And… back to Koos Werkeloos

Welcome to 2024 (better late then never)! First post of the year and it’s one with a bang. I lost my job… And… back to Koos Werkeloos!

Job loss

The story is as follows, last year we cleaned out our cash reserves in an attempt to upgrade our money pit into a home. Albeit not finished with said money pit, I did start to look for income to infuse our cash position last yeat. I was fortunate to find a decent job, on rotation basis and abroad, on an interesting project.

Fast forward to 2024 and due to tightening of the project budget, this independent contractor (ZZP-er) was let go. First off, it comes with the territory of being an independent contractor. You are the flexible part of the organization. Hence, you are the first one out the door once money/cashflow starts to become an issue. The contract unfortunately also stated that the company was able to terminate the contract without any compensation at any time.

Secondly, it was not bad timing. I was not yet at the end of the contract term, but I was having serious doubts whether to extend the contract anyways. Friction with certain folks on the project, the desire for more responsibilities and Mrs CF struggling at home with a kid, dog and household made for a good timing. So here I am, unemployed once again with enough time (and money!) to finally finish the house.

The Conversation

I got pulled into the managers office in the morning, not knowing what he wanted. Initially I thought he wanted to talk about some friction we had in the days prior (different idea about priorties and personal communication). But nope, he came straight out and said that he had to let me go for financial reasons (and not performance).

Guess he was surprised when I reacted somewhat positive and pretty relaxed. Not having to work any longer with two managers you don’t want to, is quite liberating. And needless to say, financially we are not going to lose any night’s sleep either. But he didn’t know that…

What’s next?

As mentioned, I really like to finish the house in the coming months (with the exception of the bathrooms, they need to last a few more years). The remaining works should be ready well before the summer. This summer we will be going on a 4 week road trip to Spain and Portugal. Still need to do some planning for this.

I will also look for other employment, but will be extremely picky. I’ve some ideas what I would like to try, so will prepare my resume and perhaps apply for 1 or 2 jobs just to see. But won’t put any pressure on this as after a whole 7 months of working, you really need at least 7 months to recover, correct?!

Anyhow, good times overall! Looking forward to seeing several of you (count is up to about 20-ish interested people) coming Saturday at the La Place in Leiderdorp!