Dodged

Three days into training on new job. Commute’s a bitch (55 miles one-way) but worth every bit of it, particularly since it’s only a couple of weeks. Working with people I actually liked and respected from the old job, we’re having a blast, and the new systems blow the old out of the water. Simple, sleek, clean – and they work.

But here’s the kicker. The first day of my new job, I got a text message from a former colleague still at the old job. They were notified at noon Monday the entire center is closing down asap. Had I NOT taken this job I’d have been out scrambling for employment wherever I could find it, instead of looking forward to working under near-perfect conditions. Everyone knew our department was on life support, but they were still hiring people for other departments as of a few days ago. I figured they’d close down our department for sure – it was all but nonexistent already – but didn’t expect them to drop-kick the 150 or so people from other departments out onto the streets at the same time.

Those of us at the new job knew before there was any formal announcement at the old place, but only by a couple of hours. My boss at the new office had been advised of the closure just before we all made our exit, but after we’d all accepted the job with the new business.

And it is indeed a new business, albeit one doing a nearly identical job to all the GOOD parts of the old job. They hired seven of us as the initial team for the new venture. Three of us came from the old job directly. The other four had worked there before but got disgusted and walked months or years earlier. We’re all experts in the fine art of insanity.

On the practical side, we get a signing bonus and several other perks as a result of being the first official employees – including a small ownership stake in the business.

Too late to go  into more detail. Suffice to say I’m glad I jumped ship when I did.