Two more colleagues were given the pink slip today as the downsizing continues...and Job Credit.....effective?
As the door closed on them, they walked into a corridor of uncertainty.....when will they be re-employed again? It is not the best of time and the economic environment is deteriorating by the day and every morning the newspapers deliver more bad news...since October 2008 people looking for jobs has increased to 43 percent....DBS Bank predicts that unemployment to hit a 20 year high of 5% (99,000 job lost) by next year.....4,800 people queuing up from 8.30 a.m for 3,000 jobs on offer...banks and corporates are still asking governments for bailout and the sums are in tens of billions....most countries are on the verge of bankruptcy.
So bleak a picture and reinforced daily.
I hope that all these negative news will not get into them. Both have high technical skills and excellent job knowledge which will put them in good stead. But given these difficult times one must also exercise flexibility in looking for alternative jobs, be adaptable, and have strong determination and perserverance ....but also bear in mind that it will also mean taking a longer time to finally get a job.
Good luck to all those who have in the past 4 months lost their jobs and are still searching. Don't feel despaired as a bad storm will always blow away.

I am one of those PMETs who got downsized end of last year when my Corporate employer went into a restructuring exercise (common practice when a down turn is coming). My initial reaction was "normal"...total disbelieve that I no longer have to go to work daily at the normal hour and struggle 12 hours a day for the last 32 years. First 3 weeks was wonderful as the Chinese New year festivity was in the air and feeling great roaming the streets and buying the goodies...but not crazy to queue at Lim Chee Guan! and going to all my favourite makan places (for once don't have to attend clients' Chinese New year lunches and dinners...21 days of agony). After Chinese New year reality hits home and I start to run around in circles looking for another job and get back into the routine of an ordinary employee. Fat hope! and favourite common comments from the Corporate bigwigs are: "we have a head count freeze" or "we are still downsizing". My head is also freezing and my size is already down ah I want to say. But being a pragmatic person (should be after so many years right?) and having been in an industry which has always been labelled "sun set" there was no chance in getting back a job in a similar industry. What to do? Cannot every day watch Bollywood VCDs and listening to "Om Shanti Om" CD (my neighbours are suspecting I am going nuts and the man in Mustafa is getting a bit familiar with me..Hmmm how ah still need my Bollywood fix or to Jade Cinema..weekdays got discount for ah peks and ah mas), I decided to switch profession.....something that needs minimal retraining and orientation, some skills I already possess....so? I am to become a full time Home Minister I decided 4 weeks ago. Hurray!! I downsized my wife who has been holding this post the last 4 years...Full of great ideas..full of enthusiasm.. I plunged into it with glee notwithstanding the look that wifey has been giving me...thought it was resentment having been downsized the second time.
Now 4 weeks after, signs of regrets have crept in.
Working in a high pressure, high demand, fast paced organisation is one thing...doing all the daily chore of housekeeping and cooking is another....it is more stressful and physically demanding.
Preparing breakfast (oh where's the fresh bread..forgot to buy last night!), cleaning up the house (where did the dust decent from?), feeding the dog which immediately poo on you (gives you a manja grin) and then pipi after you mopped...urghhhh! The dry weather has suddenly turned rainy and the laundry got wet as I was not fast enough to take it in (has to be rewashed again lah so how to save electricity?), what to cook for lunch? and what for dinner....(planning budgets and sales target is much simplier..you get your staff to contribute..in this case wifey just says what she feels like eating and you plan...wah lau), needs to go to the wet market daily to get ingredients fresh...hey Monday market close dah! so had to run off to the supermarket. My goodness gracious, at the wet markets the aunties are so agressive and loud...my boss's cannot match them lah....lesson learnt: wear a smelly T-shirt...but wifey don't want to sit in the car so have to forgo the idea or go alone and carry everything.
At the end of the day (which is usually already late at night) you just want to pop into your favourite armchair....hey that b.....y dog has take over....now I know why my wife give me that certain look every day and you know why I am only able to answer e-mails and update face book late at night. Salute to all the full time wives and maids who should be recognised as professsionals.
I am going to resign from this job soon if I don't get to watch my favourite Bollywood movies and be a bum...should be easier right?
This is the only little luxury I have to write a blog...now is back to starting my preparation for dinner...urghhhhh!!! what to cook?