Wednesday, March 26, 2008

In the Blink of an Eye

Wow. I am amazed at how quickly my life can change. About four weeks ago, my employer, The Sharper Image filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. About two weeks ago, we found out our store would be liquidating. Then I went to Hawaii on paid vacation. When I returned, all of my co-workers and managers had put in their two week notices. I cannot afford to be jobless, so I am staying at the Sharper Image until we close. On April 1st (the irony of that day has not escaped me) I will be made the acting Manager. So right now my life is filled with the stress of finding employees that are willing to work for only six to twelve weeks. Then I need to interview them, train them, and supervise them. I need to have them ready by April first. Wow.

In the meantime, I need to learn payroll, hiring procedures, and everything else a manager does. I'm swamped, I'm stressed, and I'm worried. On top of all this, the job is just as temporary for me. I need to find a new job myself. This is sad because I *love* this job. I have become a better person from it. I really saw myself growing and progressing in this company. But now that has all changed--and so quickly.

The bright side? I may make some good money. I will have management skills. I will have resume builders. I will be more responsible. I will be strong. Will it be worth the trade-off? I'll find out.