“Kelii Kekuewa”, huh? Yeah, I remember that name. Sounds all exotic and interesting, doesn’t it? Well, let me tell you, my experience with it was anything but a tropical vacation.
It was actually the codename for this project at my old gig. “Project Kelii Kekuewa”. We were all supposed to be super jazzed about it. Management kept going on about how innovative it was, how it was gonna be a game-changer. Typical corporate BS, you know the drill. I poured hours into that thing. Late nights, skipped lunches, the whole nine yards. Thought I was being a good little worker bee, contributing to something big.
The “Big” Realization
The only “big” thing I realized was how disposable we all were. One day, you’re a “valued team member” working on “Project Kelii Kekuewa,” the next, you’re getting a five-minute call from HR telling you your services are no longer required. No warning, no proper explanation, just “market conditions” and “restructuring.” Funny how “Project Kelii Kekuewa” was so critical until it wasn’t, or until they found a cheaper way to do whatever it was supposed to do.
And the silence from the people who were all buddy-buddy with you just days before? Deafening. Suddenly, everyone’s too busy, or they just look right through you. It’s like you’ve got the plague. That’s the real “Kelii Kekuewa” for you – a lesson in how quickly things can turn.
Scrambling and Finding My Feet
So there I was, out on my ear. Rent due, bills piling up. You try to stay positive, but it’s tough when your “ohana” company kicks you to the curb without a second thought. I sent out so many resumes, I lost count. Went on a few interviews where they make you feel like you’re begging for scraps. It was demoralizing, to say the least.
- Applied for anything and everything remotely related to my skills.
- Got a lot of those “we’ll keep your resume on file” emails. Yeah, right.
- Had to dip into savings I’d been building for ages.
Then, out of the blue, this small company, a place I almost didn’t even apply to because it seemed too low-key, called me back. Went for an interview, and it was… different. They actually talked to me like a human being. No corporate buzzwords, no trying to intimidate you. They were straight up about what they needed and what they offered.
And you know what? I took the job. It wasn’t as “prestigious” as the old place, didn’t have a fancy coffee machine or a “Project Kelii Kekuewa” with a cool-sounding name. But they treated people right. Pay was decent, work was interesting enough, and nobody was breathing down your neck every five seconds. Turns out, actual respect beats a fancy project name any day of the week.
Sometimes I see that old company posting jobs, talking about their great “culture.” Makes me laugh. They’re probably still cycling through people, promising them the moon with their latest “Kelii Kekuewa” and then pulling the rug out from under them. I learned my lesson. That “Kelii Kekuewa” experience, as rotten as it was at the time, actually pushed me to find something way better. So, in a twisted way, maybe I should thank them for being such jerks. Nah, probably not. But I’m definitely in a better spot now.