Black Monday

Well I knew this day was coming but it still sucked. Last Thursday it got leaked out that there was going to be some downsizing today. I was not to worried as I knew that my job would be safe yet there was going to be some losses that would directly effect me. So, as I came in this morning the company trimmed over 120 people from IT company wide. As for my team we lost three people. This means my all ready busy ass is going to get a lot busier. Which means working here which as it was, wasn’t a day at the beach now becomes just a complete shit storm.

I don’t mean to come off as ungrateful because it could have been a lot worse. At least I still have a job but this just further installs urgency on my part to find somewhere else to get the corporate dildo from. It seems everywhere I work, makes the same mistakes. At Monsanto, they outsourced to IBM and thought that they could do everything remotely. They couldn’t and by the time they realized it, everybody had left. At Harris bank, they outsourced to EDS who told them they could do everything remotely and of course they couldn’t. Now, Harris is biding their time waiting for the contract to run out so it can bring back it’s IT in house.

So, I come to Bank One. Everything was fine for about eight months. Then the merger was announced and just like that it was back to the old thinking that never works. They think that they could do everything remotely, and I can guarantee what will happen. Just like my previous two companies, they will look at only the bottom line and not about quality. So, when the users start bitching and service is back in the toilet then they will realize their mistake. Sadly, this will come once everyone has been either riffed or quit.

To explain it using cars as an example it is like this. You can buy a BMW or a Hyundai. Now, both technically perform the same function. One is very basic and one is very luxurious. If you want just the bare bones that gets you from point A to point B then by all means buy a Hyundai. Just don’t bitch when the thing breaks down on you when you need it most. The old saying is true you get what you pay for and any company that simply looks at numbers in strict black and white terms without any real analysis is going to get burned in the end.

Still, by quitting I would be doing the bank a favor. That is one less person they will have to get rid of in their next round of downsizing. Plus, by leaving on my own, I would not receive the nice package they give to riffed employees. One of the guys they let go today told me that he was covered until August, which gives him a lot of time to find a new job. So, at least they did that for him.

Still, I can’t wait anymore. I am sick of felling like I am walking on eggshells when it comes to my career. If you go back to late 2001 when I was still at Harris I have had eight months of relaxation. In 2001 the outsourcing rumors started at Harris. So, I put up with that and eventually made the decision to find work elsewhere as opposed to working in limbo. So, I get in at Bank One and get to relax for those glorious eight months until the unholy merger took place.

So, I have decided that it is better to look for a job when you don’t need one as opposed to looking when you have a gun to your head. This way I can choose to be somewhat picky. I want the same salary or close to it and I am going to stay downtown. I want at least three weeks of vacation. Those might seem like high demands but I’ve earned them. I am certified and have been in this field for a while and I have experience that a lot of candidates don’t have. So, today Monday January 30^th, 2006 I officially am beginning my new job search. I will apply for at least one job every day until I find something. It is a decision I have made and I am going to live with it.