Friends, I learned this afternoon, on the eve of a long-planned 2 week vacation, and on the heels of committing to buy a 1987 Carrera 3.2, that my job was eliminated.

They want (or at least have invited) me to stay on in another role. In all liklihood this is a good thing, but instead of my driving into the intersection, I've been rear-ended into it. Opportunity falling from the sky like a piano on the head.

Damn, corporate America sucks. I keep telling myself the old adage, "unless you're the lead dog, the view never changes" and even though I've been pretty senior, it's 100% true.

The only loyalty that exists is your family. Cherish that.

Build me up, man, I'm in the dumps!
CATTMAN (John)

 

Enjoy your vacation, keep the cars, take the less stress role with the same money and keep your eyes open. Something you like will come along.

It's not just family that are loyal, they are all that really matter. Jobs come and go.

 

Your health and sanity are what matter most.

I don't believe that if one were laying on his death bed with time to reflect on life that he would say to himself " if only I had worked more hours " . I know i woudn't.

Sometimes what might seem like a set back may actually be an opportunity for growth.

Take the time to heal and grow and whatever the future brings I wish you the best .

As tough as it may seem today .. they may have actualy done you a favor .. and it's also their loss .

 

John - leave, take the severance package (try to negotiate it higher first) and have a kickass vacation. you will never be happy at that company after this, so unless you can suck it up until you retire it is time to move on. if you don't do it now, when will you? are you willing to stay there forever? if you stick around you have zero leverage.

i did the same thing just recently. it's a sign - in 6 months you will look back and wonder why you stayed so long!

 

Man that totally sucks....especially for them to do it just before your vacation!! If they are offering a severance then take it...if not accept the position but show no loyalty and start looking for something better!! As others posted, it may be a good thing 6 months from now.
Good luck and enjoy your time off!!

 

I'm sorry to hear that and wish you the best. I think however that I would not expose my professional life on a public forum... One must have other advice sources, far better than a bunch of strangers on the Web, or strangers who may know the co and peers I am *****ing about. Just saying.

Having said that... I would not be arrogant and take the lower offer to be safe in the short run, and then I would be looking for other opportunities.

 

I am sorry to hear about your situation John. I'm not sure if I am in any position to offer advice, but I hope things work out for you.

- bob

 

Sorry to hear as well. I would take whatever position they offer you and go full bore on a new job hunt and get out of there asap. You will probably have a better chance landing a new position if you are currently employed. Try to enjoy your vacation and maybe map out a gameplan to get you to where you want to be.

 

Well said. Every day my feet hit the ground in the a.m. is a good day.

 

John,

I was in a very similar position to you three months ago. I chose to stay on (same salary, etc.) and continue to perform in a professional manner while working my network. I am still at the same company but now the folks that put me in my current role may find themselves on the outside in the very near future.

Hang in there, stay positive and everything will work out!

 

As an employer my advice is to take the new offerings and begin the hunt for something else. It's tough out there and I know people who have been looking for something comparable to what they used to have for over a year. I've been able to significantly improve my company over the last year due to the large available talent pool.

It's harder to get a job when you don't have a job. I'd probably hire someone who is working, and due to circumstances such as yourself, looking for a change than somebody who's been out of work.

But in the end... it's your daily grind so do what you can live with.

 

Cattman, I think that when I purchased the plenum from you, I learned were in a similar industry and competing to a certain extent. Hit me up via PM.

I agree with you that in the end, only the family is loyal to you. Most of us employees are expendable. The management is accountable to the shareholders.

It's just another day, cheer up.

Ben

 

i work w/ a lot of corp execs, and have spoken to and work with many in your same position.

my recommendation would be to hold tight for right now unless there is a nice severance package if you don't accept the new position. You'll need time to assess the current environment for similar positions. You should also figure out what you are leaving on the table in terms of non-wage comp (i.e. RSU, stock opt, pension, LTIP, etc). it will give you better insight into what kind of package you will look for in a new position.

a couple of execs left... one took a package, and she ended up with a nice severance and is enjoying her new life teaching at a university. the other two that come to mind didn't fare so well. one left in June 2009 and is still unemployed and is still searching opportunities. If you happen to be a specialist in a certain field, it's a bit more difficult. the other ended taking an unfavorable job in a new city, had to move his family, and the new position isn't faring all that well. it may be more risk than its worth to leave...

one of the guys who stayed and took a lower position... well it's not that he's all that happy right now... but it's the same pay for a lesser role. He said he'll tough it out for 3-4 years, and then just go ahead and retire. take a look at your current situation... if you feel pretty financially secure, it will make you feel better regardless of the decision you make.

cheer up and enjoy your vacation... u have nice cars, a family, and an offer on the table... life could be worse...

 

Sorry to hear that John. Like others have said earlier, enjoy your vacation. Things happen for a reason and this might be the start of a new and better chapter in your life. Cherish the fact, that you have a wonderful and supportive family and that your relationship with them and your health comes first. Cheers. Vince.

 

Enjoy the vacation but use the time to focus on (a) what you want in your career, and (b) how to market yourself. Also consider whether you are willing to relocate, and then keep reconsidering that until you and the family are convinced it might be the best option.

I would take the severance after negotiating it as high as possible, because that allows you to focus on executing (b) above and gets the emotion behind you. The only exception would be if the severance and any cash reserves were not sufficient to carry you as long as you expect to be out of work. There have been so many people out of work that there is little stigma right now, and you will be saying that you took a buyout or early retirement which everyone understands.

I went through this very recently. I engaged David at TheResumeSage.com from the start and that proved to be a very good decision. I also engaged an attorney. I had a better job within a month of my last payroll day. PM me if details would help.