What a difference a year makes...
Last January, I was on top of the world. We'd just finished a big project at work, I got a humongous bonus for it - upwards of $1500 - we'd recently hired 2 more people to help spread out the workload, and everything was good.
This January, we haven't gotten bonuses since August, those 2 extra people have been let go, and according to rumor, if we don't get some billable work in soon, we've got around 4 weeks before the company goes belly up.
12 months ago, I was confident that I had total job security.
Today, I'm preparing to start putting my resume out there and start applying for jobs, just to have leads in case something bad happens.
Honestly, I don't think it's the downturn in the economy that's wounded us, although I'm sure that was a contributing factor. We've got two big ongoing customers, and we've picked up a few smaller ones along the way. We even have 2 projects that need to be completed this week.
I hate to admit it, but I think the problem is with our boss. He's one of the greatest guys in the world, but he's also having some personal problems, and it's making him lose his focus, and he hasn't been making the best business decisions. It's not total mismanagement, but it's flawed management. On top of that, this is the first time we've had a major downswing in the history of the company, and the company is twice as big as when we started... and his communication skills aren't that good. Add to that the fact that he tries to run the company and do development... it's a mess.
So... I'm going to talk to him on Monday, try to get the straight shit on what's been going down. On the side, I'm going to start getting my ducks in a row so that if something bad does happen, I've got a job to fall back on. Maybe I can set something up where I can go to work for one of our clients as a contract worker or somesuch. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it...
... or maybe it is time to look at moving on. I've gotten my feet wet in this company for 3 years now. Maybe it's time to look for bigger and better - but I don't know... not in this job market.
So, do I jump ship, or do I try to weather the storm... or a little of both? We'll see what happens tomorrow - then I'll decide.
This January, we haven't gotten bonuses since August, those 2 extra people have been let go, and according to rumor, if we don't get some billable work in soon, we've got around 4 weeks before the company goes belly up.
12 months ago, I was confident that I had total job security.
Today, I'm preparing to start putting my resume out there and start applying for jobs, just to have leads in case something bad happens.
Honestly, I don't think it's the downturn in the economy that's wounded us, although I'm sure that was a contributing factor. We've got two big ongoing customers, and we've picked up a few smaller ones along the way. We even have 2 projects that need to be completed this week.
I hate to admit it, but I think the problem is with our boss. He's one of the greatest guys in the world, but he's also having some personal problems, and it's making him lose his focus, and he hasn't been making the best business decisions. It's not total mismanagement, but it's flawed management. On top of that, this is the first time we've had a major downswing in the history of the company, and the company is twice as big as when we started... and his communication skills aren't that good. Add to that the fact that he tries to run the company and do development... it's a mess.
So... I'm going to talk to him on Monday, try to get the straight shit on what's been going down. On the side, I'm going to start getting my ducks in a row so that if something bad does happen, I've got a job to fall back on. Maybe I can set something up where I can go to work for one of our clients as a contract worker or somesuch. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it...
... or maybe it is time to look at moving on. I've gotten my feet wet in this company for 3 years now. Maybe it's time to look for bigger and better - but I don't know... not in this job market.
So, do I jump ship, or do I try to weather the storm... or a little of both? We'll see what happens tomorrow - then I'll decide.