Recently, the company I was working for underwent a re-organization and I found myself laid off. While I hold zero ill-will toward them – and in fact will continue working
with them in a different way – the experience was a shock to say the least. Of course, my experience was hardly unique; with thousands of layoffs happening across the technology world these days. Still, as anyone who has been through this can tell you, it sets you completely off-balance and off-kilter.
After taking a couple of days to get my brain back in order, the first thing I did was reach out to the communities I’m part of on various social media sites. Places like ThePlatform Formerly Known as Twitter and LinkedIn. The response was staggeringly overwhelming, with contacts from all over the world reaching out to both check in on me and to offer assistance. Thousands of people replied, forwarded, upvoted, and otherwise amplified my post about being laid off, and dozens of companies ended up reaching out to talk to me about a position. Even for someone who has always viewed communities online as a huge strength for any organization or individual, the sheer number of things that got mobilized within hours of my post was beyond anything I could have dreamed of.
So, I wanted to say thanks. To everyone who brought me to their HR/Hiring teams. To everyone who suggested a company to reach out to or a job posting I should see. To everyone who re-tweeted/re-posted my post so that it could reach more people who could potentially help. I cannot thank you enough, and consider myself in your debt. This experience has been humbling and inspiring at the same time, and its all because of you – each and every one of you.
The really great news is that – in no small part to everything the community has done – I am indeed employed once more. Can’t say who it is just yet, but keep your eyes on my social media streams for an announcement in the coming days. This couldn’t have happened without the reach and exposure my community gave to me, and for that I am forever grateful.