It's Just a Job
I was at a beach front restaurant on Bora Bora, the morning sun hitting my already sunburnt face. I was sipping on freshly squeezed jus d’ananas while watching sting rays and tropical fish swim in the clear turquoise water beneath my feet. Suddenly, like being abruptly awoken from a deep slumber, I got the email;
“Confirmation of Disestablishment”
A month earlier the company had announced they were cutting 15% of the workforce and that I would be significantly impacted. After a long consultancy period, I was made redundant. It’s just a job, I thought. That’s what you’re supposed to say when facing redundancy.
But it’s not just a job.
When you dismiss a job by saying “it’s just a job” you fail to appreciate the value of the experiences you gained, the knowledge acquired, and the relationships you built. Even small moments can add up to create a meaningful chapter of your life.
The average person spends 30% of their life at work. For a lot of us, our jobs are how we grow, they shape who we become, and help develop important skills not just for your career, but also, your life.
For me, working at Xero was a growth opportunity. I had spent most of my career working in media and I was looking for a way to jump into tech. I’m not a coder, nor do I want to be. I had however, spent a lot of time obsessing about data and using it to improve how to make engaging videos. When an opportunity arose to join Xero’s Data Team, it seemed like a pretty good fit.
I learned a lot at Xero and worked with a ton of great people. It has fuelled my obsession with using data to solve business problems. While the journey with Xero has ended, my journey in data has only just begun.
After receiving the email, I sat there, shocked, like a stunned mullet. I had been anxiously awaiting my fate, while island hopping around French Polynesia. I wanted to know! But now that I know, I want to take it back. It felt like an oxymoron. I was in paradise and a scene of the last of us at the same time. What would I do now? Will I have to cut expenses? Will I have to cancel already booked trips? How am I going to get another job? Twenty questions asked and answered in my head later, I realised, there was nothing to do now except enjoy the best company, great beaches, and exceptional food, that the islands had to offer.
After all, I told myself, it’s just a job…