say you have an awesome work history .... 13 years w/ a company, climbed the ladder

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

.... and then suddenly they boot you out the door and they eliminate or hire some newbie or a robot to do your job for next to nothing $$ :huh



.... and every place you apply for says you are 'overqualified'. :mmm



.... and so you are about to be living in teh streets because you were such a good worker and nobody wants you ........ :cry:



The question here today ppl is: :red In spite of your massively over the top resume and work experience, are you now too proud to work for a temp agency. :mad:



(this sort of happened to me 15 years ago)

[mark norwine]

being "too proud to work"? Not me. Never.

Pride goeth before the fall.....

[tiktok]

Bills. Must. Be. Paid.

[Amp360]

Never too proud to work for anyone. There is no shame in working any kind of job.

[rhinocaster]

You find work.

I was let go because I made too much as the result of being really good at what I do for a long period of time. All the other good people were let go as well. The shop is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

Now there's the common "Wisdom" that if you're out of work you were the LOSER that was let go because you were expendable. People who think this way don't have a single clue as to what's going on.

Right now you can find the best bargains on the most qualified and responsible people you'd ever want to meet.

American business is shooting itself in the foot every day and they're continuing to make decisions that prove that they never had any business sense. They were all geniuses when times were good and they just picked up the phone and let money roll in. Many of them don't have a clue.

[jcmark611]

But will the work hurt your resume?

[Notverysuttle]

Tweed, my father fit this very bill with the addition "you are to old (58) to be hired." After decades of being an engineer, he was let go and replaced by a much younger person, and he spent nearly two years unemployed. My dad is now an OTR driver*; so with this in mind, I would not think that working as a temp should be a rupture of personal or professional pride; the temping might even expose you to some unexplored opportunities.

*I do not wish to imply that truck driving is in any way an inferior or ignoble occupation, only that such a dramatic shift in occupation is a poor use of my father's talents and expertise.

[RhytmEarl]

No way.

A job is a job is a job.

I said many years ago when layoffs were decimating my industry that I'd take a clerk job at a 7-11 if I had to. And I'd bust my ass and aim for being a district manager in under a year.

Not too proud to work here.

[RichieD]

But will the work hurt your resume?

Do you mean the temp work?

I don't think so. My team just hired a guy who was laid off about 3 years ago and has been doing temp work for some big-time temp agencies lately. We were very impressed with the diversity and experience he gained by working the different projects. We feel (and hope) that such a broad area of experience will benefit our team and bring new ideas.

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

Well some pretty good answers here!

I was in that position once and was planning on being picky about my next position. :red Well, the early 90s saw a resession and nobody seemed to be hiring. After 6 months of one postion and 690 applicant interviews, I was like :huh .... trying to figure out what the deal was! I finally went with a temp agency just to get some kind of routine going again and it was the best thing that could have happened. I got myself inside the door of an excellent engineering firm, they liked me and it worked out great!

It sounds like that is the trend now a days ..... try em before you hire em! :mmm

[DGTCrazy]

I was just talking about this subject today, because I've got a friend who volunteers about 20-30 hours a week for his sons Little League, daughters softball, and in their school, yet is unemployed because he won't take a job that's "beneath" him. He'd rather collect unemployment. He's what they call a 99er (because of the 99 weeks of unemployment he can collect).

His wife was forced to work full time at job she despises....as a High School teacher! They have 2 kids, house payment, car payments (he lost his company car), and after the 99 weeks are ending, he is now finally re-thinking his strategy now that they may lose their home.

I've worked multiple jobs ( digging ditches, paving, digging septic tanks, sales, handiwork, during lean times just to fulfill my obligations, invest and achieve my goals. I was able to retire early ( I'll be 50 this April), but I led a pretty simple life, so I could enjoy it now with my kids.

But I'd do anything; sell all my gear, flip burgers, whatever, to protect my family from losing our home or security. Seems selfish to do otherwise.

[ToneBrokerBill]

I am still in my 40s, but am already planning my "retirement" career. That is, the business I will have up and running before my current employer decides that I'm too old/expensive. It's pretty clear that the US job prospects diminish pretty quickly for males over the age of 50. Anyone who is not regularly updating a Plan B is, in my view, taking a big risk.

[whitehall]

Welcome to the new American workplace. Oh and the 13 years at one job will hurt you too...."Gee, we'd like to hire you but the 13 years at one place says you don't have a lot of ambition"....Meanwhile back at the office half the people have been let go and the other half are doing their work. The days are filled with hate and discontent and everyone is looking for a job....discreetly , of course. The company is now profitable again but no one gets a raise unless they quit. At our office xmas was cancelled due to a general lack of interest. No party or bonuses. The owners pretended it just didn't exist at all.

[Peppy]

I've worked multiple jobs ( digging ditches, paving, digging septic tanks, sales, handiwork, during lean times just to fulfill my obligations, invest and achieve my goals. I was able to retire early ( I'll be 50 this April), but I led a pretty simple life, so I could enjoy it now with my kids.




What is your secret to that early retirement? I have also lived very simple, have saved for retirement for nearly 30 years and yet still am a long way off from such.

[Travst]

Not for me. The last time I was out of work, I took a job selling cars. I had a ball and made some money instead of sitting around waiting for things to happen. It kept my people skills sharp and I made some new friends to boot. The first time I was laid off in the late eighties, I worked a temp job teaching computer classes.

All work is noble work.

[foureyes]

I went back to working in a previous career. Even though I had no desire to do that kind of work again.
As for temp agencies. Alot of companies use temp agencies to fill positions that they want to fill permenantly. They just use it as a kind of working interview.

[tiktok]

Now there's the common "Wisdom" that if you're out of work you were the LOSER that was let go because you were expendable. People who think this way don't have a single clue as to what's going on.

Well, after sitting through several dozen interviews over the last year or so, I've concluded that a tremendous amount of deadwood has been cleared from American companies. Ten years ago it was much easier to find highly qualified candidates in the tech world. Now that the economy's changed, it seems good people stay at jobs much, much longer than they used to.

I've also seen highly-qualified older (45 y.o.+) workers get laid off, but only after the fat's been pared from the bone. There are good people out of work, but there's a lot of 'losers' out there too.

[Jahn]

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/02/05/starbucks.saved.my.life/index.html

[ToneBrokerBill]

Well, after sitting through several dozen interviews over the last year or so, I've concluded that a tremendous amount of deadwood has been cleared from American companies. Ten years ago it was much easier to find highly qualified candidates in the tech world. Now that the economy's changed, it seems good people stay at jobs much, much longer than they used to.

I've also seen highly-qualified older (45 y.o.+) workers get laid off, but only after the fat's been pared from the bone. There are good people out of work, but there's a lot of 'losers' out there too.

I can only go by my personal experiences, but it seems that a large percentage of the good people who were out of work in '09/'10 are now re-employed and that those who are still looking are facing some very long odds of getting work at their previous level.

[tiktok]

I can only go by my personal experiences, but it seems that a large percentage of the good people who were out of work in '09/'10 are now re-employed and that those who are still looking are facing some very long odds of getting work at their previous level.

Agreed. That said--any top-notch unemployed Java developers who want to work in the Seattle area, feel free to PM me.

[Peteyvee]

I am still in my 40s, but am already planning my "retirement" career. That is, the business I will have up and running before my current employer decides that I'm too old/expensive. It's pretty clear that the US job prospects diminish pretty quickly for males over the age of 50. Anyone who is not regularly updating a Plan B is, in my view, taking a big risk.

Great plan, but in my experience, having been laid off at 50 was the best thing that ever happened to me. I worked at odd jobs, called contacts in my industry, called in a few favors that went nowhere and kept pestering people for 6 months until I got hired. I've been here over 3 years and I love it. More money, less hours and I get to run the place...

Some employers do value experience and will pay accordingly...

BTW: I also have an updated plan B! ;)

[v-verb]

Never too proud to work for anyone. There is no shame in working any kind of job.

Fully agree!

[ToneBrokerBill]

Great plan, but in my experience, having been laid off at 50 was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I've lost my job twice (the company folded the first time, I got laid off the second) and both experiences ended positively. While it initially sucked - and there was always the cloud of financial uncertainty looming - both experiences gave me a chance to re-assess where I wanted to go next. If I hadn't done some planning ahead and set aside sufficient funds, however, things probably wouldn't have turned out so well.

[Old Tele man]

...employees have always been expendable, just ask any manager!

[ToneBrokerBill]

...employees have always been expendable, just ask any manager!

As are employers. While we all feel free to leave a job when it's in our best interest to do so, we view a layoff as an affront to our "loyalty."

For better or worse, those days are gone and we are now all independent agents who need to watch out for ourselves regardless of which company we happen to be with at the time.

[hellbender]

.... and then suddenly they boot you out the door and they eliminate or hire some newbie or a robot to do your job for next to nothing $$ :huh



.... and every place you apply for says you are 'overqualified'. :mmm



.... and so you are about to be living in teh streets because you were such a good worker and nobody wants you ........ :cry:



The question here today ppl is: :red In spite of your massively over the top resume and work experience, are you now too proud to work for a temp agency. :mad:



(this sort of happened to me 15 years ago)

They found a new bitch...welcome to the club

[Twangzilla]

I would work for McDonalds. Not the best pay but killing off teh fatties is meaningful work.:idea

[hellbender]

I would work for McDonalds. Not the best pay but killing off teh fatties is meaningful work.:idea

talk about your species on species abuse:rotflmao

[tinman475]

This happened to me about 3 years ago.... The sad thing is I trained my replacement a kid right out of college and had no idea he was going to get my job...

I heard over qualified for several jobs I applied for and ended up mowing grass and doing landscaping for the rest lf that year.. It took me about 18 months total before I found the job I have now... Well worth the wait.. I work from home, and the work is 5 times less stressful and pays about the same and what I had before...

[Phydeaux]

*I do not wish to imply that truck driving is in any way an inferior or ignoble occupation, only that such a dramatic shift in occupation is a poor use of my father's talents and expertise.

Thanks for clearing that up.:) I've been on the road for almost ten years, and while it's definitely not the most rewarding gig out there, at least it pays the bills. On the other hand, if I had your dad's experience, I wouldn't settle for grinding gears. Tell him to keep his chin up and keep looking.

[rhinocaster]

Well, after sitting through several dozen interviews over the last year or so, I've concluded that a tremendous amount of deadwood has been cleared from American companies. Ten years ago it was much easier to find highly qualified candidates in the tech world. Now that the economy's changed, it seems good people stay at jobs much, much longer than they used to.

I've also seen highly-qualified older (45 y.o.+) workers get laid off, but only after the fat's been pared from the bone. There are good people out of work, but there's a lot of 'losers' out there too.

Of course there are plenty of losers out of work, but the idea that you want to pass on everyone that's out of work, especially IN THESE TIMES, is the dumbest thing I've ever heard and it certainly is a form a discrimination. Plenty of people that have jobs right now have little experience or anything to offer more than the willingness to work dirt cheap when replacing qualified people.

People automatically passing on potential employees are doing themselves no favors.

[rhinocaster]

I can only go by my personal experiences, but it seems that a large percentage of the good people who were out of work in '09/'10 are now re-employed and that those who are still looking are facing some very long odds of getting work at their previous level.

Yeah, it's awesome right now. I was laid off for the first time in 30 years of working. They let me go in the middle of November, so I got to start looking for work during the holiday season. Absolutely nothing happened until the beginning of the new year. I've been unemployed for three and a half months and I just started working 2 part time jobs to get at least 30 hours per week. I'm working for 50% of what I used to make and I'm earning less than 40% of what I used to make.

The idea that people would pass on me because I was laid off just burns me up. Businesses still don't know what they're doing and they show it every day.

[hellbender]

Over qualified means simply that you have too much knowledge of how the workplace functions and would be liability to hire. They need a fresh crop of young people who will accept anything and be happy with it. After all, to have a job in this country, you have to overcome the world marketplace for labor, not just your community.

There is simply no more love for the American worker now that companies can operate very cheaply offshore. As our standard of living falls, the world we compete against will rise. At some point in the future, equilibrium will be reached when no more advantages are realized for companies that operate offshore/closer to markets. I don't want to think what the economic or societal null point is between Bombay and Boston, but it's coming. We will make some great sacrifices if nothing is done to preserve what our ancestors accomplished.

BTW, "Closer to markets" is code amongst the American companies for "let's get the hell out this regulation laden, unionized country and make some real money exploiting cheap labor in previously closed societies who have no qualms about sacrificing their paradise for a piece of the action.

[rhinocaster]

Here's a great example of how the layoffs worked in a print shop I worked in.

The first round they laid off production people and kept the full office staff. Of those production people laid off, the decision was made to lay off those that didn't have kids. In other words, it had nothing to do with ability.

The second round of layoffs involved more production people (especially those that had been there the longest and made the most money) and they were replaced with people that had ZERO experience in the trade so that they could pay minimum wage. Finally lost one of the 8 redundant office people that sat around waiting for the phone to ring. So again, they didn't keep people based on ability (or need).

The third round of layoffs involved anyone that made decent money. These people had quite a bit of ability, but they were pitched anyway.

Most recent round is to knock everyone back to 5 hours per day.

Why anyone would think that shopping for new employees simply because the're currently employed is completely beyond me. The fact that someone is currently working in no way means that the're better than someone that's been cast to the curb after 30 years of hard work.

[THebert]

Never too proud to work for anyone. There is no shame in working any kind of job.

Plus 1

[zombywoof]

Did the temp thing several times in my life. Never bothered me in the least.

These days I am going on 20 years with the same folks. And yup, I got no ambition. Turned down every chance to climb the ladder. The pay is OK, I like what I do, and peace of mind is worth more than the extra cash climbing the ladder of success would bring.

Got me a new supervisor though - so all that may change and my decades of being left alone to just do the job may be over. This guy has swilled long and hard from some kind of jug o' Kool Aid.

[tiktok]

Of course there are plenty of losers out of work, but the idea that you want to pass on everyone that's out of work, especially IN THESE TIMES, is the dumbest thing I've ever heard and it certainly is a form a discrimination.

I don't think there's a plethora of companies with a blanket "resumes from the unemployed will be summarily rejected" recruiting policy.

[sethmeister]

I would work for McDonalds. Not the best pay but killing off teh fatties is meaningful work.:idea

LMAO :rotflmao

[rhinocaster]

Employers find employed applicants more attractive.

It's similar with women. Women find a man more attractive if he's with or has another woman.

As far as being replaced by a lower paid worker...the truth is you're only worth what it costs to replace you.

So you have a HUGE recession and you're going to ignore incredible opportunities to hire people you could never afford before? Not smart.

Sure, if someone can do what you do for less, why wouldn't the business opt for the lower cost. However, what happens when the new, low cost employee loses you business because they actually don't know or can't adequately handle the work?

Businesses are making decisions with no consideration for the real consequences of their choices.

Seems to be too much to ask that people actually think for a second when they're making serious business decisions.

[buddaman71]

This happened to me about 7 years ago and I had to start all over making literally 25% of my previous salary (which was all commission, so I earned every penny of it.)

The owner and CEO of the company I worked for embezzled almost 15 million on a Friday at 4:58 pm. Came into work on Monday and the company was defunct and I was out of a job. My $8,000 paycheck bounced too. That was just final insult to injury.

Life is messy and sucks sometimes, but it's also full of beauty and beats the alternative. I've become a more even person from the experience, even though it pretty much wrecked my financial stability for a half-decade or so and ruined my previously flawless credit.

[tiktok]

Businesses are making decisions with no consideration for the real consequences of their choices.

Seems to be too much to ask that people actually think for a second when they're making serious business decisions.

This is no different from any other point in history. That's why most businesses go under--eventually the consequences of their choices catch up with them. At this point, America has a lot of unneeded workers and businesses.

[rhinocaster]

This is no different from any other point in history. That's why most businesses go under--eventually the consequences of their choices catch up with them. At this point, America has a lot of unneeded workers and businesses.

In solid economic times, businesses pick up the phone and make money. When they're all close to the edge in times like these their inability to make good decisions becomes obvious.

[Cymbaline]

"Gee, we'd like to hire you but the 13 years at one place says you don't have a lot of ambition"
Sorry, but the guy who says that needs to be punched.

[Jube2550]

I would work for any company that doesn't have a learjet, why be just wind beneath the learjet's wings? Working for one company is not bad if you move around internally and take on new positions/challenges, that would be ok for a resume. When companies do cut they tend to go overboard and the "13 year" employee goes out too. A 13 yr employee is probably cheaper and more willing to achieve then let's say a 30 year overpaid one that could just be on the paycheck to retirement train while also being more susceptible to frequently breaking..of course that accounts for the 30 yr employee being older as an example.