Back when I was the Agile Manager for my previous employer, I was - by necessity, as well as by choice - a very vocal advocate for change. There was the macroscopic version of change represented by us moving from a Waterfall development process to a more iterative Agile approach, of course. And then there were all of the myriad "little deaths of the status quo" required by Agile as existing processes are fine-tuned, product backlogs are constantly adjusted, long held development and testing paradigms are turned on their head by dint of actual metrics being gathered, and on and on down the list. Agile, in other words, is all about change.
People embraced or resisted all of that to varying degrees, depending on their personalities, specific team situations and countless other parameters (including my own limited competence at "selling" these ideas). Those who welcomed the changes were often said to have "drunk the Kool-Aid" (evoking nasty imagery of the Jonestown massacre) while resisters were sometimes made to feel like Luddites for their views. Why was there so much sturm und drang over this? Because change is hard. At least, it is for most of us mere mortals. Some people love flux, and much prefer it to just about any status quo. But it's more often the case that change causes stress, or anxiety, or discomfort. "Better the devil we know..." as it were.
Many of those same folks who I personally bedeviled in our Agile transition are now facing an even larger change in their work life. The company that we all worked for is ending its existence in about 8 weeks' time, and so each and every one of them has been forced to look for other employment (assuming they can't simply "retire", as I did when I left that office). The job search itself will impact different people in different ways, but most will probably find it at least somewhat stressful. If you've been in the same job for even a few years, it's quite jarring to return to the supplicant's role ("Please consider me for this position...") and have to prove yourself all over again. You're suddenly back at Square One where your reputation is concerned, and that's downright demeaning at times. It's also the case that most job applicants suffer some rejections before they ever find that new employer, and how can that not be tough on the ego?
Once the new job is found, then you're dealing with... you guessed it, change once again! "But I never had to get my manager's approval before doing that at my last job!" or "What do you mean I have to be in by 8:30 every morning?" are the sorts of reactions you might find yourself having to a drastically different corporate culture than you were previously used to. Of course, it could just as easily be, "Wow! This is way better than what we had at the old place!" but those rarely make the same impression as the negative ones do. No matter what the new job ends up being like, the only thing you can count on is that it won't be the same as the old one. And that can be very frustrating.
As Agile Manager, I tried to convince people that change was inescapable, so rather than fight it, why not make the best of it? Why not use our Retrospectives to give voice to those things you've always wanted to fix? How about you give this new thing a try instead of just bitching about it, measure how it's going after awhile, and then adjust it as need be? Some bought into that; others didn't. But change rolled over them all, just the same.
For the 125 people in that office living on borrowed time right now, I'd provide the identical advice: make the most of it! Pursue a different career path if that's what you've been wanting to do for awhile (but lacked the inertia to try it); find an industry that personally interests you; scratch that entrepreneurial itch that you've always wanted to, if you can still manage to pay the bills and support your dependents appropriately. With the right outlook, this whole "upheaval" could easily end up being something that you look back on in the future as one of the best things that ever happened to you.
And that's no death-inducing Kool-Aid, either!
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Don't jump at the first opportunity that comes along just to get a job unless you are desperately in need of a paycheque. If you are really considering a new field of business (or being an entrepreneur) then it doesn't hurt to take temporary contract positions that give you time to plan your long-term goals properly. A contract job is not always desirable but at least you are giving a company the same level of commitment that they usually give to you (little to none). It gives you a chance to move to something better when necessary.
I agree with Kimota94's sentiment. Think about what you really want to do, and then work towards it. Doing what you love and being surrounded by great people are whats best!
Changing careers is easy. It's getting someone to pay you that's the hard part. ;-)
... and anyone who knows much of anything about Barry will recognize that Barry's speaking from experience!
The contracting option is a good one that I didn't think to put in my post. It's obviously not for everyone, as the infrequent nature of most contract work can wreak havoc on one's nerves if there are regular bills to pay and no other income or "rainy day savings" to carry you through the lean months.
Of course, when you do get work as a contractor, you need to remember to only accept a rate that compensates for the lack of regularity and benefits associated with full-time employment. And I say that knowing full well that people don't always consider that when taking on a contract.
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