Keeping Up in a Downturn

I am a chemist and got laid off in 2001. I worked in R&D at this site for 19 years and we got acquired. The honeymoon was short and things soon went down hill. I was very unimpressed with the new corporate culture and management style. It was sort of "Me Boss- you worker. Shut up and do what you're told." I found the guy they sent to be the new technical director to be a complete managerial moron. The HR guy even told me,"I know his management skills aren't very good, but work with us on him". I started looking around since I was very unhappy.Eventually my time came and this clown took me to HR to read me my dismissal letter. My job had been eliminated. I did research. Were they not going to do any more research? Another lie. He folded his arms, leaned back in his chair and had a smirk on his face like he was thinking,"I bet I just showed YOU who's boss!" After hearing of my generous severance package, I reached across the table to shake hands and said, "Thank you!" Next day I sent him a nice Hallmark Thank-You card. It said,"You didn't have to do what you did... but what a difference it made!" So if you have to go out, don't go out crying and screaming- show some class! I was already talking to friends at another company about coming on there, so I was ok.

They say when Life hands you lemons, make lemonade? Bull! I can only drink so much lemonade. I took those lemons, built a lemonade stand and sold my lemonade to my thirsty friends. I became a consultant, contract worker, "Rent-A-Chemist" or glorified day laborer, however you want to call it. I had built over the years a good reputation among my peers, colleagues and competitors, and made an effort to let them know I was now a free agent. This is "networking", and is the most effective way of finding opportunities.I also built on prior experiences from over the years. An important thing I learned was,"Whatever you're doing now is an apprenticeship for what you'll be doing next, so learn it well!" This applies to any stage of your career. Things went well and I formed a LLC company to better capitalize on opportunities at hand. I built my own lab and pilot plant in my garage from scavenged or used parts, and bought new as needed. I believe work should be fun, and I endeavor to make it so. I invested in myself. If I didn't have the confidence to invest in myself, why should I expect anyone else to? In working for clients, I try to offer a good effort for a fair price. A reputation is like a wall built one brick at a time and is built one project at a time, one client at a time. It only takes one "OOPS!" to knock a hundred bricks out of place. You hear a lot about business plans. I have one that guides me and it has 3 parts: 1. Pray daily for guidance and opportunity. 2. Seize these opportunities, as they will surely arise. 3. Find partners and colleagues who have business skills that compliment (not duplicate) my own skills. I've found that opportunities have indeed arisen, not too fast to overwhelm me, nor too slow that I starve in between. So, this is how I survived getting laid off, and it is still working for me!