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Layoff Thinking

blogs.newardassociates.com

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Re: Layoff Thinking

#71

Post by mannanj »

gedy wrote: post #34
le-mark wrote: post #9

I’ve been in software development since 2003. I’d never been layed off until Jan 2024. I had some dodged several. The signs were all there, company acquired about a year before, product didn’t really fit in their vision. That’s when the layoffs usually happen, a year or so into it. Yet I was still surprised. They got me, they finally got me! At first I thought it was a blessing. I had changed jobs fairly regularly bu…

> once said long term technical unemployment would be a sign of the singularity; just pray for a soft take off I think that's true, but in your case (mine as well), companies just don't really want to hire older people. People get touchy when this is brought up, but young recruiter women aren't attracted to them and are biased, younger guys/interviewers view them as some dragon to be slayed to prove themselves, etc.…

I've been doing one of those "Randstad" recruiter support things after lay off, and one of the first things they hammer away is "Ageism is a thing" and have us remove our dates of graduation on our LinkedIns.

So I think ageism is a thing. Or according to the commenters here, it can't be, and maybe you just didn't think of it the right way.

Re: Layoff Thinking

#72

Post by mannanj »

ChrisMarshallNY wrote: post #30

Heck, we take it well, compared to Japan. They really identify with their jobs. There's people that commit suicide, if they get laid off or fired. May not be as prevalent, as it was, a couple decades ago. At one time, execs also took enormous Responsibility and Accountability, for the performance of their companies. I feel as if American execs could learn a thing or two from them. The worst punishment that you can ge…

Any tips for others? Sounds like you got into freelance. I might have my first freelance client as well on Monday, and I am feeling like a good time is about to come though I also wonder how to find other clients.

Re: Layoff Thinking

#73

Post by paradox460 »

satisfice wrote: post #47
jjmarr wrote: post #2

I don't understand the American "what do you do?" as first introduction. It's more fun to ask "how do you know 'x'" where 'x' is the host of the party or event or whatever. Although I'm Canadian.

How can you possibly not understand? You really are flummoxed about people who devote themselves to supporting their families economically and thus invest great energy into that pursuit? That’s like going to the Olympic Village, among all the athletes, and being unable to understand why athletes ask each other “What’s your sport?” They are in the Olympics, man! They put everything into getting there. Ask them about t…

On the Internet, where passive aggressive behaviors reign supreme, "I don't understand" is code for "I dislike"

The people that say it about mundane things like asking what someone does for a living, know full well why people ask it.

Re: Layoff Thinking

#74

Post by [deleted] »

AnotherGoodName wrote: post #62

One of the biggest emotional triggers is unfairness. You can see this in anything with a brain from small animals, children through to adults. If there's perceived unfairness emotions are immediately and strongly triggered. Layoffs are truly unfair. You have no control over them and no performance or ratings process is good enough to justify snap firings of some percentage. You're going to hit some of your hardest wo…

[deleted]

Re: Layoff Thinking

#75

Post by rogerrogerr »

The thing this doesn’t address is that we seem to be trying to make the idea of knowledge work obsolete, and having some success doing it. That’s what would be making me nervous. That there might not _be_ jobs in the future.

Re: Layoff Thinking

#76

Post by sylos »

moondev wrote: post #46
crystal_revenge wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Following along with this, I find the real hits to self-worth post layoff are in the process of finding that next job. Even when you have a job, a serious job search can be exhausting and, depending on the feed back you're getting, really whittle away at self confidence. But when you can feel the financial timer ticking, you continually start to question yourself and, dangerously, drop your standards. Desperation is…

Being unexpectedly unemployed also starts a virtual timer of sorts not on your terms. Regardless of how you feel about the event, the longer it persists is universally seen as a negative signal to those that would hire you for your next role. It gets exponentially worse as time goes on making it even harder to find a job, because of the increased time you don't have a job.

I'm currently in that spiral. It is not pleasant knowing every month makes it harder to get back in

Re: Layoff Thinking

#77

Post by AugSun »

thephyber wrote: post #26
dozerly wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s a key distinction you’re intentionally ignoring with this comment… retirees don’t need the job they gave up to satisfy their pyramid. Employed people often do.

Retirees without a meaning outside of work don’t live long. They don’t need “a job”, but like every human, they need a reason to wake up in the morning. For lots of people (even retirees), that is/was a job.

"For lots of American people (even retirees)" LOL

Re: Layoff Thinking

#78

Post by AugSun »

cj wrote: post #64
bluGill wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is horrible. Conversations are most easy to start around weather, work, and family. (Travel, where you live, hobbies, and sport are most of the rest.) you don't help anyone avoiding conversation.

That’s why it’s a game. If I run out of interesting conversation starters, I default to weather/work/family and carry on. I simply prefer to start with unique/contextual topics first.

bluGill: "how is your family" $another-guy: oh, still dead after that train crash. or bluGill : "what do you do for work" $another-girl: why are you asking? Do you have a problem with that? ... fun conversations indeed.

Re: Layoff Thinking

#79

Post by autoexec »

datadrivenangel wrote: post #8

Humans are very sensitive to being ostracized, and modern layoffs in aggregate are at least partially (~20%) intended and communicated as being ways to get rid of 'low performers', so we know that even when we get laidoff simply due to not making a cut line on a spreadsheet we still think it may be due to our own performance and also that others may think that as well.

> modern layoffs in aggregate are at least partially (~20%) intended and communicated as being ways to get rid of 'low performers',

In my experience they're often used to get rid of high wage earners and people with benefits no longer offered by company. Those people then get replaced with new hires who get paid less and have fewer benefits.

Re: Layoff Thinking

#80

Post by cj »

AugSun wrote: post #78
cj wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s why it’s a game. If I run out of interesting conversation starters, I default to weather/work/family and carry on. I simply prefer to start with unique/contextual topics first.

bluGill: "how is your family" $another-guy: oh, still dead after that train crash. or bluGill : "what do you do for work" $another-girl: why are you asking? Do you have a problem with that? ... fun conversations indeed.

I don’t understand what you’re trying to communicate.

I don’t have a problem with those questions. I do have a problem with getting bored at social events by boring boilerplate conversation, and I shared my strategy for having interesting conversations.

I’m happy to debate you if you clearly state a viewpoint.

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