Laid Off.......

[68chevy68]

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?

[68chevy68]

forgot to post some pictures of it outside.









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

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by 68chevy68

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?

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

[68chevy68]

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.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

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.

I've been dreading the wrong day... I should have been dreading Thrusdays...

[toomanytoyz]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

I've been dreading the wrong day... I should have been dreading Thrusdays...

I Sure Hope that Don't Mean what i think it Mean's..........

Rick

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by toomanytoyz

I Sure Hope that Don't Mean what i think it Mean's..........

Rick

It does. I'm just another additon to a very long list of unemployed engineers in greenville.

Where the hell is my companies federal bailout money? The owner completely cut off his own salary months ago and cut every employees hours to 36 (even the high ups.) I wasn't the only one. They had to let 4 of us go.

[Huck]

So sorry for everyone with the laid off notices. I've been there and know the feeling. My father lived through the depression of 1929--he was 25 with a wife and child. Many people learned back then that the only safe employment was via government jobs--low pay but good benefits and no lay offs. Today, NO industry is safe. Education can be helpful but it is still a crap shoot as many high tech jobs went overseas. If anyone thinks the Media has been creating the problem---you need to get out and drive through the country side and see all the small manufacturing plants closed down---thousands of business gone with good paying jobs!! All because of corporate greed based on short term business goals---maximum profit NOW.
Employee value and loyality is all BS today. I worked for IBM for 32 years and they laid me off in 95' and hired me back in 97' when they realized their spinoff idea was costing them millions---I got rehired to help fix the problem they created which was kind of cool. Now retired and slowly loosing the ability to fix and play with trucks they way I used to---I realize that going back to a full time job is beyond my physical abilities. Just got notice that my health insurance for my wife and I will be $888. a month and that supposely includes $7000. that IBM pays annualy---hummmmm. My retirement planning never included this kind of expense!!
So how do YOU handle lay offs and support YOUR family---YOU realize that YOU may have to relocate to where there are jobs!! YOU change careers to one that has a better future---no overseas job transfers ie. railroads, oil fields, trades (electrician, painter, handy man, plumber helper, semi truck driver, construction, HVAC, military, etc.) Tell everyone you know you are looking for work---and be willing to WORK HARD but also be quick to WORK SMART but never assume an employer is loyal as that concept is long gone. Self employment can be very interesting ( I have a guy coming in tomorrow to do some tile work for me--he gets $5.50 per square foot plus material) How many 12x12 tiles could you install in an hour and how much did you last job pay you per hour??? Huck

[72-c20]

Originally Posted by Huck

If anyone thinks the Media has been creating the problem---you need to get out and drive through the country side and see all the small manufacturing plants closed down---thousands of business gone with good paying jobs!! All because of corporate greed based on short term business goals---maximum profit NOW.

Manufacturing plants still have to have people buying thier goods. just because a larger company can make 'em cheaper, you still need to have people willing to buy the product, and people are going to buy someplace they can get a product cheaper. why? because that means more money for the family, etc.... maybe because they bought their good cheaper, they can save enough money to buy a house.

There's way to many different things in play in the growing global economy. People just target the big corps becasue they make an easy target.

The media has essentially scared people into not spending money, which then forces companies to lay-off or close down because their not bringing in any money. Then with less employeed workers, there's less money to spend, and more companies fail, etc....

see the pattern.

I'm blessed with a decent job still, and I've not curtailed my spending at all. and I try to keep my business local to help out the local economy.....

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by 72-c20

The media has essentially scared people into not spending money, which then forces companies to lay-off or close down because their not bringing in any money. Then with less employeed workers, there's less money to spend, and more companies fail, etc.... see the pattern.

I agree... We the people have more power than we think we have! Look at the gas prices... Everyone cut down on unnecessary driving and look what's happened. People stop buying suv's or big trucks and GM and Ford are in trouble. And, when we are scared into believing there's going to be a depression type economy, we stop spending and start cutting costs. Without the flow of money all sorts of businesses feel the pinch not just big corporations.

It trickles up, too.

[stepn67]

Originally Posted by 72-c20

People just target the big corps becasue they make an easy target......

Big corps have lost their loyalty to the USA. I am being "RIFed" by a large corp, who I've worked over 20 years for, because it is moving all of it's manufacturing from the USA to Taiwan, China, & Malaysia. And this is not an isolated corporate move, it's become the standard among large corps. In the neart future, there will no longer be any manufacturing type jobs in the USA. So really I can't see how the media is influencing big corps into making htese decisions.

[67ChevyRedneck]

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.

[Luvlegs]

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.

[68gmsee]

Originally Posted by Luvlegs

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.

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.

[1968SWBBigBlock]

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

[68chevy68]

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.

[67ChevyRedneck]

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

[c10addict]

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

[Luvlegs]

Originally Posted by c10addict

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

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!

[big_al_71]

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.

[19673ontree]

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 ,,,

[Luvlegs]

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...

[rodstored-72]

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...

[hchad18]

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.

[arkracing]

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