Tech Layoffs
(Originally published April 5, 2023)
So I know that I've disclosed in some communities and spaces, but March was a very disruptive month, hence no blog posts the entire month. I had been focusing on some paid writing and while I love this blog and everything I imagine it becoming, it sadly does not help me pay the bills yet.
The final week of March, specifically on the 29th, I went to my day job office like I had done almost every Wednesday for the previous year and almost eight months. It seemed like a pretty average day. I had just completed a call when I got whisked away for an emergency meeting with my boss. The door opened to the conference room and I met an HR representative whom I had never previously seen. I was informed that it was my last day on the job and that despite the company trying its best to avoid letting people go, the tech crunch has been brutal, and having worked for a tech distributor, there was an inevitable fate that had been prolonged as long as it could be.
I was hardly alone that day in getting let go and I'm hardly alone overall. Many people have found themselves in this boat recently the way that things have been going. I am fortunate that I have such a helpful support system. I should be getting severance and I still have my second job and some gig work / freelance work to help bridge the gap in the meantime. Things could definitely be worse.
It's really been interesting this week waking up without a day job to go to. As someone who has always had too much going on, I've simply adjusted my attention and time elsewhere. Obviously, applying for new positions takes up some of that time. As much as I enjoy not having to report to a day job and hope someday to work towards making that a realistic goal, my current situation is not sustainable without finding a new position. Interestingly enough, this experience has helped me solidify my goal of being able to focus on work that I want to do when I want to do it that isn't a day job. It also has helped me do some math and realize I have a long ways to go before I can do that in a practical sense.
Writing has been more of a focus since last Wednesday. As a freelance writer, I write doxed under my real name, ghostwrite, and now also write under DepressiveHacks. I am actually very happy to announce in this blog for the first time that I recently had my first piece regarding the web3 space published by Dgen Network. I hope to continue to work on covering the space for them and other publications. I think that taking my real-life talents and applying them to the space will only help me grow DHR&D and find better ways to add value and create a conglomerate of various activities and offerings, which is the dream.
I think that despite this misstep, the whole experience in the long run can end up being a blessing. It is really nice to be able to wake up and have the autonomy to work on whatever I am feeling that day. I have been able to take extra shifts at my second job, selling golf clubs, which is something I thoroughly enjoy, and have been able to spend more time doing it on the week of the Masters Tournament nonetheless. I have had days that have mostly focused on writing and being able to spend my day in a way that maximizes my creativity and writing has been very refreshing. The weather has finally turned around and spring is slowly coming each day.
Life is beautiful and things will work out. Short-term stress is inevitable, but I am so grateful to be where I am and have done the things I've done so far to get to this point. Change is a time for reflection and I feel that it's important to acknowledge my appreciation for everyone who reads this blog and engages with me in this crazy space and life. Nothing but the best for all of you. We will get through this together and be better for it on the other side. Onward & upward!