I was let go from Ford after 17 years of service. I worked from home for the past few years, but the gravy train has came to an end. After 6 months of unemployment and searching for a new job, I came to realize after 5 interviews that I have no skills that these companies wanted. I have lost all of my skills, except for knowing how to use Excel, Outlook, Webex, and ppt. Most high school kids already know what I know, they are faster and more creative, and innovative. I couldn't answer any of the technical questions during the interview and it shows. I will try to get a job at Walmart next week.
37 replies (most recent on top)
hello everyone, I had a normal retirement is 2022. I was not kicked out. Ford hired me right back, and been back ever since, still doing the job I love. I was never a desk jockey, and spent time in the plants and suppliers way more than in the office. Management wanted me back. It was easy. it depends on your skill set, and how well you get along with the people in charge. pretty simple!!!!!
https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/articles/in-demand-jobs-for-seniors
@w5+1jrtq2vsc keep em in the stable if you must. Or destroy them even more for “stab”ility
If they are good, they take pride. Next time hold their dignity hostage. It will crush them for years
Next time blackmail. Rookie mistake. Never let your best horses go rogue. Keep them docile and subservient
Mf all FnF are required to read 48
Laws of Power. How did you let this happen!!!!!! Did you not read and learn manipulation? You must’ve had an HR that wasn’t FnF. Rare. Which dept so I can do an internal WARN for our selective kin. Kinship selection baby, your sacrifice will save the other FnF
Next time, make sure they don’t outshine the master, even if you’re not the master. You are the senior. You are older. That means you have authority. Don’t let them outshine you. Destroy them in your next position instead. Don’t let them outshine you. They are your cattle. Don’t let another owner take them or threaten your own livestock. Under the radar. Always. Next time, pass work as your own. You were too honest. Time for evil
"....they had actually better be the best you can get anywhere, even in the US." If they are indeed the best, and not just charlatans, make them permanent residents, so they can be contributors, without the drawbacks of being indentured servants.
"....and they stop importing engineers."
Which they should absolutely stop doing. The H1B program has been exploited for mid-tier cheap talent for far too long and was never intended to be used like it is right now. If your going to hire someone on that program, they had actually better be the best you can get anywhere, even in the US. If the only reason is compensation, that's a violation. But it's an addiction that will be hard to break corporations of.
@OP. Sorry to hear that. Try changing careers, or retaking an old hobby. In 2022, one of my coworkers was laid off. He was older than 55, and like you, spent years at Ford in menial tasks. That would mean a struggle to find another technical job.
However, he played music with some friends during the weekends. So they decide to take it as a "full time" gig. I am sure he is not making near as much as he was making at Ford, but at least he is happy doing something he loves.
The first thing anyone above 55 that have just lost their jobs, should do is reduce their expectations. Even having the best skills in the world is not a guarantee for a long term job. Many companies don't want to invest in older workers that are close to retirement, so they choose young people that can be trained in those skills. That's why many older workers become contractors.
I've been thinking in this for a while, because I could be in OP's shoes any minute. Already told my wife that this is going to be the highest paid job for the rest of my life, and we'll need to make adjustments to our standards of living when I lose my job at FMC. After all, is not what you make, but what you spend, what defines your financial health.
The main concern is health coverage until Medicare kicks in. Make sure you use COBRA, even when is kind of expensive, particularly if there are already health concerns in the family. COBRA would give you the same coverage you already have, and make sure to use it to the max and get the most care that you can. After COBRA, there is only Medicaid and lowsy Marketplace health plans. Good for catastrophic issues, but many doctors do not accept those plans, so is a struggle to get good care. So try keeping in shape, and take care of yourself.
"Just because I can retire doesn’t mean I want to."
Fine, but why on earth would you want to give this time to Ford? Find something more rewarding to do. There are plenty of hourly jobs that older folks get that pay the bills and involve much less stress. If you are able to retire right now but don't want to, its clearly not about the money. Throttle back your career and coast into retirement without the stress of the bass-ackwards world of Ford. I can't see why anyone would want to keep that around when given a clear and workable choice to the contrary.
Enjoy!!
Nobody gained anything from f d
“ No children left at home. Wife still works. You run out of little things to fix and you no longer have the income to afford big things”
Live your life. There is much to life than work and money. Don’t be a slave to the dollar. Volunteer at school, community, church, children’s hospital , or whatever.
How would you like to be remembered when your time is up? Take a deep breath and go enjoy live. Ford is nothing more than a train stop!
“At 55 you should be retiring”
Just because I can retire doesn’t mean I want to.
No children left at home. Wife still works. You run out of little things to fix and you no longer have the income to afford big things.
They raised the retirement age to 67 yet after 49 it’s really hard to get a decent job unless the economy is booming and they stop importing engineers.
I'm sorry to hear this too. Please know that it's not just you though. Half the people I know are laid off from all different industries and roles. Some coming from FAANG companies too.
There is tons of free learning opportunities online and many fairly cheap trainings too.
Maybe this can be an opportunity for you to learn about and do something you're actually interested in. Best to you - and all the rest of us too.
Some of my Ford colleagues who left at 55+ have decided to do this:
https://youtu.be/_794CQHC_Qo
At 55 you should be retiring if you were at all successful in your career. You didn’t save enough,
IT PM's are at the bottom of the totem pole of skills. After 30 years I have yet to see one who knew what they are talking about or contributed to the success of a project. They are about as useless as a paper helmet in a football game.
@OP try to become a PM (project manager). Nearly every Ford long timer who did not keep their skills current that I know took this route.
Unfortunately at Ford very few take it upon themselves to keep their skills current. Those who did and were true SMEs and true tech specialists were ironically the first targets of Ford layoffs. On the bright side for them, they easily found new jobs, as they had skills.
While @ Ford I often had people tell me that they would not learn/do xyz because Ford did not send them to offsite training. I went so far as dropping off manuals and training materials on these peoples desks, they refused to learn, instead loafing in the office opting for reading fiction instead of manuals. Most of those loafers are still @ Ford. The ones who are not are PMs for contract companies.
This is a troll post. You don’t lose your engineering skills. It’s muscle memory m#rons.
I identify as 38, so it always keeps me in that sweet spot career wise.
Ford is inclusive if you didn't know.
That sounds familiar, very familiar. That's certainly not unique to Ford.
The answer would have been to stack your cash, never buy the new car they want you to buy. Keep you skills up on your own time and if you don't do that then it's on you. No excuse now with all the AI tutors we have at our disposal. So cheap, so easy, that if you don't exploit it your just unmotivated.
Most of the Ford employees who are 55+ are in the same boat. After 45+ the skills go down the drain because management takes you in that direction and employees focus only on satisfying the management needs. During performance reviews they are told they are doing great and so they keep doing the tasks management wants, as their long term goal is to retire from Ford. But this whole thing has changed due to continuous layoffs in the past 5 years. The management is the reason for this skills mess. If anyone needs to be fired it is them. People who were so skillful until 45 became useless by 55. The lesson to be learned from this is to keep skills current even after 45 as retiring from Ford is not a guarantee anymore unless you can afford an early retirement. Unfortunately 55+ who did not get this warning soon enough are severely impacted as getting a job without relevant skills is very hard now. Please take care.
Gotta get creative…there is more opportunity than ever before..Don’t stay a lamp lighter looking for a lamp lighter position.
I am sad this happened to you. You will find another job just fine. Hire a headhunter and they don’t charge you, they charge the company that hires you. It will be ok. Update your resume and google some good job placement companies in your city and I bet you will find a better job than what you had!
I was a process engineer. Now I can't even get a job in engineering because I have lost my engineering skills for working at Ford during the last 17 years. As engineer at Ford, you don't really do any engineering to be innovative You hire outside engineers to do the design and the work. I managed the paperwork and make sure the job is done. Sorry, but it's the truth.
Don’t despair, I’m in the same boat. I am back to school chasing a new interest and will rejoin the workforce in an industry where ageism is a factor but enough to get in the way. Think about what you want to do now you have the freedom and write a different chapter.
They raise the retirement age to 67 but flood the job market with younger people from other countries so you can’t get a job past 55.
Sorry to tell you that you will find that you have been overpaid and are to old to get a job at Walmart or elsewhere. They won't hire you.
What is your skill set? I suppose that should be a lesson for all of us, no matter where we work or what we do. Use your time wisely, either at work or not, to either learn a new skill or keep the ones that are used in your field, sharp.
Consider yourself better off without skills. Skill is a very important factor @ Ford. SME and TE were let go way before you.
There's a lot lazy Ford employee's new and old including management.
Don't worry Ford holds on to these type of workers.
Well, you decided to stay working at home, that puts you in the low performers automatically.
Ford is where careers go to die. Any long time Ford employee is poison to other companies.
Do you have any savings, perhaps you can invest in the skills you’ve acquired over the years but on yourself?
I’m sorry to hear this by the way