I think y'all could use some encouragement right now so here's my story (and its not a rare one by any means):
I was let go end of July after only 2 years with the company (came straight from college with a BS in ChemE). I was told I was "Needs Improvement" and had to go "seek employment elsewhere". PIP was not an option for me.
It was tough at the time, very dark period. I knew that this could very well be a blessing in disguise but convincing myself of that was tough sometimes. I was also dealing with some family issues that got kicked up because of losing my job so that was even more mental strain. But I kept my head up in between mental break downs - job hunting is basically a full time job after all.
After a few weeks of applying, the interviews started rolling in. Got an offer after about 3 weeks, turned it down, then got another offer from one of my dream companies, accepted. Got even more interview requests even after accepting the job (from some other big name companies), had to decline them all.
My job tips (a JLA of sorts, if you will):
- If you're still employed with EM right now, don't work more than, like, 50 hours a week at most. All the overtime you'd be giving them is wasted if they just end up laying you off anyway. Don't let them wring value out of you and then dump you after you're spent. And even if you somehow don't get laid off, it's still no good to burn yourself out: your mental and physical health are worth more than a job. There's more to life than work - work is never finished, there'll always be more to do so pace yourself. No one lies on their death bed thinking "Gee, I wish I worked 20 more hours during the week."
- Time more wisely spent would be time prepping for and conducting a job hunt.
- Make a good resume (have others proof read and suggest improvements) before you go out applying. Put $$$ on there - if you're an engineer that worked at EM, you should be able to put down numbers in the millions.
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ExxonMobil is still a good name to have on your resume (believe it or not). I don't think word has
quite gotten out yet how rubbish they are yet. Generally, EM is considered a highly technical
company so play that to your advantage. - Also brush up your LinkedIn profile - that should be easy to do as you work on your resume.
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- recommendations on LinkedIn are pretty nice to have. Give out recommendations too! People will
more than likely reciprocate your recommendation. - Apply to as many jobs as possible and keep track of them in an excel spreadsheet
- keep your login creds in there bc believe me, you'll be making lots of accounts
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I also kept links to applications, company names, job title, date applied, and status of application in
there - Apply to jobs as long as you fit >=50% of the requirements. This is a numbers game, improve your chances with more applications. Don't be discouraged by seeing 200+ applicants for a job opening. Who cares, apply anyway. You won't have a chance at all if you don't apply. Make those job screeners earn their pay!
- Don't bother with cover letters unless it's a job you really really want. Again, quantity is the name of the game, apply to as many jobs as you can.
- No need to be too picky with who you apply to (unless you definitely know you're gunning for a certain field). I found small companies tend to interview a little sooner than larger companies so the small company interviews made good practice.
- If you do have a field you're targeting very strongly, it may be a good idea to exhaust all applications and interviews in that field first so you're not stuck between an offer you don't really want and waiting on a better offer in a field you like better
- Network. With people you know and people you don't know. Cold messaging on LinkedIn with people you don't really know actually can work. Alumni's of your old school tend to be pretty receptive. Frame it as a "I'm looking for advice on switching industries/companies. Can you tell me more about xyz" instead of just straight up saying you're looking for a job.
- Be patient. Sometimes it takes 2-4 weeks before an application gets back to you for an interview request. Don't panic. Keep chugging along and applying while you wait. It's ok to take a day or two off from the job hunt too. Rest your mind, go exercise, meditate (or pray as I did).
- Don't take rejection too hard, it'll happen in all liklihood. I applied to 255 jobs, rejected by 96 and got interviews for about 10 of them. You do the math on how many didn't get back to me. And you'll also probably get the rejections before you start getting interviews and offers.
General tips:
- It's ok to cry and have breakdowns. Let yourself decompress emotionally. And then pick yourself up and keep going until something good comes along. Repeat and rinse.
- Keep an emergency fund. If you have income right now or when you do have income, you need to build up at least 6 months of funds for situations just like this. Thankfully I was on the FIRE train (still am btw) so I was just fine financially - that's one thing I didn't really have to worry about. FIRE (Financially Independent Retire Early) is a whole other discussion but I am definitely a fan.
- The grass can certainly be greener on the other side. Sure all companies have their problems, big ones will have some politics and bureaucracy but there ARE better companies with better culture out there than EM.
- I don't know you personally, but I can say that in all likelihood, you are technically competent, capable, and smart. I know I struggled with self doubt after being told I "needed improvement" even though I knew this was most likely a load of bull. Sure I could be better in certain areas, and I will continue working on them, but my base capabilities are there and I do bring value to whoever I work for. And I can say the same probably goes for you too. Keep your head up Kings and Queens. On the bright side, if you are actually laid off and not "performance based" cut from your job like I was or the other first wavers were, you won't have to struggle as much I guess, haha.
Now I actually like going in to work. What a strange feeling! The culture is so much more relaxed but the people are still super smart. People aren't all stressed up, it's a breath of fresh air. Indeed it was a blessing in disguise. Thank the Lord I got out.
I'll try to follow this thread for a little bit for the next few days so if you have questions, feel free to ask. I may have to be a bit selective about what I answer for...privacy reasons... but I'll try. And anyone else with tips/successes, please do share! I'm sure the "first wavers" as I like to call it (folks that got let go in July-ish due to "performance") will have good advice. Lord knows these people need it now.
Good luck everyone!
X And trolls, stay away! X