RIF

I've lost my job again.

The last time this happened, the best word to describe it would be "panic." At that time, we were living paycheck to paycheck. We were in debt up to our eyeballs. We could ill-afford even one day out of work. But after receiving a verbal offer from a company, I thought it was safe to quit my job. Boy was I wrong! I ended up out of work and I didn't have a single lead for a new job.

Fortunately, everything worked out well. I was hired by another company in less than a week. However, that experience was a wake-up call. We decided that we would never again be in that type of situation.

It's a good thing, because this time, we're not panicked at all. We're in a MUCH better position, financially. I won't actually lose my job until about a week before Christmas. With severance, bonuses, stock options, etc., I don't REALLY have to find a new job until April. Fortunately, the job market is good and I don't think I'll have much difficulty in finding work.

So what happened? Wasn't Symantec a good, stable place to work? My response to that question" Is there ANY good, stable place to work in the field of Information Technology?

Symantec isn't going away. They're not soon going to relinquish their spot as the leaders in information security. My particular product is the problem.

Last fall/winter, Symantec acquired the main competitor to the product I develop. The two products could coexist because my product is geared towards the large enterprise and the competing product works best in smaller enterprises. Or so they said.

At the time of the acquisition, they put the CEO of the other company in charge of both products, so it's no surprise that when they decided to combine the two products, MY lab was moved instead of the other product's lab.

On Thursday afternoon, the rumors were rampant and ugly when a mandatory meeting was set for the following morning at 9am. On Friday morning, we heard that the rumors were, indeed true. There would be a "realignment" of resources. While I was at the meeting, I was told that I would receive an email telling me of my "disposition" during this "realignment."

The email came and said, in part:

This email serves as notification that your position has been identified for a reduction in force, with a transitional employment period through 12/19/06.

So now I'm in "transitional" employment. All engineering positions for my product will be moved to Houston, Texas and Pune, India.

It could have been worse. About half of the people on site were told that Friday was their last day. They spent the rest of the day cleaning up their belongings. Most of the rest of us were told that our last day of employment at Symantec would be December 19th. About a dozen were given relocation packages and were offered positions in Houston.

And so it ends. Sometime between now and the end of the year, I will start a new job.

I'm sad about that.

It's been a good job. I've worked with intelligent people. I've worked long hours toward the success of my product and my company. I love the location, the pay, the benefits... But all of that will end, at the latest, on December 19th.

Now I turn my attention forward, towards new opportunities to learn, towards new friends, towards new experiences.