Years ago, a great career here was achievable, especially for high performers. But that all changed about a decade ago when Exxon shifted focus from investing in employees to prioritizing profits through cuts. We knew something was off when we stopped being the company with the best pay and benefits. Now, it’s clear, the idea of a long-term career here is a thing of the past.
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I came into the industry in the 1980s amidst layoffs about every 3-4 years, and our CEO (Lou Noto) came out unannounced to a Mobil field barbecue (with no one year advance vetting attendees and questions,) answered every question the operators threw at him.
His parting words were,"Live within your means and stay marketable, we are in a cyclic industry that pays well in good times and pays off in bad times, you are responsible for you".
I spent my career saving at least 30% of my gross and getting ready to be laid off, paid cash for all depreciating assets. Layoffs never came, retired at 55 with a 7 digit net worth.
You are all smart, educated and capable, so take care of you.
That is what big companies want. They don't want employees with no debt. The supervisor s love to ask about your families not because they care. They want to know so they can control you. Don't say anything say you are single and have no debt. Give them nothing. Of course hr knows and will convey this to the supervisor. Exxon could also check using the service they use to confirm employment eligibility. There is a place in India that has all of your school,work history pay info. I had to contact them to get my employment record from 25 years ago. I needed to know where I worked at to get the vacation credit. An old hr friend of mine helped me on this one. The black box controls our destiny. Sharp system. The supervisor just reads the information and deals with the employee. If you really want to do good at excon study computer hacking and change your raise and cl. Like ferris did in war games. For the young he broke into the school computer and changed his grades. Exxon can be cruel when they know you are in debt and vulnerable. I have seen at excon and other places.
This is how it goes. Young EM employees with 5-10 years in, are still starry eyed and seeing nothing but more and more money for their future. So they go buy themselves a new car and BIG house and get locked in with debt. Now they have to pay for these trappings. Maybe they’ll get lucky and be insulated from the toxicity, but more likely, they’ll reach some point where they need to double down and embrace whatever behavior allows them to survive.
That’s when you’ve sold your soul to EM. Happens all the time. All that money is so alluring and you’ll do whatever you can to keep it coming. (Especially in The Woodlands.)
the people that say it's a job, get a life... are the worst. It's 8+ hours of your life that keeps getting to closer to 10+ these days. So it is your f. life! Get over it!
@1ewu A job is paycheck bro. Develop your dreams and meaning outside of work and use the (quite generous) paycheck you get from Exxon to live them out.
Hahahaha. Is that you KM?
Man, it seems xom is full of a bunch of whiny b****hes … get a handle, it’s a BUSINESS not daycare. Cost is king and the faster you get that understood the happier you'll be
Those who post that they left four years ago and all this is not new…please STFU. You haven’t been here to see what has happened over the last four years to real people. We have families to support and had the same dreams you had of meaningful and dignified work. You had a nice career and left with your full pension and some extra incentive during covid. You have no idea what it’s like working a non career in a toxic environment with no security. Please don’t tell us it was always that way because some of us were here when you were and it simply is not true. Stop trying to justify the wealth you took with you.
been part of recruiting and seen manager lying about great career at exxon while knowing themself there is none.
Same is true for even campus hires, they just find out a bit later.
Experienced hires, a joke for them to expect progression to senior management positions.
No long term career for experienced hires here. They will lie about the job to get people with critical skills. The bait and switch is not uncommon.
All the experienced hires I know were the first to be sacrificed during the PIP off. Even after a decade they were refer to as experienced hires. We were treated like outsiders. Most don’t last here. Cronyism runs deep.
As an experienced hire, I got massive amount of work dumped on me through the years. Mainly because the “favorites” can’t do the work themselves. Saw other falsified or distort results just so the project can be declared a success. I spoke up. But when higher ups don’t like it, I got demoted or put on another assignment. Courage of conviction is a lie.
The company was ALWAYS focused on cost … they lost this focus about the time the campus was built and they went on an insane hiring spree … I retired 4 years ago after a 40 year career and I can say all the things I read on this board are in the category of “nothing new” … xom is in a commodity business and is ALWAYS focused on cost … it’s just now it’s getting back to the way it used to be …. Su-k it up bros this is the way it always was.
I make a true statement about companies not offering careers anymore, and I get downvoted into oblivion.
TF is wrong with the people here?
Who said a career was ever easy? Survival rate is same as it ever was. If you think you can do better elsewhere, go for it. Bye bye.
I wouldn’t expect a career anywhere.
The very concept of a career is a relic of the 20th century. I’ve never heard anyone under the age of 50 so much as utter the word. We all just assume that we can be dropped at anytime and act accordingly. Glad to see you older/wiser types finally coming around to this.
Apply at BTC center. They have remote positions.
Aetna Dental to Delta come on , who negotiated this mess , I’m hoping the MC has the same trash
Folks in India or BTC are still happier than EMHC. The depressing culture and egotisitcal sociopathic maniacs of Houston camous create a toxic environment which is far worse than getting paid average market wages in a good office environment. Americans will never understand because they are used to pretending all is good and deep down they are depressed and insecure.
I no longer recommend any college students to interview for jobs at EM.
Very sad, but I would feel very bad if I recommended anyone to get a job on this downward spiraling sh!t show.
Only possibility for long term careers are for folks in India, who will get paid far less than industry standard salary for their entire careers.
Amen brother. So true. Outsourcing is the future. Max profit equals low cost countries.