Seattle's Hallie Gertz used to be a Senior Production Manager at Intrepid Learning Solutions, now she's re-evaluating her career path through a series of guest posts on TechFlash titled "Diary of a Laid-Off Tech Manager".
I’m now four weeks into my new role of job seeker after being laid off from my senior management position at the end of October. I’m luckier than most in that I wasn’t surprised to see the Human Resources Director sitting at the table when I walked in for the “Pipeline Status Meeting” my boss had quickly scheduled the evening before. I had unofficially learned of my fate around the water cooler a few days prior. And, I left my company with just over four weeks of pay, including vacation and a small severance package.
Despite the bronze parachute and the additional time to process the situation, this change still squarely fits in the category of extremely stressful life events.
Considering the number of layoffs across the Tech sector, columns like Gertz's may become popular as job seekers leverage the power of social media. My guess is that Gertz's open and honest account of her recent career misfortune and her active online networking (LinkedIn, etc.) will land her a job pretty quickly. If not, we're all in trouble.
Hey all,
I just came across this post, and thought it was interesting, in that I write a blog called Jobless in Seattle and it is ALL about what Hallie is going through.
Unlike Hallie, I had no "parachute" despite two decades of experience and solid work experience. Her honest comments are great, and I encourage her and others to post on my blog, as that is what it is, a place to help deal with issues around unemployment, not just where to find the next gig, but the depression, fear, second-guessing and doubt, and so on.
Thanks,
Andy Brucia
