The Daily Procrastinator

In a past life, I worked for a trade magazine that has been in continuous publication since 1869.  As with the rest of the publishing industry, the parent company of this magazine has been hit hard, and yesterday they decimated the ranks of experienced writers, sales reps and business staff, leaving only a skeleton crew.  There is no reasonable way that the remaining staffers can keep this magazine afloat, and I find myself wondering if this is just the last step before shutdown after their big trade show in June.

For perspective: Construction of the Brooklyn Bridge began in 1870, and wasn't completed until 1883. This tower of the bridge was constructed in 1875.

While it’s been years since I had anything to do with the magazine or even that industry, I can’t help but be filled with a terrible sadness for the demise of something that has been a stable presence for generations of skilled craftsmen in a very close-knit industry.  

I know that the world is moving on and getting its information in different ways, but to be on the verge of losing something that’s been in existence since Ulysses S. Grant was president saddens me in ways that I can’t even begin to explain.

In Silicon Valley, the pace of layoffs seems to be increasing dramatically.  Grab lunch in San Jose or coffee in Sunnyvale, and you’ll notice that all conversation around you will be about layoffs. 

On Monday, I was contacted by three friends or former colleagues letting me know that they just got word of their layoff, and they called to begin networking as they waited for their turn in the HR office.  They wanted to know if I knew of any jobs in finance, engineering or product management.

It wasn’t like this when my layoff announcement came in 2006.  The economy was vastly different, and because it was a site shutdown, there was a sense of camaraderie that comes with standing together on the deck of the sinking ship.  The departures were staggered to avoid overloading HR, and so we watched every two weeks as wave after wave of coworkers drifted off into the workforce, landing at companies around the valley.  ”It’s for the best,” we would say to each other.  ”Look at how well things turned out for so-and-so, getting more money and a better commute.”

But the platitudes aren’t going to work this time around.  When I get the frantic calls, there’s no amount of pep-talking that’s going to comfort these people.  They know that nobody is hiring, and they’re in a blind panic about their ability to pay for their mortgage and health insurance.  

I’ve been doing a lot of research to figure out just what to say to these people.  Time magazine had an article about this last September, and US News ran an article last week.  The consistent themes: empathy and assistance.

So far, I’ve offered editorial review of resumes, in the hope that it will help the person craft something that’s eye-catching and helps them to stand out from the crowd.  I’ve also suggested allowing coworkers to review their resumes as well; human nature indicates that a colleague will be more likely to highlight your accomplishments than you will.  

I’ve also offered them access to my network of contacts.  Being a freelancer, I have contacts at a dozen companies vs. their single-company mentality, so with any luck I’ll be able to match the right employee with the right fit.  I wish I could do more, something that will help these people to sleep at night.