If you work in the tech industry you know what’s been going on lately. Most companies have been following the trend of tightening the belt. Sometimes it feels like they’re just doing it so they’re not left out (hence the joke). But seriously, though, I do think that some companies are using the current market/economy as an excuse to trim some fat. They might not even need to do it, but when everyone else is doing it you don’t look as bad. You can just point to the economy and say “sorry, we had to”.
Personally, I feel for everyone going through this. I was also laid off from my day job way back in September. It’s rough. But it’s also a wake up call. When you work for a company, it’s a business relationship. They’ll tell you you’re part of a family and “our employees are our best asset” or things like that. But it isn’t, and can never be, personal. You do a job in exchange for money. If the job you do no longer provides enough value to the company to justify your salary, you will no longer have a job. It’s pretty simple, really. Some companies are better than others, though. When I worked for AOL/Yahoo, it was just a given that every couple quarters would bring layoffs and none of it made a ton of sense. A lot of people just went around like zombies, doing the bare minimum, waiting for their severance package. But even smaller companies will eventually need to make tough decisions. It’s hard to not take it personally, but getting laid off or fired should serve as a reminder that you need to take control of your own life/career. Ultimately, the person who has to take responsibility for your life is you. Loyalty is a great virtue, but blind loyalty is the definition of stupidity. Remember that the next time a politician tries to tell you that everything is fine despite what you see going on in the world. We would all be better served listening to our common sense over what some people will try to tell us to try to push their agenda.
From my sketchbook…
And speaking of people trying to push an agenda… stop watching the news…
Whenever I get into a bit of an artistic funk, my usual go-to is drawing Usagi Yojimbo. So here’s a sketch of him that I liked a lot. I’ll probably take this farther at some point.
That’s all for now. This past week has been really busy (in a good way) on a couple fronts. As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read my comics and check out my art! If you want to see more, follow me on X and Instagram. And if you really want to support me, I have a store!
I also started an illustration studio, so if you or anyone you know is in need of custom illustration, check out Sketch Foundry!
Have a great week!
-Brad
I love your comment..."Loyalty is a great virtue but blind loyalty is stupidity. " So very true!!!