Turning short-term losses, into long-term wins
How I lost my job, to get my future.
Part I
Here I am writing this post about two weeks into the start of spreading the word of what we are doing, creating content and learning as we go along. This post will be however, a shared personal experience and a lesson.
Last week I had a chat with our CTO and he told me that the company I’m working at, would not extend my contract. There is no drama, it’s just that my functions are being outsourced to an external agency and the IT team within the company will be scaled down only to a data team.
I held back writing this post immediately after getting the news, because emotions would’ve clouded my writing and the context of this post would’ve been much more on the side of complaining and blaming, rather than a shared constructive lesson that was learned during the events that unfolded.
There are two main reasons why I was a bit disappointed and surprised. Firstly, I thought I had a great relationship with the people I was working with and was confident that I was delivering professionally. Secondly, I had the comfort of a nice full-time gig that would pay the bills, as well as provide some savings to bootstrap the company. The comfortable state in which I was, also enabled me to focus on DULO during my free time exclusively, without having to worry about where the finances are coming from. All in all, it was a very comfortable situation that enabled me to save cognitive energy and redirect it into DULO after work hours.
Part II
I am back finishing this post about four weeks from when the previous paragraph was written, my notes for continuing this post were:
“What happened -> fill this in when you know”
Well now I do know and I’ll tell you a little bit about it.
I’ll skip details about all the interviews and meetings I had while talking to people about a possible position and tell you that I did find a job, about two weeks into my search.
Keep in mind the long-term goal of building DULO and that my previous position was in a company within the medical sector (not necessarily related to the apparel industry).
At my new job, I am working as a web developer, with a close interaction to both design and marketing in a fashion startup, where the founder has built a successful brand and is now starting a new one… How big of an opportunity and a blessing in disguise were the initial dreaded news that I had to start looking for a job again?! If I had to write my dream job description at this current time, I would’ve missed something from the benefits that my current position offers me. To be within the fashion/apparel business, closely working with people who have build a successful clothing brand in the past and learn the industry I want to enter on a daily basis…
As of the time of writing this post, everything looks great employment wise and I can again direct that saved energy, that goes into searching for a job into DULO again, mornings, evenings and weekends. Besides that, my daily job is much more like a school and introduction to the apparel industry, rather than just 8 hours that I have to spend in an office.
I certainly hope that there are no restructurings in the near future :p, but even if they are, with the goal in mind, short-term adapting to new situations can only benefit and build my work ethic and discipline, which again will support the goal, long-term.
Notes to self:
- Welcome difficulties -> opportunity to improve and build character, the same character that will execute ideas and actions better in the future.
- Always try to shift myself into a win-win mindset. See the opportunities in both, wins and losses.
