Reality sets in

Early in the week--right after I was laid off--I didn't seem too bothered or upset about leaving Atex. Because I had essentially been idle, with no new revenue-generating projects, since the Fort Collins go-live, I had a strong indication that my job was at risk, so the layoff didn't come as a surprise.

In the last couple of days, though, reality has started to set in. The flurry of initial phone calls and emails of support from colleagues and friends in the industry has tapered off. My concern grows daily about the uncertainty of how I will pay for health insurance, our mortgage and other day-to-day expenses once the severance pay runs out.

On top of that is the thought I've been putting into determining what my next move will be. For the better part of 30 years, I've been a student of the newspaper industry, initially as a journalist and production person, then working with vendors serving the industry. But newspapers are in such distress now that it seems risky to continue depending on them for my livelihood.

Applying my marketing and planning skills to another industry appears to be a more prudent move, but what industry? Some say health care, others recommend another facet of the broader IT industry, still others suggest pursuing my passions, such as seeking a paid job in Scouting.

I need time to think about it, yet am pressured to get a job as quickly as I can since the severance clock is ticking.

Last Day at Atex (nee Mactive)

Shortly before 9 a.m., my boss Bill phoned me to say the company was conducting a reduction in force and that today would be my last day with Atex. After seven years collaborating with some of the best professionals in the business, working dozens of projects and meeting hundreds of great people at customer sites, it's a bit unsettling not knowing what I'll do next.

Our industry is in the doldrums right now. Newspapers are facing pressure on two fronts. First, the economy in the United States is in distress right now, whether it's auto manufacturers, retailers or the housing industry. All of those companies are bread-and-butter newspaper advertisers, so their ad budgets are shrinking.

Second, much of the advertising revenue that had been devoted to newspapers has shifted to the web. Companies like Craigslist and Google are growing, while newspaper ad revenues are declining. I saw some stats last month saying classified advertising revenues are down 24.9% this year.

With bad economic news like that among our customer base, it's inevitable that our company would be affected. In fact, today's news was at least the third time in the last two months that reductions in force have occurred. Not many people have been affected at Atex each time, but today was my turn.