How to handle my layoff?

In My Humble Opinion
161

Which is why everything has become enshitified because of technology. Because it’s not really a “numbers game”. If it were a numbers game, then yes, you would expect out of X applications sent you would receive ‘p’ phone screens that would result in ‘i’ interviews leading to ‘’a’ offers of which Y you eventually consider resulting in a sort of “Drake’s equation” for job hunting:

X x p x i x a x Y = New Job.

IOW, “numbers game” to me is you educate and certify yourself in whatever profession you are looking for and in theory you will eventually find an opening for a role.

When I hear stories of people out of work for a year or more or unable to find any job after sending a thousand resumes, that tells me the system is broken. That is to say, that it doesn’t matter if you send a hundred or a thousand or a hundred million applications. There’s so much noise and such a mismatch of expectations, your chance of landing a real job is about the same as becoming an Olympic athlete, NAVY Seal or landing a date with Taylor Swift on Tinder.

IOW unless you are inside the loop of how that particular company or industry hires, then you are not even in consideration.

That’s almost worse IMHO. Education, skills, experience, knowledge, none of that matters. Now your chances of landing a job depend on reaching out to some former colleague you barely know from a company full of assholes you didn’t like working at anyway, your old high school lacrosse team mate, some college fraternity drinking buddy, a former client who fired your company three years ago, the daughter of your dad’s friend, or some random you met at a industry event ten years ago and more or less out of the blue hope that:

a) they work in a company or industry you are interested in and qualified for

b) there is an opening for a role that fits your skill set, geography, comp requirements, etc

c) your contact actually has enough juice in the company to influence the hiring decision

d) not to mention that they actually like and support you (or at least benevolently indifferent) and not secretly harboring some resentment for some perceived slight you don’t even know about.

Otherwise you resume just goes into the system with the others, except maybe it’s flagged “referral” so it goes to the top 10% of a stack of 1000 resumes.

Or I guess become one of these other assholes constantly posting videos and other BS content on LinkedIn so they can make a living as a “coach” or “influencer” or whatever.

Then there’s the genius advice I get from time to time. Like starting my own business or volunteering. Well “volunteering” doesn’t solve my problem of getting paid and “owning my own business” doesn’t solve my problem of finding someone to pay me.

Or “networking” into companies to figure out what problem to solve. Like how the fuck do I do that? Companies don’t exactly broadcast their “problems” for the world to see. I mean unless your problem is you need to hire a reasonably competent quasi technical project manager.

I don’t know. I guess I’m just extremely angry and frustrated with the whole process at this point because it feels like an entire economy based on bullshit at tis point.

162

We can tell, and I feel for you.

The problem people have with networking is that you have to start doing it before you need a job. I did it by volunteering, both inside my industry and outside. Lots of colleges have alumni organizations. All this stuff takes valuable down time, but it can pay off a lot better than watching TV for hours every night.

Managers hate to recruit almost as much as people hate to look for jobs. It’s a crap shoot, so anyone coming in with some sort of recommendation from someone they know jumps the line. Now I’ve always worked for companies where HR helped with hiring, and didn’t run the show, but I realize that’s not always true. But at your level a lot of HR people don’t pretend to be able to sort candidates well, especially if a hiring manager comes in with one.

I’ve mentioned several times that a guy I worked with on a standards committee called me looking for a job. It so happened that a manager had asked me to define a job in his group. This guy was perfect for it. I put them in contact. My friend was happy to get the job, the manager was happy to get someone without having to interview a ton of candidates. Low probability event, but it happens. Probably higher than rising to the top of a thousand resumes.

163

Great attitude… I think that will eventually land you a job.

… it sounds like real life dating compared to online dating, thus avoiding lots of its incorporated frustrations.

Fingers crossed

164

Quick update before my training meeting. We’re getting files back from Tampa. I’ve gone through the first batch, and most of them are not acceptable. Either the data hasn’t been cleaned (which will result in records being dropped, or loaded with incorrect information), or they are not in the correct format. I’ve replied separately for each file letting them know what the problem is and what’s expected. I’ve warned our receptionist and her manager what will happen if Tampa doesn’t fix the files.

165

Oy, veh. I’ve said this before, but Management doesn’t understand what goes into our products, and that people are not interchangeable. I’m trying to train our receptionist how to handle data. Not clean it and reformat it, or anything; just handle it. Basically:

  1. Check the Contributor spreadsheet.
  2. If it’s something that nothing is done to, load it to the credit agency. If it needs to be ‘touched’, wait for it to come back from Tampa.
  3. Document what she did.

My department folder has three folders in it: Three for data that goes to different places, and one for everything that isn’t data. Two of the data folders have the names of the credit agencies. The one that doesn’t, is for our Tampa credit reporting. Since my more technical functions are going to Tampa, the receptionist doesn’t have to worry about it (much). She keeps forgetting what goes where. Today I had to tell her that she could put a link on her Favorites bar, rather than to go to the email where I sent her the link. Then she couldn’t find it, because she was using Chrome instead of Edge. I had to instruct her how to add Save As buttons to Excel and Word. I don’t know what she doesn’t know.

The Spousal Unit is taking the day off, so she’s been listening. She says I’m being very patient, and that I’m a good teacher. So that’s something.

166

I’ve just spent more time explaining to our Tampa data team how to clean up and process and match a Customer and Aging file, than it would have taken me to just do it. Since there are ‘things’ I won’t bore you with, they had questions.

167

I wouldn´t exactly knock myself out explaining Tampa their problems again and again.

I’d do it once, (well done, don’t get me wrong), document the jeebus out of me doing it - and call it a day. Its not your job to care what happens after your corporate demise, that is your boss’ job :wink: .

You can take a horse to the river, but you can’t make it drink … and all that jazz.

ahhh … and in the last few workdays - i’d let them know that you’d be available to clear up any problems after you are gone (we are friends, after all) … and if being asked for help later on (and only then), I’d send a quote with $x00.00 per hour asking for written approval before acting.

That’s what they call “being professional” :slight_smile:

168

So regarding the enshittification discussed about the job search process (@Johnny_L.A I hope you don’t mind) :

One of the resumes was for an MIT undergrad physics BS. For a fucking warehouse job that might grow into some office manager duties. Graduated 2 years ago.

I can only assume that he has no idea what he applied for. I’m half tempted to see if I can schedule an interview just to see what shows up.

169

Maybe he needs a job

170

Maybe, but

  1. STEM degrees around Boston generally don’t have trouble finding work; they’re desired not only by the biotechs, but by the tech and finance firms.
  2. I know this would be frustrating to hear, but hiring someone so overqualified means he’s perpetually looking for another gig. Which is not what I want.

ETA: And regarding #1, I assume MIT remains one of the more highly regarded alma maters.

171

I was laid off November 30 of 2024, and have yet to find a job. My entire team got laid off. Most of my co-workers retired, but most had a working spouse so could use them for health insurance.
Early next year I will crunch the numbers and see if I can retire (I am 59 1/2) or possibly get a part time job just to slow the bleed. (I got a pretty good severance, and sold all of my company stock - together they were about I would have received in 2025 for income)
Note that I have had some phone and video interviews. One position I really wanted (they had FIVE open positions, TWO were ones I interviewed for [same position, two openings])-- shortly after my interview due to 3rd quarter results (either in response or to make them look good) there was a hiring freeze and layoffs in the company – I don’t think the position even exists anymore. I have used connections (I think at least one interview was due to it)

I don’t have any advice, but just to let you know you are not the only one.

Brian
“involuntarily retired”

172

That’s the thing. I have almost 19 years where I am now, plus nine years at – I’ll say it – Experian (Big Multinational Credit Reporting Agency - BMCRA]. So 27-ish years working with accounts receivable data, in increasingly responsible positions. I’m afraid that potential employers will take one look at that and think, ‘Over-qualified. He’ll be looking for another job as soon as we hire him!’ OK, yes; I’m over-qualified for a data entry position. But I want a less-stressful position. My house is paid off as of last month or so, so I don’t need my (paltry) salary. I’m afraid my self-worth is dependent upon how I can take care of myself and my family (wife and cats). I need a job. And once I get one, I don’t plan to quit. I just need to make it 2½ years, and then I still won’t quit. But it won’t be so hard to not be working.

I am that.

173

So I’ll make a confession.

As president of a small Inc, I don’t want to hire someone overqualified for the reasons we’ve discussed.

As someone who used to run drug development programs and loved it, and who has saved enough that he doesn’t HAVE to work, I’ve had companies- where I had close friends as references- tell me they don’t believe I’d be happy taking a step back. I’m retiring in a couple of years because I hate my current job and I can’t get BACK to what I loved.

So I get it. All the way around.

174

When I needed seasonal work, I had just finished a graduate degree. The application asked for relevant work experience, so I omitted most of my education and jobs from my resume, which I titled “related work experience.” I included only my sales experience, hobbies, and creative writing. I’m sure I wouldn’t have been hired if I’d provided my whole CV. I wonder if this strategy might work for any non-technical/non-professional job you would want to apply for.

ETA: I’d been training and working in psych wards and universities. The job was cashiering at Hickory Farms.

175

I nearly didn’t get my first actuarial job for this reason. The hiring manager thought I’d get bored and leave. My contact, who wanting the hiring bonus, pointed out that i was sick there (geographically) until my husband got his PhD. They hired me. I was bored. And i did stay until my husband got the PhD. And it was a good entry into a much more interesting actuarial job.

So i get it.

And also, the mit grad might want steady, low-thought work while they work on another degree or something.

176

This is excellent advice. They probably haven’t processed how critical learning this stuff now is. It is not worth knocking oneself out for.

I wouldn’t explicitly state it, but I would give my contact information out. Since someone who is out of the job is no longer bonded, they should not let them in unless a formal contracting arrangement is set up. Which will cost them.

At the retirement lunch for our VP a few years after I retired my old boss asked me about coming in to help. I said sure, but it will cost you. Never heard another word.

177

Having been through multiple layoffs on both sides of the fence, I’d say there’s a good chance you’re seeing ‘weaponized incompetence’ in action.

While it sucks getting laid off, it also typically sucks for the poor bastards who remain that get all of the additional responsibility with neither any more money or any more help. So the folks that suddenly have some new unwelcome task to do, well, they do it poorly. Sometimes because the are poorly suited to do the work, but more often because they don’t want to. They’re already full up. Do these new tasks badly enough, maybe they’ll magically go away!

It’s the last form of control these folks often have left. Seen it a bunch. @Al128 has it exactly right. Show them once. Help them once, then do like the hero in an action movie. Walk away without looking back at the explosion.

It’s formally their problem, not yours. And if you do have post layoff support in mind, letting them fail is the fastest way to get that sweet consulting money. When Hasbro lead me off, I was gone for six months and then got called back in. I ‘consulted’ for another six months at 3X my original salary.

178

I feel bad for our receptionist. TPTB apparently think that anybody can do my job. It’s just data, right? You just send the files to where they go, right? TPTB don’t understand that quality matters. They don’t understand that bad data doesn’t get loaded, and we don’t make any revenue on data that isn’t loaded. I think that’s what really irks me. I take pride in what goes into the credit reports. TPTB think that my function is completely interchangeable with a recent high school graduate. (NB: Our receptionist isn’t a recent high school graduate. Just stating my perception of TPTB’s conception of the role.)

So once I’m not there to do my job, the receptionist will be bombarded by complaints by Experian that the formats are wrong, the record counts have dropped, etc. She can’t do anything but boot it to the Tampa data team, who have no experience maintaining the data quality from my employer that I appreciated for nine years at Experian, and which I have kept up for the past couple of decades. So again: fewer records will load, quality will plummet, our non-technical receptionist will be overwhelmed, and no one is going to be happy. But it won’t be my problem. I tried to tell TPTB, but they’re the ones with years of experience in executive positions in unrelated companies.

179

… Only if you charge afterwards (the $$ is exactly what makes it professional)

180

Yes, that’s classic dumb cost-cutting. “If I don’t understand it, it must not be important”.

You’ve mentioned before that your org gets paid by the big credit agencies for the valid records you submit. A question if I may. In the total scheme of your org’s income from all sources, is this revenue significant? Or is it a rounding error?

If the former you can take cold satisfaction in watching the entire org collapse for lack of income because you were the figurative kid with his figurative finger in the dyke making it all work. If the latter, well, they’ll probably just stop submitting data altogether soon.