Yes, I was a new grad who got laid off. Yes, I was suckered into believing this company was the shit from all the reputation and marketing they did in our campus. I remember how everyone was talking about conoco, having the best training program, and how envious our peers were when news got out we made it in ConocoPhillips! Now that I got let go, I was able to reflect on where I stand, and so far, none of my graduating year has been let go except for me and the few other who also worked at Conocophilliips. This is when I realized how over leveraged we were in terms of hiring. Take the canadian BU for instance. Our president wrote us guaranteed letters before we started work, saying we were safe and that he will make it his mission to make sure we come back. They hired 32 of us even after the massive layoff in March. Some graudate engineers were laid off a month after starting. Had we known this was going to happen, we would have started work much earlier. At least we would have had a chance for getting EI. But we planned 1-2 month vacations post graduation based off of the president's guarantee, and got royally shafted in the end. In addition to this, they kept a lot of the new 32 guys around and laid off graduate engineers that were in their 3rd and 4th year rotations. How does that make sense? I haven't been wit h the organization long enough to recognize other mis-management items, but this gongshow with the new grad engineers really did it for me. Anyways, rant over. Feel free to comment.
29 replies (most recent on top)
195921 - this guy gets it…..
This post and replies are hilarious. It’s too bad it’s dying out. Nobody wants to admit it, but for years COP has done a great job bringing in young talent and training them for a future in the O&G industry. Even though these individuals were less productive while in training and quite a few quit for more money after a few years, COP continued the program. Then the **** hit the fan and pure E&P companies are suddenly facing bankruptcy. Training of young professionals is one of the “luxuries” that have to be cut, it’s just that simple. Nobody likes it, even the old farts. The OP stated that promises should not have been made and then broken, but the deterioration of the energy market this spring surprised everyone, and the fact that some recent grads were not laid off shows that COP is still trying to retain and develop new talent. I personally think that’s a mistake, but it is what it is. I’m not cutting COP any slack, this whole thing is still driven by politics and favoritism. But, if I were picking a doctor for a critical surgery, my first choice would be a team with both a brilliant young doctor and an experienced older doctor. If I could only afford one, I would pick the more experienced doctor, every time.
Anonymous192217, arrogant people like you is what gives the company a bad name. I have been with the company for 12 years, and I am ashamed to know someone like you is my "colleague". You claim you are still working, so I presume you don't act and talk this way at work - this makes you a beta keyboard PUSSY.
192646 - mature. The ppint is I don't give a shit about your 20 yrs - there is no correlation between time spent and talent. So, if you're going to make posts about 'being a 35 year emloyee' I'm going to challenge you/shit all over you. Half these so called 'invaluables' are confused by anything outside of Copy/Paste. Don't like this, go better yourself - just don't post condescending things toward the younger generation. You know, those who actually graduated High School and made a point to go better themselves afterward. Like I said before, most of this company is full of spineless turds…….
192646 15 years? Wow, that's amazing! You must be like the smartest guy in the company, right? You better leave now if you've not been laid off, because in five more years, you'll be stupid like the "old guard"
They hired a non degreed farm boy with only SAP knowledge to take the place of a retiree not even being with the company for two years bamboozled his way up to a management position during the COST saving reorg mess. If you are a smart degreed grad or a very talented degreed Engineer or just smart talented and exceptional in your work skills and ethics you are GOING. You must be corrupt, dumb, arrogant, and play the kiss ass game. P.S. I have caught this individual snoring at his desk feet up. Ha! Such a joke.
@192646: thumbs up!
192259: Why? Just putting an idiot in his place. Some of the COP 'old guard' have some serious issues. By the way, I'm not a new grad, been in the oilfield 15 yrs and am probably qualified to be his boss. Maybe he should show a little class - oops, guess you don't learn that between Recess and Lunch in buttf**k Oklahoma
@Anonymous192217 you sound very mature and next level smart. How much do you charge for lessons?
in response to the old cunt who blew a gasket: LOL no you didn't, and no, you don't work past 7PM. just stop, you're embarrassing yourself lol
192231 you are the troll monger and need to find a life
192217 -you're working past 7 pm? I'll take that as an admission of either dogfu&&ing, or a lack of skill. Maybe he's still trying to figure out how to press the wash button to 'get that crude off your coveralls' or maybe he's just really stupid. Don't throw stones there little man, there is always somebody bigger and badder…….
to Anonymous192076 I'm that guy, and you've got it right. I did hit the ground running right out of high school working on an Oklahoma rig while going to night school with a little time off to travel for the government. I've worn more crude than you young guys have ever discovered with your simulations and Power Point presentations, so just F*** Off! It's a hard fact that new grads are not expected to produce anything for years. That's why they have mentors and "new-hire" clubs. The only ones that think they have an immediate value are themselves. Now, as I'm still employed and working past 7 pm, I'll take another look at my staff and see which arrogant young whiner goes on the next layoff list. Might be you.
@ the guy who blew a gasket at OP's original post: "Let's hire these young know nothing kids even though we're cutting back" I'm sure on the first day when you got hired out of high school in an oil and gas company, you hit the ground running and ran reservoir simulations and making presentations to the CEO while single handily saving the company millions of dollars. Oh, no? You didn't do that? Ok. Then sit down please young man...
This is the perfect example of mis management, and mis allocation of capital. To lay off cheap labour like new grads and interns at a time like this shows what the OP described as over leveraged. I don't know ANY upstream business who laid off new grads and interns, except for Conoco. I know a few new grads that got cut who worked in EPCs and service companies, but that's only because either their contract got cancelled or their rig got terminated. A compelete blatant disregard for its "people". At one point, we had 2 engineering new grads in 1 team, doing the same job... and this was BEFORE the oil downturn mind you. The hell is that?!?
I have to agree with the comment on the toxic culture. The older generation don't seem that accepting towards the newer generations. I've overheard several struggles over my cubicle when a newgrad or an intern asks a question, and the the older generation guys trying to confuse the shit out of the new guys
191437 - The hostility of tenured staff to new hires was CAUSED by the environment created by management. Under normal circumstances, the older staff welcomed opportunities to mentor, teach, and share information.
Now to the discussion regarding the difficulties associated with college programs snd the need for a "break" between school and employment - College programs are difficult now, but they were also difficult in years past! In years past, the college focus for accountants, for example, was towards CPA's and "big 8" firms without regards to the oil and gas business. This meant that accounting new hires had to learn about the petroleum business on-the-job. I seriously doubt that many college grads took breaks prior to employment.
What are you all talking about? They give them their offers a year in advance.. things were not as bad in fall of 2014. They didn't hire them just to fire them--get a grip. And this BS about campus reputation? Do you think the other companies aren't doing something similar? They are all stopping recruiting and doing layoffs. Plus the entire student population turns over in four years and the administration/professors understand the industry and have seen this before.
The hiring of the on campus recruits is an ego trip on the part of management. Management did not want to admit the financials were not in order and hired the on campus recruits without regard to the future careers of the new hires. At no point did the math indicate the company would not be accelerating the layoffs. The fact the recruiting teams remain despite no hiring is another strong indicator of management by ego. And I continue to emphasize the overall culture is toxic at best. The hostility to new hires from the tenured staff is one of many examples of a toxic culture.
884 you sound like some of the arragont morons who think they above it all and all decisions management makes is the right one. I am a retiree and believe that it was poor management that hired these young people only to lay them off.
Man, hearing some of the posts from the 'experienced. long timers' makes me wonder how anybody can actually enjoy working at that place. BTW - experienced hire here (15+ yrs). For the other poster, a lot of students take some time off to unwind after graduation (wouldn't advise too much time as things in the working world can change quickly) because University is generally difficult (if you're actually completing a program worth a dam) and quite draining. Judging by your comments, you probably have never accomplished anything of consequence and thus don't understand........ Man, this company is home to some of the most ignorant regards I've ever seen, no wonder the shithole is running out of money
It is pretty bad that COP hired new grads just to lay them off. They should have taken a break from college recruiting this year and until things get back to normal. COP did do a great job of marketing on campus, but it is hard to come back from the gossip of new grads being laid off. It will take time to improve their on campus reputation and relations if this keeps up. I hope that you are able to find another job and move on quickly from this situation.
We all have our problems, your problems don't make them more important than mine. Good luck anon.
Yeah, right!
These guys were absolutely sitting around last spring saying " Let's hire these young know nothing kids even though we're cutting back, then in October we can get a big-ass laugh out of watching them whine and cry when we kick them out the front door"
COP management isn't very smart, but last spring they were hoping and praying that the market would stabilize by now, and they wanted to do right by the diaper bunch, but it didn't work out that way so get lost, you little Piss-Ant!
It sounds like your biggest beef is that you took a couple of months off to get the weed out of your system before reporting to work. What about paying your mortgage, putting food on your table and clothes on your kids, or supporting your useless graduate son or daughter that whines about being treated unfairly at work? Oh, wait, that's you isn't it?
yea dude that pretty much sums up the SPIRIT values
Promises are only as strong as the person (company) who gives them ... For what it is worth, I emphasize with the original poster.
It only matters to you. Rant away. Good, hard working experienced people with many more years invested were let go.
that's not what I am hoping for... I wouldn't wish this on anyone...
-OP
Don't worry the rest of the engineer new hires will also be let go. They can't let go of all the fresh meat all at once they need to spread the love around to balance the old guys that will also be cut.