I had it all figured out and then ...

My place of employment announced what had been rumored for about six months before that it would be moving operations over seas. On Valentine’s Day of this year, we had a meeting about what they would offer us if we stayed until they closed their doors here. It all sounded pretty good to me. I would receive at least 4 weeks pay, and unemployment benefits while at the same time pursue a college degree for up to two years. That was my plan.

A couple of weeks before that, they laid off two of their long time employees. One had been with the company for about twenty years and the other for at least fourteen years. That had made us all nervous and we wondered if the rumors of one to two years were false and they would be closing very soon. Now, this was two weeks before the meeting I mentioned above. So the meeting made us all feel much better about it. It would be at least a year and six months before any major lay offs. However, shortly after the meeting my boss came to talk to me and they were letting me go that day at the end of my shift. I was floored. But I would still get the same weeks in severance and I thought I could also get the same deal about school.

While I was off, I checked into school and found out it would have to be a different program for school than I first thought, and I would have to go through the school to get it. I bought a self help Algebra book to refresh myself for the entrance exam, checked out the college website, sent for my college transcript and tried to choose a curriculum and I’m still stuck between two, but I think I’ve figured out a way to maybe get a degree in both. All I had left to do was to sign up, get the financial stuff done, take the entrance exam and go back to college.

However, they called me back within a week and a half to work from four to six weeks for someone having surgery, and then asked me to stay another six weeks for another employee who had to have surgery. That was five months ago from when I was first laid off. And I hear that they’re telling new employees that it could be anywhere between six months and two years before they move. That’s a long spread between the two. They are moving though, as they’ve been moving some machinery already. Their building overseas is finished and they’re already training the office and plant personnel.

So, how long will my job last? I have no idea, but I'll work there as long as I can. Will I go to college? Yes, but I’m still not sure which program I’ll fit into. They hired me back as temporary. I’ve already received my severance, so will I still get stay pay? I don’t know. The Human Resources manager jokingly told me that I may be there to lay him off, but we both know he’ll be one of the last ones to leave. Should I take the curriculums I chose before or should I try to find something that will guarantee me a more plausible job.

I wanted to get a degree in Business Administration and Computer Programming. But how will that help me find a job? I do want to learn more about computers, if not for a job, for myself and the clients I have that rely on me to maintain their websites. I’m pretty happy that I can go back to college, but there's a lot of fear connected with being jobless, as well as the, “What if I can’t do the school stuff?” My memory isn’t what it used to be.