I joined the company a few years ago as an experienced hire and I have been fortunate with my rotations, management, ranking, etc. However, I do have serious concerns about the company after the PIPs this summer, the recent layoffs and overall company performance. My function was not significantly impacted but who knows if that will be the case next year. If you had less than 5 years of experience, would you stay or would you consider leaving now?
29 replies (most recent on top)
@1kmg+18prD2vd
Keep drinking that koolaid. You will be shocked.
Guys, let's admit the fact: ExxonMobil's glory has peaked and it's now sunsetting. Why would we stay if the future is not bright for this company? All millennials who survived should look for the nearest exit!
So funny to read your post. Maybe there was a time when EM was a premier employer. Those days are gone. Culture is toxic. Trust in management is gone. Company is shrinking. Activist investors are circling. Employee benefits are cut. Wages are and will continue to stagnate. I suppose if you have a skill set that is only good for oil and gas you don’t have many options (you mentioned geos but even they have options outside oil and gas). Sure many people apply to a job opening. Same can be said for many other companies.
I laugh when management says things like there will be opportunities in these tough times for those who survive. Ooh so inspiring.
No harm in looking and applying to new jobs. It will give you an idea of the skills you need to develop or keep sharp to find a new job when the right time comes. If you find your dream job elsewhere take it. I know several people who are taking this approach. Like the Zillow make me move option. Apply for moon shot jobs you would love to get. Work to develop the skills. Try to get roles while at EM that support the goal you have. Eventually you will land your perfect job.
Very informative post! One of the best I have seen here.
Wondering if you would consider making this a new post, as it may help many.
management and shareholders would laugh at the OP... c'mon everybody knows a single job posting from EM and thousands will apply around the globe. Just look at how many new engineers or geos are graduating each year, they don't care if EM is a sinking ship, job is job for new graduates and management-HR knows that. EM isn't like years before: correct! but still a lot better than other industries
Personally, no reason to stay for the up turn. It will take at least 10 years to see the upside. I don't want to be miserable for 10 years for the hope it will turn. By that time I will be older and will have to start at the bottom rung of some other company. Too much risk to take.
did you just ask why someone didn’t willfully leave his wage and health insurance?
how many brain cells do you have?
The OP is delusional and should have been laid off with the rest of us. If you want out (pure BS on your part) then why didnt you leave and give your spot to someone who wanted to stay? In case you haven't heard lots of people are looking for jobs right now. Going to be a while (if ever) before you can leave cry baby.
You want out. This industry has been more or less ruined by the manufacturing model (i.e. shale) and finance guys with MBAs getting their paws on executive positions. It'll take another prolonged downturn like the 90s to really fix the issue before there might be another boom. Not worth it to wait those 10 or so years for that to happen. S—s for us young guys, but that's how it is sometimes. Timing is everything.
It is very bias view if you ask those still in the company, they will say it is still a great place. They are just a frog stuck in a deep well.
"No one trusts management now." False. Many of us do.
"There will be a massive rush for the exits." Seriously doubt that. The ones who don't buy into the green hysteria and who know that oil is not going anywhere for at least 50 years, aren't going anywhere. (hint, that's most people who work at this company).
"Everyone I know is applying for other jobs." Really, everyone you know is applying for other jobs?
"If you find something that is better jump. Think long term value. " Long-term value is staying at exxon.
"the sinking ship that is EM. " In your dreams is Exxon a sinking ship. Exxon will be back on top sooner than later. Exxon will be here for many decades to come.
No one trusts management now. There will be a massive rush for the exits the minute there is a chance for people to leave. Everyone I know is applying for other jobs. You don’t have to accept if it isn’t a good fit. Start applying and looking for a new job. If you find something that is better jump. Think long term value. You may take an initia pay cut but in the long run you are likely to come out on top the sooner you leave the sinking ship that is EM.
None of you will get another job offer. Just admit and accept your reality. You did a worthless job at XOM for years and now the gravy train is over. Go delivery Amazon packages and do REAL WORK for a change leeches.
I don’t trust this management team any more.. will leave when I get a job offer. I know many others doing the same too
For a career at the company , your performance vector has to be a net positive for 20 or 30 years. You can go up and down a bit around the middle bucket and be ok as long as you work hard and are diligent and a team player. But if you drop and stay in lowest two buckets for more than two - four assessment cycles you should be concerned over perceptions of the perceived baggage you now carry as a perceived low relative performer longer term, as the unconscious bias of your rankers is very difficult to overcome. With that backdrop, after the 2020 8-10 % mlrp program followed by 4q20 15 % voluntary and involuntary ; there is net exodus of roughly 23 - 25 percent of your peer / ranking group on gross average in many instances. In 5 months from now in May 2021 there is probably to be rationally expected between another 3-10 % mlrp program. So the end result is roughly 25-35 % of your peers in the rank group no longer are present after next rank cycle in May 2021. Probaby most of them that will have left the company populating the “ni” and “good” designated lower two quintiles. So after May 2021 the ranking system and the math both requires remaining”goods” become “ni” or “nsi” and many “very goods” have to either become “goods” and “ni” To make the math work on the forced rankings with quintile buckets still required. Then replay this into May 2022 - assume no layoffs but anything between a 3-10% mlrp process consistent with what happened this year. If you think you are “very good” now you truly really are , but in May 2022 on a relative ranking basis the “very goods” must have to mostly now become mostly “ni” and a some “goods” in just less than 18 months from now. Math and forced rankings are hard to overcome the actual reality of how the game ends with the outcome accelerated by the 23-25 % real reduction that occurred this year and another 3-10% that would potentially be exposed to mlrp and pip in May 2021. It is brutal system when expressed mathematically. Best of luck with all future endeavors. Keep technical skills current and avoid going management track where most of your technical skills will become obsolete in 2-5 years.
I trusted I would retire there. After 20 years as a top 1/3 performer they took 2/3 of my retirement and booted me out at 51.... you want to risk that?
I was an experienced hire who converted from contractor and left when they announced the 401K matching freeze/cancellation. No thanks.
So many better jobs out there. People who are still at Exxon either have too much to lose such as pension/other benefits or can’t get a job anywhere else
Experienced hire in US.
Probably good at what they do so got what it takes.
Suggest you take what you got and sell it somewhere else.
Much better to leave on your own terms at your own time than to be told when to leave.
Get out now!
I would be leaving immediately for a different industry
As an experienced hire you have some advantage since Exxon is one of many experiences you have. Treat it as any other job, not as a final career destination and you should be good.
Use EM and their resources to better yourself. Look for a job and jump. XOM is having a hard time recruiting talent and keep folks and guess what? They don’t care. Why? Because most jobs will be overseas any ways. We lost so many good folks to Apple and AWS. XOM was OK with it because those jobs were transitioned to BKK or BA for cheap.
Same boat. Am doing what the others here have suggested. Keep working but look for an out within the next year.
I also was fortunate enough to not be let go this round. I'm looking for an out more seriously now while I continue to work. Planning on us the PADP cycle to get my resume updated and start sending.
I suggest that you continuously look for better opportunities but in the interim ride this donkey as far as it will take you (but not much longer than 5 years or you will be stuck)
If your heart's desire it to work in oil and gas and you're getting good experience, then stay. If you r only motivation is to think EM will be the deep pocket long term experience of yesteryears then go find meaningful work.
Get out!