down because of the NDA. They have a feeling though right? Or do they really think you are leaving because you wanted to?
At least some of them know, because they know me. One of my colleagues and good friends is currently travelling with another colleague and she doesn't believe I chose to leave at all. They know the drill.
Yeah, I guess people aren't as naive as they used to be.
Hopefully some of the current contacts give you some consulting work. If they're any good at their jobs they probably know that they would benefit from outside assistance as well but I guess it depends on how much they're tied by leadership.
Why do you have a NDA for exiting? That feels really dubious to me (mostly because I'm really big on transparency and only barely tolerate NDAs on things where it makes sense like during development of something).
At the moment, it is going to come down to "no money" which will be the situation until "new money" comes in next year.
It is for the severance package. Everything is negotiable of course, so they don't want to set baselines based on those who negotiated up.
Right.
I suppose that makes sense on a level but I still think it's stupid.
What is your startup like? I mean you mentioned consulting for the coy after leaving them, what kind of consultation do you want to be offering? Since you write quite well, why don't you try to set up your own writing agency and go the freelance way?
Freelance writing? Because I have to pay the bills - people just use AI now for random text.
I am a skills trainer at heart. Personal improvement coaching through the lens of professional development.
I understand the frustration with writing in this era of AI. But those that value HGC are still many.
I don't understand completely what just happened to you.
But you will be in my prayers.
I just underwent partial layoffs mutliple times in the past four years, and it was stressful.
But you seem prepared, so good for you.
I started planning my escape a few years ago, and started working wekedns only at what use to be my fulltime job, and replaced it with aother fulltime job, which I thought had more longevity.
But jobs seem to lack longterm committments from employers, so they are also plagued by short timer syndrome employees.
Many compaies also treat the help badly, so they get what they deserve.
But you are just blowing off the whole job racket.
Good for you.
Isn't this the case. When people are only doing it for the money on offer, they will leave whenever there is a better offer.
Yes and no. It was a hard road before, which is why I went for a bit of security. Not sure if I will handle it as well now with more obligations on the table too.
Hopefully it works out well for you.
I like the possibility of working as a consultant for your old company.
Perhaps you can attain the best of both worlds, doing something you enjoy on terms you dictate.
I always hoped to achieve that with my job and I had it for two years after twelve years, but it's gone now.
So I am looking for the next good job opportunity.
Today I just talked with our neighbor that time moves really fast. My dad died about 10 years ago. Where did those 10 years go?
I still think that I am quite good at art...
It is a shame that my sales disagree with me.Also people seem to have very different opinions about my art. Some( vocal minority) laugh at it and said that for instance my pizza art piece is childish.What I find interesting is that most of those negative people have no art of their own to show for. Others said that my works are great( one person even claimed that I am better than Picasso)...I guess whats really matter is that I enjoyed creating those pieces and in the end of day you can't be liked by everyone.
This is normally the case with critics. They don't put anything of themselves out there, because they fear criticism.
And if you enjoy it, it is worth doing it still.
Hey mate, perhaps you should send your pizza art and your artwork in general up for auction at Sotheby's and find out its true value. Forget about displaying them only in NFT galleries.
If I remember right only galleries can display art in auction houses. So as a single artist I think that I can't do that. I have sold some of my works. And pizza art piece I have already gifted away to local pizza place. And now I intend to learn making digital art.
The fact that you're considering consulting work and building something for your daughter shows how much you're dedicated to creating a better future. I hope I can have that kind of mindset when I face challenges in the future.
It is easy to have the mindset - hard to do all the work involved!
You shouldn't feel too bad about remote jobs. My job was one day remote before COVID, but at the start of pandemic we went 100% remote and I love it after four years. In fact they are trying to bring us back to the office and that would be the worst thing that could happen job wise.
So try looking for remote positions, or contracts, we had people from Turkey working for us remotely and it was no different than people from East Coast of US.
The whole company is remote if they want (even before Covid) and I work remotely often if I need to. But, I don't get anywhere near as much value out of it, and I am very good with remote facilitation :)
It depends on the type of work though.
What I find is that the people who are fully remote struggle to get fully engaged. If there are no relationships with colleagues, everything is transactional and that bores me.
Sorry to hear this, @tarazkp Hope you get your new business up and running soon, and that those team members take you up on your targeted consultations.
Sending hugs,
Ben & Annabelle
Cheers guys! There is some hope after some discussions today at least. Hope doesn't fill my belly though. :)
Sorry for your Lost in job, I wished you can found the way.
And yes you have a treasure, it is time to watches.
And if you do not want to Lost the train do not forget, have a plant and follow it,
Hmm quite the change, i wish you well in your new endeavours