Making Some Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

It's a pretty basic concept among businesses to have annual or bi-annual reviews of their employees to determine what if/any raise may be due to that person or if they are not due anything. We've probably all been there. Where I work, a policy was made to review everyone in January, because it was too time consuming to do it on the anniversary of an employee being hired. Okay. Makes sense.

This year, January came and went and I had not heard anything. I started to ask what was going on, and why this had not happened yet. Without getting too deep into the details, it basically came down to the bosses being forgetful -- there was no intent to avoid this process. By the end of February, I was beginning to get a little bothered since I had reminded those responsible for the reviews that they hadn't happened yet.

I started thinking that maybe this wasn't mere forgetfulness, but something of an ominous sign for my future with the company. In all honesty, I have wanted to leave for quite a while. But with the economy where it has been, and the fact that I just bought a new house a few months ago, I just didn't want to shake anything up financially. 

So, I decided to preempt a formal review and just ask - straight up - if the lack of review for me meant I was going to get bad news. I was prepared for it. If I had been told that no raise was forthcoming - not even a cost of living increase - than I would announce that I was leaving. I accepted not getting a raise during the height of the recession; but with the economy in recovery, this was not going to work.

Turns out, my current position is being phased out, and won't exist at the end of the year. I was told that I could remain throughout the year - with a modest raise, paid retroactively - but after that...done. Even before hearing this, I made the decision that I was going to tell my bosses that I would like to openly search for another job, while remaining employed with them. I didn't want to have to be secretive. I'd like to be able to post to friends on Facebook that I am looking, or maybe that an interview went well, or something like that. Though many do it, it is very difficult to look for a job while you still have one. The sneaking around is not something I'm comfortable with.

This worked. It is now known that I intend to leave by the end of the year, but it could be much sooner if I find something I like earlier than that. So, I guess it has all worked out. Now comes the truly scary part.

I don't have a fucking clue where to start in my job search. It has been eight years since I was out in the job market, and it is an entirely new world out there. The whole idea of going back out there to do interviews or blindly sending my resume to companies via some job website is a daunting one. Fortunately, I can ease into it since I have a few months to find a new job, rather than a few days or weeks. I'm only 43, but I feel really nervous about the whole thing.

Wish me luck.