I Was Redundant.
A few things happened today, which have now stimulated me feeling the need to do this post.
Maybe your husband should try leaving you brochures on how to keep a job, instead (of money)!
I didn't publish the comment. I felt it deserved a "prime time" spot on the blog, with "prime time" response.
The second was thing that happened was during conversations I had with some people I worked with until this past Monday. The general response to my lay-off was:
"Well, shit... If they laid off you - someone who was doing a very good job and bringing in lots of valuable Internet traffic - what does that mean for the rest of us??? Are we trouble too?"
Here's the truth, people...
I loved the people I worked with... Very, very much. I gained some incredible best friends from the job... And I was challenged in a way that I had never been challenged in a job before. I was also rewarded more than I had ever been rewarded at a job before in my life. And I had tremendous success there withe the work I produced.
But, me being the honest person that I am, I shared with people early on that I would be eventually moving to Canada. In fact, I started working their in February 2007, and that month I told Mr. Sports, "You only have me for two years from now. I move to Canada in 2009."
So, in mid-2008, there was a bit of a "freak-out." I was running both paid search and organic search... And the business was reliant on the traffic I was bringing in to the website. But I was one person. If I got hit by a bus, they would be screwed. So they forced me to hire one person. Then they requested I hire a team of junior people.
So, by early October, I had a team of five reporting in to me.
To help put things in perspective... Back when I was running things on my own, I was busy... But I still had time during the day to a blog post or two. Now that I had a team... I had plenty of time to research stuff and post blogs and read stories online.
By early November of 2008, I was redundant. So very, very redundant. I had hired my replacements. And I had trained them very well.
I honestly thought that a lay-off wouldn't happen till about early March, if it happened at all. I mean, the US business is very strong. But cuts had to be made... And I agree 100% with the decision to have me go ahead and leave.
No one who works there now (in the US) needs to worry about things going badly. Things are very strong. I am sorry things were announced in the shit-tastic way they were announced. I backed this decision very much - just not the way it went down, as I deserved a better "send-off" then I got.
So, bottom line: I was doing a kick ass job, but I had already hired my replacements because of my move to another country. And "fat" needed to be trimmed. And when you can spare a six-figure salary... You do it. In this economic environment, you do it.
Comments
Now to respond to your comment...
First, I guess, "Thank you for stalking my blog." If you are so down on American culture and don't like me so much, I'm not sure why you bother reading the blog... All I can assume is that...
1. You know me.
2. You are jealous of me.
Yes, I wrote "jealous." Otherwise, you wouldn't be leaving nasty comments. If you just didn't like me, you simply wouldn't waste your time with my blog. But the nasty comments, specifically left "anonymously", suggest an inadequacy you have with yourself.
And Americans don't treat salary as a taboo subject. In the UK, people do talk more openly about their salaries. In America, if someone ever asked me my salary, I would tell them it. No one ever did though. And now that I am no longer with the company, I think it's helpful for others (who know me) to understand what a proven search marketing manager gets paid doing the work in-house.
Also, I wrote that I felt great about the work I did at the company and that I really enjoyed my time there.... Because that is the truth. Did I like the moronic decisions that came down from above all the time? No. Did I play "nice" with people? Nope, not always. But I had great success at the company with the specific work that I did. And when it came time to line up my replacements, I made sure to pick VERY SMART AND VERY CAPABLE PEOPLE to take my place.
It was time to move on.
And MANY women in America keep separate checking accounts from their spouse. The Husband and I know about each other's purchases, because - get this! - we TALK... You know, like loving couples do who respect each other. But we split bills differently, and we like each having our own accounts. So, he pays the rent while I pay for groceries. He gets the electric bill while I pick up the costs of cleaning and keeping up the home.
Just because married couples don't share a checking account doesn't mean the couple doesn't talk about money. Quite the opposite, in fact. We talk about money all the time... Investments... Major purchases... What a new pair of shoes cost...
So, now that I no longer work with you, Anonymous, (because I am assuming you were someone I worked with) I wish you the best. I am sorry you are jealous. And I hope your interviews go well in the coming weeks. Even though you have a nasty tone, I do think it sucks what you guys have to deal with... And no one deserves to have to deal with that.
This is bullshit. And whoever talks smack about people in these trying times is a douche (second time this week I'd had to use that word). A lot of companies are being forced to downsize in this economy and it ISN'T because people aren't doing a "good job at keeping jobs and making money" but because the economy sucks and companies have very little choice.
People who judge others who are let go, laid off etc. are tools. Also, others don't get to tell people how to spend their money or manage their money!!!
Arughhhh!!!
Knowing your salary was six figures "educated" me.
~Tiann
Anyone who is qualified to become a senior-level marketing manager SHOULD know what the going-range is for an in-house position. And, like I said, if anyone had ever asked me what my salary was (no one ever did - except someone who was inappropriate, as he was getting fired), I would have told them.
I made good money for the company... And I was paid respectably for my contribution.
My husband is originally from Canada. And his work is moving us there in a few months.
We're moving to Toronto... Which is a very metropolitan city. When you're in a big city, the cold is less intimidating. And believe it or not, Boston is actually colder than Toronto.
Came by to see if your 'anon' poster had any more to say..
and saw Meagan's comment.
sigh
WHY are so many Americans so bloody ignorant about their neighbouring country???
The WHOLE country isn't "freaking cold": I in live Vancouver - where today it's 48F compared to your 24F. (actually, today we thought it was freezing, we are not use to this single digits in the Celsius!)
As for "why"; The list is looooooong on why living in Canada is so much better than living in the US of A, it may take you a while to see Missus - you'll want to compare by what you are use to. Just remember, we ARE different countries.
~Tiann, typing away from my igloo