I was just told by my manager, that I will be promoted during the next round (in the next few weeks).
Coincidentally, today was last day for few ppl laid off in our office, including my two good friends.
Overall, they laid off four people with the grade I'll be promoted to.
It's nice to be promoted, for sure, but timing makes it somewhat bitter. Feels like if I was a looter.
And makes me wonder - does it know mean that I have a target on me?
I will repost what I posted elsewhere.
Here's the playbook for a US-based Cisco layoff:
Step 1: Decide whom you're going to fire. La Cosa Nostra rules in effect: don't make any notes about this or write anything down explaining why; no spreadsheets or emails, only phone calls or walks around the building if so.
Step 2: Round up some managers you're not going to fire (just yet) and get them trained on how to fire people. Do this a week before you fire everyone.
Step 3: Late in the afternoon, the day before the ax falls, schedule "an important meeting" between all your deputy firing managers and each of the to-be-fired for the following morning. Follow up with a phone call or voicemail to ensure that the to-be-fired show up. This is typically on a Monday so you can fly in any managers that need to be flown in for the culling.
Step 4: In the firing meetings, each firing manager tells the person who's being fired that a "business decision" has been made to "eliminate your position" and for any questions, please see HR. Repeat these points ad nauseum in response to any questions. Tell the person they don't need to show up anymore, even though they'll still be on payroll for a few more weeks.
Step 5: When all the firing meetings are over, convene a meeting with the survivors - same day, typically in the afternoon. Tell them that a "business decision" has been made that "impacted" some of their colleagues. Reassure them that the Cisco business is strong, but this "business decision" requires "realignment" of "resources" and now they are responsible for new things.
Step 6: Meet with all the individual survivors 1:1 and tell them it's business a usual, Cisco is on a solid financial footing, and you are looking forward to another great year with the (newly shrunken) team. Act as if nothing has really changed.
Step 7: Deliver raises to everybody, push some promos through, etc. - after all, there's budget now that you've just fired a bunch of people! Hope that the best people you were counting on not to bolt are mollified by the lavishing of gifts and stay.
Step 8: Breathe a sigh of relief until next year at the same time.
FIrst of all, congratulations OP.
Only an idiot would ever turn down a promotion.
Being promoted dos not really put any more or less of a target on you. Everyone at Cisco needs to realize that in any lay-off round you can be hit. This is regardless of age, skill set, years of experience, grade level, current project, past or present contributions. LR rounds have been making less and less sense each time.
My advice to everyone:
Build and maintain your linked in profile. Take time each week to reach out to former colleagues, add people into your network aggressively. Make sure people know who you are not just as a guy I met in a meeting 10 years ago.
Always be looking. If you are 6 months into a new job, start looking at what is out there. See what skills are in demand, and make sure that you are doing something to build those skills. For, example no cloud skills, go get a free AWS account and spend some time building an App. Your group needs a virtualized environment for something, offer to build it as part of your training plan.
The hardest one, Don't spend more than 3 years in the same group/company. It limits your network, restricts your skills and development.
Learn from the experience of all of us who have been impacted.
I'm in the same position, I have been led to believe I will be promoted to PE in the next round. Since I'm already well into my fifties, I fully expect to rise to the top of the list next time.
Take the promotion and start looking outside of Cisco immediately.
I have heard of others who have turned down promotions. Although a wise move in the overall game, a bad move long term. You will never be seen as a 'team-player' ever again and when the next LR list gets formulated....you will be the top of the list.
You either drink deep of the Kool-Aid or you do not and Kool-Aid drinkers are the ones that survive to fight another day.
I heard of a few people opted not to take the grade level change to avoid being LR. How bad can it be when it comes down to this?
I was in the same boat....i was promoted after the last LR. Then got LRed this time....It is a musical chair...we all know it...Cisco wants to keep more low grade people and grind them to get most work out of them while maintaining the cost structure super efficient. give a promotion here n there to keep overall mass happy. it is barely merit based in my opinion. mostly driven by cost structure of US locations.
Agree with above post. Stop your crying.
Our management said they will be giving raises and promotions to selected people. I'm sure it will mostly be to the younger ones, in order to improve their morale. The bifurcation in the office continues, and it makes for an ugly environment.
But man, take it and run with it, because someday, you will be considered old and expensive. Enjoy it while you can. Maybe even stick your nose into something brown for now in order to get even more. You have been declared important. Isn't that nice?
Just be aware, it won't last forever.
Man
Stop crying and act as a man. You got promoted good for you. Your friends are laid off, good luck for them... one day it'll be you turn to be out. Until then get as much money and experience as you can ...