Laid off day!
I got laid off my first job after five years last week!!
I got this job when I was a freshman in high school. Susie (family friend) who works there was hanging out on our back porch one night and I was venting that I was looking for some extra money. She suggested to e-mail Chet (owner of CMI and good family friend) to see if there is any positions available open. Long story short, I got a job less than a week later! There are quite a few people from my neighborhood that work there.... Susie, Sandi, Teri, myself, Chet, and then Pat. When I got into that job though, I figured I would be done in a year or two... never thought I would stay there for this long. As time went on, I found out that my current coworker was one person that nobody else would work with. I was the only one that could "handle" him, and he actually liked me!! lol. I helped him open and scan the surveys that came in the mail. That's what I did for several years!!!! During my junior year of high school, I decided to take a year off... I heard it was the hardest year ever, and so I decided to quit my job for awhile. The minute that my junior year was over... I got a call... they wanted me back ASAP!! I went back, and started loving my job more than ever. I was learning more than ever about marketing research, and we were in a totally different building which I loved! The office space that I had in our old building was so limited, it was ridiculous. Anyhow, the end of my senior year, I finally became an OFFICIAL employee of CMI after being a "temp" for too long! Due to being an employee, I received a raise, and a different job position. I was the verbatim girl... I had my own CUBICLE... with a desk, my own computer and phone with my own extension.... did I feel special or what??? Anyhow, that position didn't last that long... it was too difficult to handle. Lame!! I was moved back downstairs with Bill, and I was back to what I was doing before my promotion, opening and scanning surveys. I was still an employee, and still had my phone... but no cubicle. I had a table as my desk out in the open space... real safe let me tell you... lol jk! After months of getting asking... I finally got my own space downstairs. Bill surprised me with a storage room being my own office... not cubicle.... OFFICE!!!! I got so many people jealous in that office that had cubicles. lol. Anyway... back to the fact that I got laid off... I never thought that this company would lay me off due to my position. The type of company it was I never thought it would go on a "budget" in the way that they would have to lay off all of their part-timers and some full-timers. That's what happened to me.
On Monday, June 23rd, Anita (supervisor) called me in to the office to come in the next morning. She left a voicemail and stated to come in my office at 10:30 a.m. I called her back saying I couldn't be there due to that fact that I had class. She then said... what about 8:30 a.m.??? I said OK. I knew it wasn't good, especially they knew that I was suppose to come in that afternoon to go to work after class. I was so nervous throughout the whole day, and I only assumed the worse. I kept thinking of what I did wrong, or am I getting another promotion??? YEAH RIGHT!! lol. I knew something wasn't right.
The next morning, I wake up, and get all pretty (business attire!) just thinking of the worse. I get to the office, and I go straight to Anita's office. She thanks me for coming in so early, and shuts her door!!! She asks me to sit down, and of course I was going to anyway. She starts talking about how they have done an analysis on the company, and that need to start downsizing. I was like OH CRAP! I just kept nodding my head, and she said unfortunately, we no longer need your services. I could not believe it!! She "reassured" me that it was not due to my performances, and that I will not be the only one leaving CMI during this difficult time. She said that I just happened to be the first. What a crappy feeling I had in my stomach the whole time. She said can I hug you??? I hugged her quickly, and she mentioned as I was leaving... don't tell anybody your news... wow... I didn't take that very well. The receptionist, Teri (neighborhood friend), asked me what I was doing at work so early and I went behind her desk, and told her the news. As I did that, I was crying my eyes out!! I gave her the scoop, and told her that I just want to go home at this point. I walked out to the parking lot and Sandi (another neighborhood friend) saw me. She asked me what was wrong, and I gave her to the scoop too! I went home, and my phone started ringing off the hook. My mom wanted to know what the meeting was about, and I told her. I called my best buddy, Grant to tell him the news, and then Susie calls from her cell. She calls about 15 minutes after I left the office so news got around, and I couldn't understand a word she was saying. She kept saying... what happened, and I am sorry!! Susie has been a family friend of ours for forever... and I sometimes feel that she looks at me as her second daughter. She would do anything for me!! I warned her that I am not the only one leaving... and that gave her an idea that something BAD was going on. I said that everybody needs to be at some meeting at 11 o'clock. I didn't have to be there thank god! It wouldn't have been pretty!! I came back to work several hours later, and the whole office was just dead. Nobody wanted to talk about anything, and I just wanted to scream!! Susie actually left work for the day, and Teri pointed something out on the sign in sheet to me. Susie signed out and put BLACK TUESDAY! I smiled so big when I saw that. I just went on with my day in circles... I couldn't think straight. I heard about the other people that got laid off, and I just felt worse after every person I heard about leaving. After I finished that horrible week, I started a new one, and now I don't feel like I am leaving. I think that once my last day comes on Thursday, it will hit me!!!
I love my CMI family, and will miss them!!