Alarm Bells

The morning began with no surprises. I woke up at my usual time of 4:30 a.m. and prepared for a normal day of work as a buyer of raw-material golf components in Carlsbad. I arrived at work at my regular time of 6 a.m. I like to start the day early to answer email and listen to voicemail from the previous afternoon.

Several cups of coffee, several dozen email and phone calls, and one meeting later, my department head came to my cubicle and said, “Could I borrow you for a minute?”

“You bet,” was my reply, and I followed her to her office. She said that “we” had a meeting with the human resources manager, and all of a sudden alarm bells went off.

I was informed that I was one of many being laid off that day due to the economic situation. The company was down nearly 20 percent in revenue. I was given eight weeks of severance pay after four years of high-quality service to my company. By noon of the same day, I had begun a cyber search for a new job. I realized that my location desires could lengthen my job search, so I opted to consider positions around the world.

Lessons learned: Rumors spoken of often enough usually become truths. I always maintain my résumé and networks, but I wish I had been searching for a new position before my truth happened.

— Mark Grinnell

Tell us the story of your being laid off in the tanking economy and we will publish it and pay you ($50 for 250 words).

E-mail story to:
downsized@sdreader.com