Laid Off.......
 

Laid off on thursday and drove the truck around the yard for the first time since I drug the heap home. Getting laid off kinda took the happiness from me. There are a few Kinks to work out and more parts to put on, but it moves!!. Anyone else here work for an Consulting Engineering firm?

Re: Laid Off.......
 

forgot to post some pictures of it outside.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...8/DSCF6239.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...8/DSCF6233.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...8/DSCF6235.jpg

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...8/DSCF6237.jpg

Also picked up a new steering wheel to match the edsel dash.

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x...8/DSCF6241.jpg

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Yes, I work for a civil site design firm. I dread every Friday. Every firm in Greenville has been laying off over the past 6 months. If I did get laid off, I have no idea where I'd go, plus Clemson is right down the road pumping out about 150-200 new Civil Engineering graduates every year...

Truck looks good. It also looks like you have a few other cool toys too :D

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The thing that sucks is that I worked for a very large firm called Jacobs. they have like 57,000 employees and make good money. We were part of a recent buyout. We used to be called Carter Burgess. I hate large companies that claim to be family friendly. Money friendly is more like it. They just don't care about their ppl.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

There's a "Jacobs" here in Greenville. They've been laying off too.

I work for a small private firm of about 25 people. My pay sucks compared to other engineer's in the area w/ the same job, BUT my benefits are OK and they sat us down after letting 4 people go saying "this is our core group" we don't want to let anyone else go. BUT... in order to get through the economy thing everyone's hours were cut a few months ago. My paycheck is a good bit smaller every month (yet another reason I'm "still pink.") :(

I have a feeling that in January we're either going to cut hours further or I'm 1 of possibly 3 or 4 peeps that will be moving on (after all the others were let go, I'm at the bottom of the pecking order.)

I'll also add that I've been somewhat actively looking for something else the past few months and nada, so I'm kinda stuck here.

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I own my own engineering/validation/technical services consulting company (mainly pharma based but other stuff too) - alot of us are being impacted with what may be coming after January... That being said, and if this isn't against the rules, if anyone is familiar with temperature data logging and spreadsheets I have a short term position I'm looking to fill... only 3 or 4 months worth but it'd be something in the mean time. PM me. I don't know if it's ok to put that out there or not but if it could help a fellow board member out.... it is what it is. If this is inappropriate, I understand if the mods take it out.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

LUVLEGS _ i hope no one takes it down - maybe a new job hunting section is what we need on the board to make it thru the rough times.
We are actually hiring another new salesmen - if you have knowledge of the pipe valve fitting and or instrumentation world pm me

Re: Laid Off.......
 

I was a mechanical designer and plumbing designer. A little over a year ago I was a Draftsman so I guess I did not have enough experience for them.

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I have 4.5 years and I'm eligible to take the PE in April. With the other people being let go, I'm at the bottom with over 4 years here :crazy:

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The killer is an extra 3k per year in business taxes will indeed keep me from hiring someone... after insurances, SocSec, business expenses, accounting and payroll expenses, that's all the profit I make on the employee (small profit margin in my line..). In my position, I MIGHT make $90 for a whole month of headaches and expenses - It'll cost the jobs I can offer - it really stinks.

We've gotten off the original post a bit...

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Sorry to hear about the job but on a more positive note the truck looks great

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THAT's what got me distracted... I only get red X's where I'm at right now - no pics makes it easy to distract me! :lol:

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I run a Toyota dealership and I have or I should say had 172 employees my roster now is at 137...and I am trying my hardest not to have to cut anymore but the store has to be profitable if not we cant open the doors...
Break even point is 600k a month just to break even and it does not mean total sales but gross profit. Keep your head up and this should pass. You have to always prepare for the worse hoping for the best....by the way the truck look good so far.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

not much lay off going on around here , you can't find a song on the radio for the help wanted radio ad's , all of it is begging for people to work in the coal mine's , they offer $25hr for green horn's and upward's of $40hr if you can run something , the natural gas industry EXPLODED in the last few year's , I got into that doing the well operating and compressor operating , I hurt myself by not going in the mine's but that's ok with me ,,,

Re: Laid Off.......
 

I dont have it as bad as you but I am going to be temporarily laid off from early December to mid January. I work for a very large chemical company, and they are doing this to keep their profit margins (stocks) looking good. I guess my family doesn't need Christmas as long as the CEO of this large company can get his multi million dollar bonus this quarter. Oh well apparently while my company is laying off people all the other places around here are hiring like mad. I am hoping to be at one of those companies before the temporary lay off begins. Good luck with your job search.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

i was laid off from a civil eng. consulting firm (stantec) in april (april 1st to be exact!!) i was out of work for almost 4 mo. but a friend from church is a oper. mgr. for a fire alarm design, install, sales & service company (priv. owned) & so for now they have been able ot keep on the books. i am going to go back to school to get further education (mech. designer) & hopefully not get put in this position again!! i have heard of all the firms listed above & thought that they were doing good until i applied & got a not needed answer. i think with the way things are going (especially the pres. elect) they are just going to get worse (but not much-hopefully) i think the turn around time is going to be longer now. anyways about a week after i got laid off i bought a few small parts for the truck just so i would not feel so bad (angry) the wife said i better or she was going to make me stay in the garage!! so i understand where you are coming from!
good luck!!

p.s. : i think that a looking for a job (job board) section would be a good (temp.) idea...

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Wife's getting the can Dec 23 "Merry F%&*$N Christmas" That'll definitely put a dent in the already no stream of money for parts. We'll I was thinking about building a rat rod anyway.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

As for me, anything to help the members is something that should not be removed. Maybe moved, but not removed. In these days of uncertainty with what may happen everyone is nevrvous.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Welcome to the club - maybe we should start one of those to go under our names.

I've been "laid off" - (my whole office was closed when Liberty Mutual bought another company) since April. Luckily I have some work at my shop to keep me afloat and my wife is making decent $.

Truck looks good though

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Man sorry too hear you are not working it sucks when you have very little or no money at all

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Too bad we all don't work for one of the big 3 in Detroit......looks like they're gonna get one of those famous government bailouts (50 billion) that's suppose to save the country!......go figure.

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Let ever one know on here if you need help

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And to make matters worse, I just bought a brand new crew cab truck, leather and all. I need to sell it but with the way the economy has been, I owe more than someone can go out and buy a brand new one for...

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Just visiting from the 73-87 section,the laid off title caught my eye.I myself have been laid off after 17 years with the same company as of Dec 23.All truck plans are now put on hold I guess.Hopefully I won't have to sell it and very nice start you got there on your truck

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Thanks for the complements on my truck. I am going to try not to sell it. After a couple of years of working on it as money allowed, It moves under its own power! This is the first truck (vehicle) I have built and Im stoked. I have way too much time and money tied up in this truck to sell it, but I may have to wait to finish it. there is still quite a bit I can do on it in all the spare time I have now. I might get more done this way.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

John Paul....I know how you feel. Spent 27 years working for ALCOA and you are right....companies don't have any allegiance to their employees....just the stockholders. In spite of how much loyalty we employees give to our employers, they just don't reciprocate. Then after all that, they lay us off.

Good to see that truck outside of the shop. I knew you were getting close...Edsel dash and all. It's sittin' fat down south, my son would say.

I'm no closer on my truck than I was when I visited your shop. I do have a plan, but the guy who will be executing the surgery, marches to his own beat. It's not a bad thing, but it take him a while to start. Could be because there are so many others who know what he can do and how well he works.

Good luck on the job hunting. Does FTN (?) have any possibilities? That's the group that is supposed to be revamping the City of Bryant in there attempts to stop the flooding on the north side of I-30.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

yeah, try not to sell it. I bought my truck with a portion of my severance package when I was laid off. I am in the process of lining my ducks up to resume when I get back working. It's giving me the opportunity to learn the truck rather than throw a lot of money at it at once. With no $$ I am still managing to get quit a bit done. It's all the little things. Just hang onto it and do what you can until the funds roll back around.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Thats my plan anyways for now. We are paying bills tonight and are ok for the time being. Another couple of weeks however and some things around here will have to go. I hope to maybee have a job before then. The problem is the amount of money I was making to whats available is such a large gap. I got too comfortable. I am good at living cheap though. Grew up that way.

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Yeah.. thats good. I know how to go without as well. Things will get better as the economy pipcks up.

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I'm a union electrician here in oklahoma and work is slowing down quite a bit here. The best advice that i can give anybody is to listen to dave ramsey's advise about getting out of debt and putting 3-6months back for times like this. Read his book, he shows you how to do different types of budgets, and tells you alot of stuff that banks won't tell you. His advise has made a big difference in our lives. Good looking truck by the way.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Things are getting slow here in Southeast Missouri also.

I work at a chain auto parts store and they cut me back to 3 days a week.

They are thinking about reducing the hours they are open during the winter.

Luckily my wife works at a fabric store and this is their busy time of the year.

Hang in there, I hope you find something.

The truck looks good.

Danny

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Nice truck. Hang on to it.

If it makes you feel better: I worked for an airline a number of years ago. They went under and were bought out by Continental. I took a hugh pay cut and took their job offer at the bottom of the senority. Worked my way up again and went in to Aircraft Composite repair. The airport here in Denver closed down. I was offered a job in LA. On that pay? Gotta be kidding. I took the suggestion of government senators and congressmen and went back to school. Obtained an associate degree in health & safety. Went to work for a waste company. Hours really sucked in management (average 70 per week). The company was bought out by another and all of us management were let go. No manufacturing for employment in EH&S. So, I thought safety in construction. After a number of interviews I learned that not speaking Spanish would keep me unemployed. Back to school again for retraining. CAD3D. The jobs went to India before I finished and I never did see any openings or manage to find one thru an agency. I now work part time in a macnine shop as on call, and calibrating gauges part time, on call. I qualify for SSC but I am holding out for another 2-3 years, I hope. I quite applying for jobs 3 years ago as I am not going to Home Depot, Wal-Mart or something like that where I work nights, weekends and holidays. Did that all my live and no more. I managed to hold on to my 28 Ford 2 dr sedan, chopped 4, dropped axle, 4 bar, vette rear, 400 small block, 40 Ford dash. Working at flush fitting the doors. Also kept my driver 40 Plymouth, 327, 350 turbo but didn't plate it this year. It still needs windows but if you go fast the rain isn't a problem. Plus have my 70 C10 that needs a rocker on the drivers side plus a different door as I don't want to patch the lower.
Being out of work kind of sucked but everything seems to be working out ok. When I lost the waste company job, I was upset until the next morning when I woke up feeling relieved...never realized how much I hated that place.
Now have time to work on projects but most is labor and some parts as I find the money.
Life goes on and we somehow survive and its not always all bad.
Good luck to all of you other out of work or about to be guys on here.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Its funny that you say you woke up relieved at loosing your job. I was kinda in the same way. I hated that job due to some of the folks I worked with, but would gladly go back for the money. I would do things a little different now though. Pay off my debt for one. If it wasn't for my debt, I would gladly go and work somewhere locally. Maybee an auto parts store for discounts:)

Re: Laid Off.......
 

I also got laid off, at the end of september.
I cant find a job as a trim carpenter in CT.
Its gotten really tough for a lot of people, man I hope something comes along soon.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

I feel sorry for all them people getting laid off. All this unemployment and
credit crisis point into one direcction.. DEPRESSION. Most people think
that we are in a ressesion now,,,but honestly we are in a depression. All those people out there with the easy good paying jobs..be aware!
Dont matter if u got degrees or even masters, when a depression hits,all
those diplomas dont tend to help u alot. Im just glad I still have my job
maybe cause few will actually take it, or even make it! Good luck. :ito:

Re: Laid Off.......
 

Guys and ladys try too buy things on sale go too all of the stores not just one store look aroud and when looking for cars,trucks get used thats still workable same thing for parts too

Re: Laid Off.......
 

On the contrary, having a college degree DOES help you out. Construction jobs are the first to go. If you are unfortunate enough to be laid off during this time, try to take advantage of it by pursuing another career and going back to school.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

This is all the way across the country, but if anyone wants to move to po-dunk North Dakota, the oilfield is still going strong with pay starting at 18-20 hr, bout 70 hrs a week. Nice truck, too! Hope things turn around. It kinda scares me being an engineering student at MontanaTech with the economy getting worse and worse. Hope it picks up by the time I graduate.

Re: Laid Off.......
 

sorry to hear it man, but October 13th the GM/Mazda/Volkswagon dealership i worked for closed up without any warning! :lol: ive been out of work ever since, just living off of unemployment.. which isnt much :uhmk:

of course that same week, my built motor in the 71 crapped out on me due to a failed rocker arm. wiped the cam and bearings. but its just time to upgrade again :metal:

Re: Laid Off.......
 

I have called around to some of the other firms around town and they are not hiring. Even one of the firms thats considered a sweat shop from all the work they produce is not hiring at the moment. I am trying to come up with a way to go back to school for paint and bodywork or metal fabrication. I have some friends that operate that kind of buisiness. I just don't think I can swing it with all the bills I have along with two kidos.