My place of employment is offering a Voluntary Separation Incentive Package to all of its management employees. That means me. In my specific situation, based on my 6 years of service and various bonuses, they are offering my 60% of my annual salary, plus cash for any unused vacation days and my banked vacation days as well as a prorated (10.5 months) performance award in March targeted at 11% of my salary and based upon our company’s performance. They are also offering a 5% pension bonus, but, as I am no where near to retiring, that doesn’t really affect me. Not now anyway.
While I don’t claim to know exactly why they are offering this package, I’m sure they are using it as an alternative to layoffs. It is expected that a lot of people will take the offer, as there is no cap. So this means that, if I do stick around, there will most likely be lots of room for advancement, promotions, and job changes. These, of course, all seem like good things. Things good enough to stick around for. However, when you work for an antiquated telephone company who hasn’t seen any real innovation in 10 years, it’s hard to consider anything that involves staying here a better alternative than leaving.
It would be a bit difficult for me to take the package, despite the fact that I could live the same lifestyle I currently live for 8 months before running out of money, without another job lined up. And finding a job in today’s market isn’t exactly easy. However, I figure it can’t hurt to look and I have about 45 days left to decide.
So I’m starting a job hunt, refreshing my resume, ironing my suit, and hoping for the best. If I find a job, it’ll mean a nice chunk of free money, a new atmosphere with a new beginning, and the end to a job that I find unchallenging, monotonous, and depressing.
I’m a highly skilled, very experienced, web and database programmer. I know Linux very well, and can easily double as a system administrator. I have a good understanding of TCP/IP and IP Networks. I managed a team of web and database developers for 2 years, stopping only due to a change in management structure, and currently continue to act as a technical lead for that team. I am well versed in most of the web related buzz words you can think of, including, but not limited to, PHP, Perl, XML, XML-RPC, SOAP, HTML, XHTML, CSS and RSS. I am also very familiar with the installation and administration of a whole host of server applications including, but not limited to, apache, sendmail, exim, MySQL, Samba, OpenSSH, GnuPG, and Courier. Aside from my list of core proficiencies, I have found myself working with many other technologies on a regular basis. This includes a long list of Microsoft products (IIS, Exchange Server, MSSQL, Access, Windows), Compaq’s Tru64 Unix, Netscape Enterprise Server, Remedy, Informix Open Dynamic Server, and Oracle, to name a few. I am a hard working, “jack of all trades” with good work ethic, excellent customer service skills, and a strong desire to change the world through technology.
Do you know someone who could use a person like me? If so, please let me know. I will gladly provide my resume upon request.