Company Layoffs

[bvibert]

My resume only has two lines, 36 pt font-

Name: Marc Moseley
Qualifications: Kicks Much Ass



It's worked so far.

Mine is similar, but 48 pt font:

Name: Brian Vibert
Qualifications: Can kick Marc's ass

 

[Paul]

Funny... mine is 64 pt.

PAUL


ASS




No wonder why I still work at AT&T....

 

[Glenn]

You could probably tell me what was so terrible with my resume that after sending 40 of them out this spring, I only got one interview. :???:

Then again, it could be that I was a SAHM and hadn't been in the so-called working world for 18 months at the time.

Just let me know and I'll help you out.

 

[Angus]

the other for publix which is like the stop n shop of the south only 10times better, really an unreal company with unreal benefits which is still thriving opening 50stores this year even in these tough times.

Publix is one of the really great private, partially employee owned companies in the country.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

Publix is one of the really great private, partially employee owned companies in the country.

Ya i think its the largest privately employee owned company in the world if i read that correctly, they have been good for me so far, for every 209.00 you earn you get 1 whole stock which is about 20bucks a share, it split 5 to 1 last year and always has a quarterly dividend. Every 3months u get 1 whole weeeks paycheck as a bonus, and for christmas bonus u get 1months pay if your in management its really unreal.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

You could probably tell me what was so terrible with my resume that after sending 40 of them out this spring, I only got one interview. :???:

Then again, it could be that I was a SAHM and hadn't been in the so-called working world for 18 months at the time.

Sev u know what i noticed the biggest problem i had with getting interviews was, say u applied to work at home depot in Torrington, u apply thru careerbuilder or monster or whatever, your app ends up in Atlanta at their headquarters on some disgruntled HR persons desk whos making 8bucks an hour and really doesnt give a shit about you, ive learned to go right to the decision makers at the actual place u wanna work, sending out resumes and applying online ends up who knows where, too many channels to go thru for your app to end back up where u want it to be, dont use the middle man go straight to the source.

 

[mondeo]

She's an EE, shouldn't be too hard to find something better, her last company actually sucked hairy balls.

Yeah, one good thing about engineering is that engineers actually produce stuff (unlike financial services or, say, historians.) Always in demand. Plus this country doesn't produce enough of them, though the ones we do produce are top notch.

Well, real engineers. You know, not environmental or crap like that.:razz:

 

[RootDKJ]

Yeah, one good thing about engineering is that engineers actually produce stuff (unlike financial services or, say, historians.) Always in demand. Plus this country doesn't produce enough of them, though the ones we do produce are top notch.

Well, real engineers. You know, not environmental or crap like that.:razz:

I hope your right...

 

[deadheadskier]

Yeah, one good thing about engineering is that engineers actually produce stuff (unlike financial services or, say, historians.) Always in demand. Plus this country doesn't produce enough of them, though the ones we do produce are top notch.

Well, real engineers. You know, not environmental or crap like that.:razz:

smiley noted,

but as someone who's brother has a phD in environmental engineering who was key to getting the remediation of the Hudson River watershed going and is quite proud of him for it......your joke in the last statement doesn't sit well with me. Maybe I'm being uptight, but having witnessed what he had to do to get his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon and some of the things he's accomplished professionally since, I hold environmental engineers in as equally high regard as all other disciplines of the field. Kinda like a heart surgeon ragging on a brain surgeon

 

[mondeo]

smiley noted,

but as someone who's brother has a phD in environmental engineering who was key to getting the remediation of the Hudson River watershed going and is quite proud of him for it......your joke in the last statement doesn't sit well with me. Maybe I'm being uptight, but having witnessed what he had to do to get his doctorate from Carnegie Mellon and some of the things he's accomplished professionally since, I hold environmental engineers in as equally high regard as all other disciplines of the field. Kinda like a heart surgeon ragging on a brain surgeon

In any profession, there are a wide range of abilities. PhDs are serious business in just about any profession.

But going to school at Clarkson, I knew a decent number of all types of engineering majors. To some degree, you could pick out what major someone was without any prior knowldege. And, by and large, environmental majors were different from the other engineering majors. Most engineers are drawn to engineering with some consideration of the math and science that is inherent in engineering. Environmental engineers tended to be less inclined in this regard, and more touchy-feely. And they were the black sheep of the engineers.

But at least they weren't business majors.:razz:

Back to being serious. More than anything, the sentiment I expressed is the result of fairly good-natured competition between the different majors. Mech E.s and Aeros generally picked on the Civ E.s because, c'mon, their stuff doesn't even move. EEs were just weird. And environmental engineers just didn't really fit the general mold of engineers. Train of conciousness kicking in here, the difference that I mentioned above, and why they aren't real engineers is, well, because they aren't (in general.) Engineers are nerds. That's just the way it is. The environmental engineers just aren't nerdy enough to qualify as engineers. They didn't really fit in.

If you're up to it, and the meet-up ever happens, I dare you to witness a conversation between Marc and I. Some engineers are nerdier than others, but judging from some of his posts (such as how 4-bar linkages aren't,) we could probably get into a discussion of minutiae like you've never witnessed before. On the other hand, the vast majority of environmental engineers are actually normal human beings.

 

[deadheadskier]

I guess I don't think of people / professions in vast majorities like yourself. It's pigeon holing.

I'm sure my brother would see your and Marc's nerdyness and raise you two geeks. :lol: He'd fit right in with your conversations. You don't get a phD from a top ten engineering school in the world without being a major nerd. The environmental engineering program he went through wasn't designed to help graduates become the world's best tree huggers, pretty broad based program that I know required him to teach civil, mechanical, biological and chemical engineering courses to undergrads amongst other disciplines.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

But at least they weren't business majors.:razz:

.

Hey I was a business major.. I would think the environmental engineers are nerdy hippies..lol

 

[Warp Daddy]

Yeah, one good thing about engineering is that engineers actually produce stuff (unlike financial services or, say, historians.) Always in demand. Plus this country doesn't produce enough of them, though the ones we do produce are top notch.

Well, real engineers. You know, not environmental or crap like that.:razz:

Someone here has an INFLATED opinion

While i understand the tongue in cheek nature of some of your sentiment -- as a Clarkson grad it 's disappointing to learn that you apparantly have yet to learn that this nation NEEDS people with a multiplicity of talents in order to thrive

Engineers while valued are but one small segment that can address the current issues at hand in this country

BTW I have several Clarkson grads in my family, most with PHD's and my brother is both a CE and Environmental engineer Clarkson BS with a PHD and several nation award winning projects and a major political force in the State of Indiana.

Moreover i have worked alongside of several CLARKSON faculty and staff from multiple disciplines who would be unamused by the narrowness of your analysis

 

[severine]

Sev u know what i noticed the biggest problem i had with getting interviews was, say u applied to work at home depot in Torrington, u apply thru careerbuilder or monster or whatever, your app ends up in Atlanta at their headquarters on some disgruntled HR persons desk whos making 8bucks an hour and really doesnt give a shit about you, ive learned to go right to the decision makers at the actual place u wanna work, sending out resumes and applying online ends up who knows where, too many channels to go thru for your app to end back up where u want it to be, dont use the middle man go straight to the source.

That's probably a contributor in the situation I experienced. I was searching through careerbuilder and most of my resumes were submitted through them or the companies' websites. The test invitation I was given (municipal job) was from a resume I mailed in... well that and I was a municipal secretary for 8.5 years, so that certainly helped my case. By the time it came, though, we had already decided to stay where we were (job would have required relocation) and I was re-admitted to school. Good to know for next time around.

 

[mondeo]

Someone here has an INFLATED opinion

While i understand the tongue in cheek nature of some of your sentiment -- as a Clarkson grad it 's disappointing to learn that you apparantly have yet to learn that this nation NEEDS people with a multiplicity of talents in order to thrive

Engineers while valued are but one small segment that can address the current issues at hand in this country

Um...I work at a corporation with 235,000 employees, in a division with 35,000 employees. I understand very well that there are roles to be filled by many types of people in many professions. All I was really saying is that, due to their role in developing new products, and the long lead times associated with that process, the demand for engineers is, I would presume, more consistent than other professions. Companies that have good balance sheets realize that while people may not be buying stuff now, when the economy picks up there needs to be the new latest and greatest thing available. Compare that to, for example, a machinist, where if there's no one buying products with a 3 week lead time, and there won't be for a few months, then he's out of a job. Conversely, engineers don't get quite the same pick-up from boom periods. On top of that, the supply for engineers is low.

I feel like I've used an inside joke that just isn't coming across. Yes, I've made generalizations. But stereotypes generally have some basis in truth. However, I would never actually apply that generalization to somebody. Statistics are valid for populations, not individuals. I've met far too many people from a wide range of backgrounds and professions to apply stereotypes, including a fairly large number of mechanical engineers that are flat-out idiots.

Stereotypes are best suited to making jokes. Just as long as people realize that that's all you're doing.

 

[mondeo]

By the time it came, though, we had already decided to stay where we were (job would have required relocation) and I was re-admitted to school. Good to know for next time around.

That part will have a much bigger impact next time around than who you send the resume to.

 

[ski220]

I was laid off (down sized was the euphemism at that time) for 9 months Feb. 1994. Coincided w/ planned trip to Jackson Hole. Came back (flights were allready booked) signed the papers, jumped in my car and went on a 4 week tour of the rockies. The rest of the year sucked though. And took several years to recover financially.

Why was I laid off? Because of gross mismanagement at the top. They "retired" w/ bonuses and life long pension packages.

The last CEO of the company I work for now retired and part of his seperation package included life long heath benefits for his CHILDREN who never even worked for the company. Yet retierees with 30+ years of service have to pay for theirs!

And they wonder why

 

[Skier75]

These are tough times indeed and anything can happen. I have been through the layoff cycle too many times when I was a director and had to let people go during tough economic phases. It's a lousy experience all around. When a layoff was done, those left behind who still have jobs would typically have a rough time. Some things to keep in mind while you still have a job:

• deal with the things you can control (guessing who and when the next layoff happens will not help you and is not in your control)
• stay away from the rumor mill, it'll make you nuts
• keep your house in order (update your resume, keep your network alive, don't live beyond your means)
• put your head down and do your best work
• support your peers, but recognize if you work with someone toxic. if you do, minimize the time with them or you'll drown in their swill
• try not to believe you are next in line for a layoff or indispensible -- neither are likely true

Sorry if any of these sound insensitive. They are not meant that way. It's just the kind of things I would tell my teams to help them stay focused and ride out the storm.

For anyone who gets caught in a layoff, you will survive, you may have a bumpy ride while you seek a new position, and in the end the change will likely do you good. I've taken this route myself. I skied last winter on the company and now work for myself again which is a great thing for me.

Yeah, been there done that way too many times for my comfort. After most layoffs that I've had, have had some both good and bad come of it. Most of the bad has been too much time in between jobs, but that hasn't always been a bad thing either. I pretty much try to use that time to my advantage, if possible. Let's see I've used the time off to both relax and also to increase my opportunity for a better job. So while still looking for other employment, I have finished my degree or taken advanced classes. On the flip side while doing the things your "supposed to do" to receive unemployment benefits I used it to take a trip to Arizona to see a friend, gone camping/kayaking with another, stuff like that. Seems that with each lay off the next job I'd get was for more money, that's always good.

Yeah, it definately sucks getting laid off, but you have to get creative with your time off and try to use it to your advantage. Believe me it's not fun, but if you have support from friends and family(emotional), it can be a big help. At the end of this last lay-off, things got pretty tough for me, mostly emotionally. One can only take so much from getting so close to getting a job or not.

My last layoff was about 2 1/2 years ago and was out of work for about 8 mos. At the beginning you think okay some time off would be nice, but it doesn't take long for that to get old. It was then that I decided that it was time to get out of the manufacturing sector, now I work for the State. Low pay, but great benefits, luckily we can afford that with no kids in the house and hubby makes more than me. Working for the State, at least where I am, is more secure than working in manufacturing.

 

[RootDKJ]

My company gave notice to another 128 employees today. Some of them will have the option to "re-apply" for their own jobs. Sounds like a crock to me.

Anyway, I'm still kicking and laying low and staying productive. A company wide email went out that all the re-org changes would be done this week but I suspect it won't be done until next week right before Thanksgiving.

 

[wa-loaf]

My company gave notice to another 128 employees today. Some of them will have the option to "re-apply" for their own jobs. Sounds like a crock to me.

Anyway, I'm still kicking and laying low and staying productive. A company wide email went out that all the re-org changes would be done this week but I suspect it won't be done until next week right before Thanksgiving.

Man are they going about it all wrong. If you are going to have layoffs you gotta do it all at once. Start dicking around with a few here and a few here and pretty soon the smart folks (the ones you want to keep) are gonna start leaving on their own.