In Deck the Halls with Pink Slips I discuss the November round of layoffs at several big companies. Of course, part of what brought these to my attention is that a dear friend of mine got caught in the pre-holidays cut-backs at Adobe.
Even worse, however, was the fact that my friend loved working at Adobe. It was the first time she’d worked for a large company, so some of the perks that big company people take for granted — training, resources, perks, etc. — were all relatively new to her, and she was taking advantage of as many of them as possible.
While it’s probably unlikely that my friend is going to go off and start her own business at this point, I got to thinking about the hundreds of people who got the ax: what that meant to their holidays, their lives, their plans and their next steps.
Since a great many of the layoffs were in my beloved Bay Area, it’s unfortunate to realize that the already over-whelming glut of talent on the market is now going to be competing with an even larger pool of newly “free” talent for an extremely small number of jobs. Especially as we head into the end of the year, where many places are in a holding pattern until the beginning of Q1 (though, admittedly, many of those who do not intend to bring anyone on until after the first of the year, will be looking and identifying their new hires now).
I wonder how many entrepreneurs have just been unleashed. Maybe they are people who have wanted to start their own business for a while, but who weren’t ready to walk away from a steady paycheck to make it happen. Or how many are like me: reluctant entrepreneurs responding to circumstances first and foremost.
I look back on this past year, realizing that my journey has landed me somewhere I never imagined: happily self-employed. I certainly didn’t start out that way. I fought it, kicking and screaming, making my husband crazy, making myself miserable, worrying my friends and family, and generally resisting being knocked out of my comfort zone.
And now I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I don’t want to work for anyone else, and I can’t think of anything less appealing.
My holiday wish for the people who found themselves on the receiving end of some holiday uncheer is that they find the courage to take advantage of the opportunity. The era of big business is over. Now is the time to either start your own business or join someone else’s startup. And if you can do it while you’re still getting a severance, then even better: let your former employer help pay you to get a new business off the ground!
Self-employment isn’t for everyone. But I do believe that, for those of us with a strong inclination to take charge (and/or a strong aversion to following directions from others), eventually the opportunity will present itself and, given the right circumstances, it’ll prove a far more enjoyable road than the same-old-same-old.
Besides, we’re in the Information Age now. The same-old-same-old is dead. Thank gods.
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