How [Not] To Look for a New Job

I just got fired. I'm not going to go into details, but it was a mistake anyone could make -- and which under normal circumstances could have been quickly fixed with no harm done by some communication. But my employer chose not to address the problem that way.

At the last talk we had, there were some flags on the field. There was something fake there, and something predatory. They would make faces and use the right tones of voice, but the expressions switched on and off like they were changing changing screwdrivers and the eyes stayed blank and static. They didn't really care. I wasn't being fired because I made a mistake, the mistake was being exploited so I could be fired.

I later learned I wasn't the only otherwise solid, productive employee to get let go for something that under normal conditions would rate a bit of razzing at worst. Business was down, way down. I should have seen it coming. I did, in fact, months ago, and did nothing. What was it Einstein said about insanity? The truth is, business was so bad I'm only marginally worse off with no job at all. Maybe I just went first because I had done something to sabotage myself. I was out on the ledge and didn't want to jump, so I got them to give me a push.