[masraum]

So, Last Fri morning, I and 18 other folks were told that we were almost definitely going to be let go. It was a small, oddly distributed group that included a few managers, and my old manager who was a Director is pretty sure that it was a way to save a few bucks due to a budget overrun at the end of the year. I was pretty much the star of my team, the most senior, and, I'm fairly certain, the best paid except for a new guy that's been there a few months that is in a slightly different position.

So, Friday morning we get "you're on leave, go home now". I tell some folks, "I'll update my resume and get it out to you if you know of anything."

Mon morning several folks had my resume in their inbox.

Mon afternoon, almost all of the 19 get the call "you're gone as of today."

Tue morning, 9:30am, I have an interview

Tue 10ish minutes after walking out of the interview, I get a call from one of the folks in the interview, "we're going to tell the recruiter to extend an offer to you."

This afternoon, the recruiter calls and says, fill out some paperwork and I'll have the offer letter sent out tomorrow.

I don't start until Jan 10 which means 4 weeks without pay, which really sucks, but thank goodness for savings. I'm just really stoked that from the official "you're out" to the "we want you" was less than 24 hours. I feel REALLY lucky when there are so many folks who aren't so lucky. Heck, like I said, there were 17 other people in the same boat (1 of the original 19 got to go back to work for some reason). One of the people that got let go is in a fairly entry level position (not much $$) and just (in the past month or two) moved from Houston to Delaware relocating for the company. I really feel for him.

I actually have another interview setup for a perm position with lower pay, but better benefits, and have had a few other discussions with recruiters about jobs that wouldn't have been bad if I had been desperate, but weren't exactly what I was looking for. I guess my field and Houston is a good combo right now.

My old boss is actually expecting them to let a few more folks go as soon as they get a little farther along in some projects that they are working on. I hope not for their sakes.

I had a headache and stress for about 4 days solid, but thankfully, that's pretty much cleared up.