Four Months? Two Years? Who Knows...

Gone are the good old days when you never questioned your job stability as long as you did a good job. Every year since the past two, maybe three, I’ve wondered how long this gravy train was going to last. The end always seems near when you hear of colleagues being let go. A year ago people worried about not having enough parking spots in the new building we moved to, but that really should have been the last of their worries. Parking spots are plenty even in a LEED-certified building that has reduced parking to curb emissions.

Understandably, all companies are finding opportunities to trim costs where they can in this economy. It doesn’t matter how well you’ve done your job, where you sit on the org chart or how loyal you’ve been to the company. Business is business. No hard feelings, ok? Yep, that’s the world we live in today.

The senior manager of our team has announced his decision to leave the company by month’s end. He did have a choice, but one that would require moving to Malaysia and uprooting his family. He didn’t want to, hence the decision, but one that had to be made due to the elimination of his position. The company realized that it didn’t make sense for a team of six to have a manager and a senior manager. The irony of it all is that we were always reminded by our senior manager to ask ourselves what value we bring to the company.

I stopped asking a long time ago because I know it doesn’t matter. That depends on who’s in charge. Value to one person may mean something different to another. And in a big company you can be sure to find more politics than you care to.

We were reassured that our jobs would be safe and that they weren’t going anywhere for at least the next eighteen months. That belief is based on the experience of how slow changes take place in a large organization, but nothing can be said for sure. What we do know is that the annual budget for next year will be submitted in July and if anything were to happen, we would have some sort of indication by then. So maybe in four months we’ll know if we stay or we go… or we wait.

Financially, I’m prepared for the worse so I’m not so worried about losing my job. Actually, I wouldn’t mind at all. I’m ready for something new, but I need to do some planning and preparation for it. The one thing I’m undecided about is whether or not to apply for permanent residency. I was pretty certain in December to go for it, but I’m having second thoughts now. Not that I don’t like living in Vancouver, I do. It’s a great city and very comfortable to live in, but quite expensive. I’ve learned to enjoy the winters now that I snowboard and have grown accustomed to the rain.

Applying for permanent residency is not cheap and takes at least a year, if not longer for the paper work to process. I would be able to work for any company once I get it, but would I be able to find suitable employment in a city that’s known for tourism more than anything else? That’s a big question mark for me. I know I could find a job, but I’m not looking for any job. I’d be looking for the right job for me.

The other thing is I still have itchy feet. I’m curious of other places around the world and would like to have the opportunity to experience life in different cities. Mom tells me a rolling stone gathers no moss, but maybe I’m not meant to gather any. Maybe I was an explorer in my past life.

Can life be better elsewhere besides Vancouver? They say the grass always looks greener on the other side, but I know it’s pretty hard to beat. The thing is, I’m not looking for a better life, I’m just looking for new experiences.