The Official Layoff Thread!!!

[chunky]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

I just got a letter from my employer today. They want us to take another 10% pay cut, that will be 25% in total. So now I will be working 5 days a week but only getting paid for 3.25 days, So now I will have to find another job just to subsidise the loss to my basic pay. All office staff are still at work every day, all Production staff are still off for 4 months. And we are still paying for the Formula 1 team that we sold.

[clintlove]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

Guys I'm so sorry for all of you who have lost your job completely or had a major pay cut. I'm still working for 90% of what I was hired for while sending out resumes and portfolios. I may have to leave new Orleans if I can't find something here soon. The company I work for sells and rents building supplies and construction is slowing down fast here recently, so that's why we are in trouble. We have two other locations in the us, but it's even worse up north where they are
located. Internet sales are down across the board. I was approached last week with an offer from employer to work 4 hours a day for 20 grand a year. Not a bad offer if I can find enough work or freelance to make up for the difference. Even a second part time job making that much would be ok for now and I could still freelance.

[Miroslav]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

woot. thankfully, I'm laid off no more... start up my analyst work again for the SF division of a data analytics company in 2 weeks. but this has taught me some important lessons... (1) a good chunk of savings is always very useful to have, and (2) networking really is really a critical practice.

I hope that everyone else looking finds a job soon... And I hope that this job lasts longer than 6 months this time!

[DIDI]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

Congratulations.!!! The hard work paid off for you !!

[jarble187]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

woot. thankfully, I'm laid off no more... start up my analyst work again for the SF division of a data analytics company in 2 weeks. but this has taught me some important lessons... (1) a good chunk of savings is always very useful to have, and (2) networking really is really a critical practice.

I hope that everyone else looking finds a job soon... And I hope that this job lasts longer than 6 months this time!

Job = $$$ = DEMF

c u there?

[Miroslav]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

Congratulations.!!! The hard work paid off for you !!

Thank you, Didi!

Job = $$$ = DEMF

c u there?

Actually, I'm just now reevaluating that... wasn't gonna go, but now I think I will! Are you going for sure?

[chunky]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

networking really is really a critical practice.

Where I work. If someone is disscribed as good at Networking it means they are good at sucking up to the bosses. But the reality is doing a great job these days isn't enough to progress within the company. There's far to many people taking short cuts, so if you want to get anywhere you have to Network. Good luck in your job

[tiddles]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

as of thursday i'm unemployed until the beginning of august, unless i find someone to hire me for 3 months in boston. wooo hooo!

[maddlingo]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

It's been 2 months now for me and starting to feel a little discouraged. Anyone have any advice.

[runningman]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

What I did was try to get a job that is secure in this market. If you have sales experience than look for jobs as a cable, Interent Home Phone rep those jobs will be there forever. people will starv before they loose their cable and Internet. That is what I did. i was an electrician and changed over into sales and I am making pretty decent money considering.

[godisadj]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

It's been 2 months now for me and starting to feel a little discouraged. Anyone have any advice.

My wife is on month 3 of unemployment. Yes it is discouraging and almost 10% of the population is unemployed at the moment. Keep trying and do as much networking as you can. Reach out to distant relatives and see if they know anyone or anything. If you use social networks, start listing your unemployed status. That tells your friends you are looking (if they dont know already). My wife got some good contacts that way and some people came out of the woodwork.

Hang in there and don't give up. Try using a headhunter service if you start getting desperate. Make sure you exhaust every resource as well. Job boards, local county employment offices, Craigslist, Temp/contract agencies, university job boards, friends, family, job fairs, resume listing services, networking events. Thats all I can think of at the moment. If you have any useful trade skill (painting, repair work, computer repair, massage work), try getting some side work/money from Craigslist. If you find yourself busy doing that, maybe think about going solo.

Good luck!

[floridaorange]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

Those who are employed have a much better chance of getting the job they want than those who are unemployed. Don't hold out for something you are interested in, do anything (ego permitting) in the short term. Once you are employed you will be far more employable to employers.

Expect to work twice as hard for twice as less.

Don't expect to get hired without an interview, be persistent and take the initiative to be the one who follows up. Employers have a large pool of qualified individuals to choose from, so don't expect them to call you, call them...

[Miroslav]

Re: The Official Layoff Thread!!!

Where I work. If someone is disscribed as good at Networking it means they are good at sucking up to the bosses. But the reality is doing a great job these days isn't enough to progress within the company. There's far to many people taking short cuts, so if you want to get anywhere you have to Network. Good luck in your job

I'm sure there are more than enough cases where people suck up to bosses and get undeserved promotions. But it's not just that; the business world is fundamentally driven by human relationships. And so if you are in a professional business career path and you want to get ahead, you are best served by having a track record of great results and by establishing a rapport with the right people who hold the keys to opportunities.

If there is a great job opportunity and there are two candidates who look about equally well qualified on paper, but one of them is a complete stranger to the hiring manager and the other has been recommended by the hiring manager's long-time friend and business colleague - and perhaps has even met the hiring manager before at a social event...who do you think is more likely to get the job offer?

It's been 2 months now for me and starting to feel a little discouraged. Anyone have any advice.

Are you in a particular career area?

My only general advice would be to focus less on job postings (although they are important, keep posting) and more time on the networking side - not just your friends and former colleagues, but any recruiters, pertinent industry people, any hiring managers, etc. - regardless of whether or not you know they have a job opening. set up informational conversations with them - what do you do, what kinds of skills does this work area require, etc. Measure your success in the number of conversations hiring managers or people with hiring influence that you talk to in a week, not in the number of jobs you applied for online. The game is to get your name and story as far and wide as possible with the right people who can eventually help you find the opportunity - in other words, turn yourself into that person I mentioned above who gets the job.

It's hard work, but this is about a proactive job search, not just a reactive one - i.e., sitting at home and applying for jobs off of Monster.com. It's good to keep posting for every job you find, but recognize that it's a bit like playing the lottery and that the people who are passing you by are probably the ones who employed this strategy and got into the hiring manager's network before the job even officially posted.