Personal update (a reminder of God's goodness)

Here is an update on what has been happening to me over the last few months. Let's just say that the last few months have been out of the ordinary, especially since what happened at the end of January 2009. I thought I'd do this update in a "question-answer" format, i.e. me interviewing myself! So do read on if u want to find out more:

What happened at the end of January 2009?

I got retrenched from my job at the end of January 2009. I was still under probation when it happened, & was told that the company could not offer me a permanent full-time position due to the global financial crisis. A number of people were also retrenched on the same day. (For more details, refer to my post earlier this year: http://daplanetdt.blogspot.com/2009/01/retrenchment-time-to-move-on.html)

Was it a surprise?

To be honest, I was not surprised at all. I could see the retrenchment coming, with work drying up & all that. It was sad & really disappointing that it happened, especially since I've only been at the company for 5 months. But at least I left the company on good terms. They were willing to be my referee, & even suggested that I leave them my contact details (which I said is already on the system), as they might be willing to take me back "in a few years". One of the recruitment agents I dealt with told me that my former manager at the company I was retrenched from spoke highly of me, so it was heartening to be able to get such a positive reference.

Didn't something similar happen many years ago?

Well, sort of, but not exactly. Back in June 2001 (many years ago), I was working with another company (at a junior level). It experienced financial difficulty, so my hours were reduced & they gave me a chance to look for another job while coming in on a part-time basis. I resigned (probably not the wisest decision) as I felt my pride was wounded & didn't want to lose face with people finding out & me coming in on part-time basis. So after a couple of weeks part-time, I left at the end of June 2001. It took me a couple of months to find a job.

That was all in 2001. It's different from what happened recently. Back then, I made the decision to jump before I outstayed my welcome. It may have felt like a retrenchment, but it wasn't. Whereas "now" (in January 2009), I was pushed, so I didn't have a say about losing my place.

What did you do over the next few months since January 2009?

I spent the next 4+ months out of work (from February to early June). That period was a very dark period for me. To be really honest, I consider that period to be the worst period I've ever experienced in my life. Seriously, the worst period of my life. Those few months was very hard & I was pretty dejected for much of that period.

For me, being out of work meant losing a part my "identity" because work had been a big part of my life. It meant losing something which defines me, losing a major reason for getting out of bed. And of course, being out of work meant no income. No work for over 4 months meant no income for 1/3 of a year. Imagine that! It was really hard. I was actually feeling ok during the first couple of weeks in February. Then, I slowly became frustrated & disillusioned, & at times I would be feeling down in the dumps. Actually, there were lots of "mood swings" - one moment I can feel really bad, the next moment I might actually feel relaxed & somewhat glad that I got lots of free time & that I didn't have to wake up before 9am if I didn't want to!

Fortunately, my family & friends were very supportive & encouraging. That kept me going. Besides hanging out with friends, helping some of them out with stuff (e.g. Ben & Faith with their new home) & having a bit more free time to do stuff for myself (not that I did very much!), the only good thing for me over those "empty months" was seeing my football club FC Barcelona playing well & picking up trophies in Spain & in Europe!

On top of everything I've already said, there were a couple of other disappointing aspects of being out of work.
Firstly, it meant that I had to start job searching all over again! (as I've said, I was only there for 5 months when I got retrenched). At times, the prospect of the job search feels more overwhelming that the sadness & disappointment of the retrenchment itself.
Secondly, being out of work meant that I couldn't buy a home. I actually started going out & inspecting some homes during the weeks before I got retrenched. The plan was to wait until I pass probation in February, & thereafter buy a home as soon as I find something suitable & affordable. So much for that plan - I got laid off so I never got the chance to pass probation. Just like that, the plan went down the drain. Instead of house hunting, I have to do job hunting now!
I tried whatever I can to remain positive during all this time. You got to do that, & this is the thing about being retrenched - it's not the fault of the person who got laid off, it's much more a reflection of the company not doing well enough to keep the person. So I keep telling myself - it's not my fault that I'm out of work, it's because the company wasn't doing well.

And how's the job hunting? Did you find work?

Job openings & interviews have been few & far between, thanks to the global financial crisis. The fact that I did get a few interviews at all was somewhat encouraging - people have said that in this climate, to get an interview at all is almost as good as getting a job. But still, the interviews ultimately did not lead to job offer. There was 1 job offer on the cards in May 2009, but unfortunately a change of mind on their part meant that I was back to square one.

But by God's grace, I managed to find a temporary/contract role in the Brisbane CBD early last month (in June 2009) while continuing to look for a permanent position to go on to. In fact, right now, I am still in the contract position, but next week will be my last week.

Any good news coming up on the horizon?

Fortunately, yes! I finally secured a full-time job earlier this month. I will start this new position in the second week of August. Praise God for that.

The start of the new financial year seems to have brought good fortunes for me. Just this month alone, I got a few interviews, almost as many interviews as I had during that 4 months between February & May. To put it another way, I got this full-time job within a few weeks after the new financial year started on July 1. Compare that to that barren 4 months when I got nothing, & had to wait until early June to get that temporary/contract position.
I got the job offer last week, actually, & got the offer letter a couple of days ago. I will be based just minutes outside the CBD. So technically, I actually got 2 jobs right now - the current contract position in the CBD which I will finish next week, & that new job just outside the CBD. Since that job offer, I've been invited to a couple of other interviews, but I turned them down. So yeah, it looks like the job market may have improved a little since the start of the new financial year.

Did you share the good news?

Of course I did! I did send an email to a few people to tell them of the good news. I know I would have missed emailing some people by accident, & sorry if you are seeing this update for the first time. While I don't have loads & loads of friends, I do have more people on my email & Facebook list than I can keep up with - so there would have been a few names I forgot to click when I sent that email out. Sorry again, but I just cannot keep up with everyone. (so hopefully, if they read this blog post, they will be informed about the developments).

Did you do anything to celebrate?

Well, I didn't celebrate by throwing a party, if that's what u mean. However, I did treat myself by buying the Transformers complete collection (17 discs) last week, from JB Hi-Fi in the Brisbane CBD. See a previous blog post.

While at JB Hi-Fi, I manage to bump into a former colleague who was in the same team as I was. He was also retrenched but was laid off much later than I was. He's now working at another company near the CBD. He also told me that in our area, there are now less than 10 people left. There used to be about 40 people, but there was a mass layoff. It's scary & really sad to hear about all this, but that's how extensive the impact that the global financial crisis is making.

What has God taught you during this time?

God taught me (or reminded me) that He really does love & care for His people. God has been really gracious, & He really cared for me all along, even though this was something I couldn't see at times. He really does answer prayers (even mine! haha), & He answers them according to His perfect timing. I hope I have become a better person from the experience God taught me, & I hope I will remember the lessons learnt & always remember that God's goodness is always there even when times are tough.

As I've already mentioned, that period that I was unemployed was really hard for me (though it was also good to have a break). During that period, if I'm to be really honest, I was shown up for not having enough trust & faith in God. I see Job as an example to follow. Those who know the book Job in the Bible would recognise that Job lost a lot more than I did. Job lost practically everything (including the lives of his beloved ones). On the other hand, I only lost work temporarily (4 months is not unusual, given the global financial crisis). Yet Job was way way way more faithful to God than I was. I shall continue to read the book of Job - I've started reading, but am nowhere near finished (coz I've been really really slow & slack in my reading).

But yeah, the challenge & lesson for me was to be patient & really trust & have faith in God even when times are hard. It may be easier to be thankful & faithful when things are going well, but what about when things are not going well?? That was a big lesson.

I thank God for His love, grace & timely provision. I am also really thankful to my family & friends for their prayers, encouragement & support. It is much much appreciated & I thank God that I have such a loving & supportive Christian family & friends.

What then for the future?

Well, from now on, whatever happens, happens. Hopefully, if/when the next major setback happens in my life, I will show more trust & faith in God that I've shown with my retrenchment ordeal. I know I can count on the support of my Christian family & friends. And that's the thing about being a Christian. God that loves & cares for His people. You can always count on His support & provisions. You can also count on the support & encouragement of fellow Christians, when things are not going well; u don't suffer alone. It's just so great when God's goodness is reflected in His people - I've experienced a lot of such goodness & thank God for that! I hope I can return the goodness to my Christian family & friends one day.