I gave 2 decades to this company. I dropped out of college to build a career here.
Now it's over.
19 replies (most recent on top)
Please come in next Monday @ 10 AM to get fitted for your red vest. We here at wallyworld want to welcome you with open arms. You are gonna love being a greeter, you get to meet a lot of people.
Can you flip burgers? Can you learn to run the milkshake machine?
What now?
I would suggest getting all the rif'd folks together, gather 'round the campfire, join hands, sing kumbaya, and eat smores.
Go git yer JD! You can become a judge in a court of law. Can you just feel the power? Do it, do it now. Forget Verizon, they didn't know what they had till it was gone!
Sounds like you chose poorly. No employer has your best interest at heart.
Time to finish that medical degree and become a brain surgeon. Enough with this hand to mouth cr-p, never knowing if you will survive the next round of cuts.
Almost 20 years here and RIFd as well. Honestly, you don't need a degree, the work experience is enough. We will all be fine, just start looking NOW, put yourself in a position to keep that severance payout.
It's really weird though how loyalty and time in with a company really isn't appreciated anymore. I've interviewed a couple of times the last few months where they were not really that impressed with that much time in and I've been in a few roles during that time, so not stagnant.
People saw the writing on the wall and jumped ship for better pay and better opportunity months ago. (Especially in professional services) Unlike another poster, I don't think the competition is doing that much better. They are all expecting, or are also in the middle of, large cuts. God has a plan for all of us casualties. Keep Faith. Take advantage of the resume building call next week.
As Americans we’re now in a place in which we’ll be lucky to get a job flipping burgers with an MBA.
That’s what our handlers want, beggars.
Try a 16 hour workweek and see how the middle-class rebounds.
20 years of experience should pay off! Start looking immediately, and you might even find something internally. Good luck with it!
Like you, 26 years, survived Worldcom and now just a salary to be eliminated
“Now they have time to finish college. Apply to AT&T, Lumen, Frontier? Not much better with job security - telcos are chopping out parts they don't see as profitable - all non executives.”
A degree won’t make it any better. Look back to 2009 when employers were requiring bachelors degrees for $12/hr jobs but you could also work in a call center for $12/hr with a high school education.
Also, finishing a college degree won’t do much to boost OP to an executive role. At AT&T we had FIRST level managers for IEFS with MBA’s. You got the same $90k whether you had a HS diploma or MBA. Once people made 2nd, 3rd, 4th level, they DON’T leave.
'Going to college doesn’t mean your job elsewhere would have been protected either. I’d still say you picked the right path. It lasted 20 years, which is more than either high school educated or college educated people could ask of any employer in any field.
Enjoy yourself through the first of the year but start applying to AT&T, Lumen, Frontier as soon as the new year rolls over.'
Now they have time to finish college. Apply to AT&T, Lumen, Frontier? Not much better with job security - telcos are chopping out parts they don't see as profitable - all non executives.
Keep your head up and remember you have 2 decades of experience that will help you in the job hunt.
Sending good thoughts to you.
I am hopeful to make 20. I have almost made 17, been cut once but hanging in and hanging on!
Don't let your heart be troubled, 20 years not too shabby at all, it was a good run. It is only a matter of time before you find something new and the change will be a good reset and the beginning of a new run. Best of luck!
That's one he-l of a run, it's not very many (if any) companies today where you can work for 20 years, nevermind a lifetime. Sounds like you're in your mid 40s, you're still young in tech, lots of options.
Going to college doesn’t mean your job elsewhere would have been protected either. I’d still say you picked the right path. It lasted 20 years, which is more than either high school educated or college educated people could ask of any employer in any field.
Enjoy yourself through the first of the year but start applying to AT&T, Lumen, Frontier as soon as the new year rolls over.