How stable is your job?

[wavinwayne]

Let's face it; a lot of us BITOGers are just average Joes, working stiffs, trying to make ends meet each month. I am one of them. Without boring you all with details, it looks like I may be joining the ranks of the unemployed, or at least under-employed shortly.

In this economy, how stable is your current job? What is your current job? What are your plans if things go to the c-rapper, and you find yourself out of a job?

 

[mpvue]

between '01 and '06, I was unemployed 4 different times. I've worked in bicycle shops, home depot, aircraft wheel repair, electronics and even as a self employed contractor/handyman. there is always a way to make some money when you really need to.
currently, I'm in optoelectronics, we make lasers for fiberoptics. we are very busy, lots of customers all over the world.

 

[addyguy]

I'm the opposite of most - my job is so stable and un-changing, its scary. I work for a small 'Crown Corporation' in Ottawa that hardly anyone has heard of, and there are NEVER job cuts here.

Soory to hear about your misfortune, Wayne - hope it all works out!

 

[NightRiderQ45]

I work for Georgia-Pacific...I'm actually good right now. Better yet great.

 

[SuperDave456]

I'm a low level computer nerd that works for Citigroup. I have been here for 3 years, almost 4. Got this gig after a short stint in the Air Force.
I feel just as helpless as everyone else although I also feel like my company, different group of people about 1,000 miles from where I work (New York), has much of the share of blame for our financial problems (and rightly so).
However I think I am so low on the totum pole as to be slightly under the radar (lets hope it stays that way). I do important things for less, and have therefore kept my job. I hope to keep it as I think Citigroup will recover, if I am wrong we are are in more trouble than we think.
I have had 2 coworkers, one who worked for Citi 10 years, another who worked for 14 years, lose their jobs in November. And they are still currently looking.
My Father lost his job at the end of November. He has 2 Masters degrees, 15 years on the same job, and a lifetime of experience and he is still looking. He has joined 4 chruch groups that meet once a week to do lunch and look for jobs together. In his 50+ years of life he has never seen the job hunt be so difficult.

About Citi, In a company of what was at one point 300,000 people you would think the first people to cut would be the one's who make the most $$ and are on top.
Unfortionately it is the middle management and the temp guys working on the very dregs of the company. The guys who change their own oil.
It is an amaizing time to be alive. Hang in there, it may be tough but I am sure we will recover.

 

[urrlord]

i work for the state of georgia dept of corrections.should be a pretty steady gig,right.well we have recently been told that we will get no payraises for the next 3-4 years,for the next 3-4 months we will be furloughed a day a month( a day off without pay).and right now we are short staffed so for the next month we cannot take a vacation day.makes a lot of sense.and the prison i work at will be closed in the next 4-5 years.i hope to be retired by then.

 

[javacontour]

We announced layoffs of about 6000 back in November. We've done about 1300 of the domestically. Some are overseas. They are supposed to be done late this quarter or early next, so we shall see.

My employer just combined my job classification with those of employees who are with a company we acquired. I just went from salary to hourly and actually make MORE money.

The car allowance went away since I wasn't driving as much as others, but now I expense my miles. I probably make more on that too since I'm not taxed on being reimbursed. The car allowance was part of the salary package.

So I'll let you know in April.

However, I believe I'm on solid footing. Good reviews, good work, I can figure out nearly anything, boss likes me, etc.

The guys who came from StorageTek have to be a bit more worried since we are a server company. I think many of them just know how to replace parts and don't understand how the system as a whole works.

So I can do their job AND mine, and think that may be why were were all put into the same job category.

I've passed, no ACED all my certification exams. I just finished my Certified Solaris Network Admin for Solaris 10 on Monday and scored a 93% with 60 out of 64 questions correct. Many of my peers, (not in this city, but nationwide) haven't even passed the System Admin test that comes before the Network Admin exam.

I also hold certifications in Java and Sun Cluster and have experience that is hard, (but not impossible) to replace.

I have a number of customers who I think would snap me up in a minute if they could afford me, so while I don't want my apple cart tipped over, I think I'd be OK.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
In this economy, how stable is your current job?

I guess it isn't any more stable than anyone else's - there are no guarantees these days. My case is even worse because I'm on a work visa - getting laid off means I have to leave the country unless I have another job lined up with an employer willing to sponsor the work visa - a rarity nowadays since the unemployment is so high - no complaint there - if a qualified US citizen/permanent resident can be found, there is no reason why a foreigner should take that job.

 

[Tempest]

Ok for now, but who knows in the future. My Dad's job is very shaky.

With travel being demonized, it will (already has) hurt the tourism market greatly.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
Ok for now, but who knows in the future. My Dad's job is very shaky.

With travel being demonized, it will (already has) hurt the tourism market greatly.


Don't worry, I'm spending on travel, I'll have your back.

Job stability doesn't exist in my industry, as you can see we have such a volatile environment that people don't care about it. How do you guarantee a company will exist 10 years down the road? Let alone your job.

I'm on my 4th in the last 10 years and every single company I've worked for in the past has been bankrupted, closed down, or moved out of the area (within US). It's just a fact of life and you have to get the most out of it when you can, and save for the rainy days.

I can say I'll be save for at least 6 months, but nobody, not even our CEO can guarantee their jobs for now.

 

[Pablo]

With making money and turning a profit now seen as evil and greedy, NO ONE in the private work force is safe. If this garbage keeps up, watch out.

 

[Tempest]

Government is one of the few growth industries right now so if anyone wants a job you can send a resume to the Feds.

 

[Nyquist]

Mine is stable until fall 2009. Then my contract is up. No telling what will happen then.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
Government is one of the few growth industries right now so if anyone wants a job you can send a resume to the Feds.


Are you aware of the forced unpaid time off we have in the local government?

 

[Shagger]

Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
... you would think the first people to cut would be the one's who make the most $$ and are on top.
Unfortionately it is the middle management and the temp guys working on the very dregs of the company. The guys who change their own oil....
That's what burns me up, the top level guys who made the bad decisions and lost kajillions of dollars still HAVE their jobs (and probably got bonuses!) while the lower level rank and file are going to be cut. Not a whole lot of justice there, in my opinion.

 

[Tempest]

Originally Posted By: PandaBear
Originally Posted By: Tempest
Government is one of the few growth industries right now so if anyone wants a job you can send a resume to the Feds.


Are you aware of the forced unpaid time off we have in the local government?

Yes, which should be a clue as to why government as a growth industry is a bad thing.

Did you get an IOU for your tax return?

 

[Tempest]

Originally Posted By: Shagger
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
... you would think the first people to cut would be the one's who make the most $$ and are on top.
Unfortionately it is the middle management and the temp guys working on the very dregs of the company. The guys who change their own oil....
That's what burns me up, the top level guys who made the bad decisions and lost kajillions of dollars still HAVE their jobs (and probably got bonuses!) while the lower level rank and file are going to be cut. Not a whole lot of justice there, in my opinion.

Do you have the same opinion of the people that have put this country into $56+ trillion in debt?

 

[Shagger]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
In this economy, how stable is your current job?
...if a qualified US citizen/permanent resident can be found, there is no reason why a foreigner should take that job...
Agreed, but the US Chamber of Commerce is fighting for more H1-B work visas, so they think differently than most of us.

 

[Shagger]

Originally Posted By: Tempest
Originally Posted By: Shagger
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
... you would think the first people to cut would be the one's who make the most $$ and are on top.
Unfortionately it is the middle management and the temp guys working on the very dregs of the company. The guys who change their own oil....
That's what burns me up, the top level guys who made the bad decisions and lost kajillions of dollars still HAVE their jobs (and probably got bonuses!) while the lower level rank and file are going to be cut. Not a whole lot of justice there, in my opinion.

Do you have the same opinion of the people that have put this country into $56+ trillion in debt?
Where do you get the $56 trillion number from? I thought it was more like $3 Trillion? And yes, I DO have the same opinion of the 'big brains' in DC "fixing" things. They should all be OUT, Repuke and Dumbocrat alike should be sent packing for their failure to regulate the banks properly.
How many people pay taxes? 100 Million maybe? If they had taken the $3 Trillion and divided it up among the taxpayers I think that would have done a MUCH better job of 'stimulating' the economy instead of propping up banks with [censored] business practices. If you had a banking business that invested poorly, guess what? You FAILED, why should you be saved? Your business practices are UNSOUND financially. Your business model is flawed.

 

[cousincletus]

The Chamber of Commerce has a turd in charge of it. We need to restrict imports and get our manufacturing back if we want to get out of this mess.