Gratitude Monday: an odd gift

Okay, here’s the deal. My employer has been acquired by a megalithic software company. Last Thursday we were all given offer letters by MSC, either FTE—full time, no time limit—or FTC—fixed time limit.

I got the latter.

It’s because I’m currently between assignments, really—neither here nor there. Big shaggy story, but I was meant to have transferred to a SVP to help with strategy and alliances, and also the women in cyber security initiative she runs. But budget, process freezes and the acquisition killed it. And there’s no place for me where I’ve been parked for the last 15 months.

So FTC.

That means I have until April to find another position within MSC and convert to FTE, or be laid off.

Not, as you might imagine, how I wanted to be spending my time, but here we are.

So here’s the plan: I’m going to allot about 70% to the SVP, making sure the initiative demonstrates value to MSC, getting the website above its current dire status, developing programs, measuring response, etc.; and finding out what actual strategy might constitute in this organization. The next 20% will be continuing my Voice of the Customer interviews, because even if the VP of PM doesn’t see the value, his PMs do, and so do others in our org. If they do, someone in MSC might, so I want them to know I’m doing this.

The final 10% will be networking around the company (and outside) to see what I can find.

I’m not looking forward to this, because it essentially means that for the next six months, I’ll be in an interview WRT everything I’m doing. I’ll probably have to wear mascara more than I want. But it’s got to be done, and what must be done can be done.

When I told my hiring manager about the offer, his response was, “Sorry if that’s frustrating. I hope it’s liberating instead.”

Frustrating was not one of the adjectives I’d have considered. Terrifying, gut-punched, shattering—yes; not frustrating. However, I choose to take on the liberating aspect. I’m grateful that I have six months to work towards my next job—either inside or outside MSC. I recognize this for the gift it is. And I’ll be grateful for any support you can give me in this.