Everyone who waited around & stayed at Xerox is now facing a recession dog sh– job market after they get the boot from Xerox. Those with the most skills & smarts left before this OR have a sweet package lined up to bring u to retirement OR very marketable skills & can find a job easily. The remaining folks - good luck to ya.
An on point post from @5oxw+15g2GZnG.
Wait a minute, did I accidentally access the Bickering Xeroids site?
Developers working on the Microsoft Azure and C# projects need not worry - the stuff they're doing really is bleeding edge. The developers working on the office and production controllers should be very careful as their skills are antiquated.
@2nwy+15meMzSC Couldn't have said it better myself. I agree with everything you stated in your post.
All of you telling a software engineer that they won't be able to find a job somewhere else because they are working on old technology are complete id–ts. The software being developed at Xerox in some teams is bleeding edge technology: microsoft azure, devops, etc. Please don't act like you know everything just because you are bitter about your own ability to secure work outside of Xerox. I am a engineer and it was so easy to find another high paying job with better benefits.
"1) find it now, because if you are layed off you have a stigma attached to you whether deserved or not"
That's simply not true in most cases. If you're young, companies know the situation and would take advantage of being able to bring on lower paid people. If you're older, there are two categories. A good portion, probably over half the older population, are mediocre performers and are still working at Xerox because they are not capable of finding something else, or don't have the desire. A smaller portion of the older population are good - really good, and are still here because Xerox values their contributions and pays them well. Those people would have no problem finding a job, as their skills and enthusiasm is clear during an interview, though I expect most in this segment would have to take a benefits cut as they probably were overpaid.
"2) depending on where you live, the market is saturated already"
If anything, the pandemic has proven that working remotely is actually easier than senior management thought. The really good people can find a job local or by working remote.
"3) companies are outsourcing, especially software engineers"
To some extent. I see more long term maintenance, and cookie cutter projects being outsourced. For anything new and innovative, it's generally done in house. Not just at Xerox, but many companies. If you outsource to India, you are not going to get the same skilled engineers as here. But if you know what you need built, it's already been designed, then this arrangement can work.
"4) speak to colleagues who held similar roles, asking how long it took them to land somewhere"
It's going to vary based on your skills and capabilities. Top notch people can find a job. If you are a moderate performer, then you'll likely have a harder time convincing another company you're bringing something to their table.
"5) check your age - companies prefer younger hires as they are perceived to be cheaper and more motivated"
Yes and no. I expect most jobs, such as software jobs, companies want warm bodies who are capable and trainable. Other sw jobs though require specialized knowledge and skills, that a young person doesn't have experience with. They may want to bring in people to lead projects that they don't have experience with.
Bottom line, there's a difference between thinking you can get a job, and knowing you can get a job. Make and keep connections, keep dialogs open with recruiters, other employees, executives, etc ...
"I CoULd FiNd A JoB AlMoSt InStaNtLy - eVeN nOw. Good luck with that. A typical employee at the 'tardpowerhouse is skilled in an obsolete language in an ancient code base. Local recruiters are very aware of this. It won't be long now till you eat those words!"
Personally I know for a fact I could. I have many contacts with small company CEOs, presidents and CTOs. I keep dialogs ongoing. If you are not 100% sure of your ability to find a job if the company goes under, then yes you should leave while you can. I'm not concerned, but I'm also in a position where I'm financially independent due to being valued highly here for many years.
It took me about 1 year to leave, (on my own), in a hot job market because after 15 years I was very rusty at interviews. I also turned down many offers as they weren’t right for me.
I found the process and multiple interviews mentally exhausting - and I didn’t have the added stress of wondering where my next paycheque was coming from.
Getting out on your own is the best approach hands down. If u want to stay & get a package good luck to you, but know that eventually that package will run out but your mortgage payments do not.
Think about your family, think about your future & don’t leave it in the hands of that pirate his muppet.
To who think they can find a job instantly:
1) find it now, because if you are layed off you have a stigma attached to you whether deserved or not
2) depending on where you live, the market is saturated already
3) companies are outsourcing, especially software engineers
4) speak to colleagues who held similar roles, asking how long it took them to land somewhere
5) check your age - companies prefer younger hires as they are perceived to be cheaper and more motivated
6) unemployment numbers don’t equal open job numbers, especially in the tech sector.
This isn’t meant to persuade against leaving. It is meant to point out that leaving on your own terms is much better than finding out you aren’t as marketable as you thought.
It took me 7 months and many interviews and I worked in one of the hottest growth roles. Working against me were 1,2,5,6
I CoULd FiNd A JoB AlMoSt InStaNtLy - eVeN nOw. Good luck with that. A typical employee at the 'tardpowerhouse is skilled in an obsolete language in an ancient code base. Local recruiters are very aware of this. It won't be long now till you eat those words!
@peh+15meMzSC That's how I felt when I worked at Xerox. Best software development team I've worked with and I truly miss them. I do not miss the uncertainty surrounding Xerox or the lack of leadership from executive management. It was impossible to fix anything outside of my own team and it was completely frustrating how things never seemed to get better with any of the other Xerox departments who could have really helped with supporting us but upper management was too negligent or the company was too broke to change it.
@peh+15meMzSC Not in Rochester will you find a job anytime soon.
@peh+15meMzSC I was in operations and although there were 4-6 ppl I thoroughly enjoyed working with I could not ignore the warning signs. It won’t be very long. You will be fine. Anything of value will be sold off and your skills are valuable outside of xerox.
As a software engineer, I'm not concerned. I have skills that I know are very marketable and I could find a job almost instantly - even now - though I'd lose some vacation and probably some salary. As I enjoy the people I work with, the products I work with, and the daily work environment, I have no immediate desire to move. Yes, I have concerns for the future of our company, but I'm hanging around until I'm forced to leave. The grass isn't always greener.