How secure is your job?

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stepping_up_IHB

stepping_up_IHB

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I've noticed several people posting about the pink slip here and most of them not the least bit concerned. I suspect that the IHB crowd are of a bit higher caliber where they are more in demand than the average Joe/Jane, but I was curious as to how many of us are wondering if the HR folks will be in our cube or office in the coming months. Unemployment is expected to rise to 8.5% nationally and a bit higher here in the Golden State.



I was laid off in the 2001 downturn when I worked for a Fortune 500 company and fully expected it. In fact, I was starting to think that somehow no one knew I was still on the payroll by the time it happened. Even with all the bleak news about the economy and what's to come, both hubby and I are in positions where we have both been given nice raises this year and are very valuable to our companies. It's the one thing that keeps me from having a nervous breakdown after reading the news every day.



We both work for small companies, so I'm also curious about whether smaller firms provide more security now. I know that I've sort of left out the self employed other than giving them a vote option, but am also curious as to how the business owners feel their company will fare over the next 12 months. Please feel free to comment.



The main reason I'm posting this is there is so much doom and gloom for the economy, but I also suspect that there are many of us who will not be taken down hard, which bodes well for the future. I really suspect that the majority of us will keep our jobs and things will hum along rather than see many of us fall off the cliff.
 
I got laid off earlier this year after 20 years with a Fortune 50 Company. They just eliminated the whole corporate department of about 200 people.



I found a job with a Fortune 100 Company soon after and feel very secured in my new position because they really need me and the division that I am in is doing great. My plan to buy a house in the next 6 to 24 months is therefore still on.



I have many friends who are extremely successful (multi-millionaires Newport Coast types) and it seems that they are being much more prudent with their money. The result is that I am invited to a lot less wild parties.
 
Engineering... been laid off 4 times in 16 years... yea its great.





but i own property, so its kinda a offset. Now that i've refinanced nearly 2 points off orig. mortgage i'm diong quite well.



-bix
 
I was laid off several months back now, but I saw it coming. I had been planning on setting up my own business anyway so I didn't mind too much(particularly since the severance covered all the start up costs). I'm pretty happy with the results so far considering the state of the economy.
 
Still employed at a regional bank as a commercial real estate lender. I've more than exceeded my origination goal for this year and have several loans that I'll be looking to finance in 2009 (I'm in the top 1/3 of lenders at the bank). I'm sure that there's a chance that I get laidoff or the bank gets taken over by the Feds, but I'm not worrying about that since it's not in my control.
 
It's 50-50 that my company survives this recession. If I had to bet today, I'd wager on me looking for a new gig during the summer... I'd start looking now but have great respect and loyalty to my owners and will ride it out until the bitter end with them if it comes down to it.
 
Corporate lawyer at a large international law firm. If M&A doesn't pick back up to some degree, I am almost certain I will not have a job in 6 months.
 
The government contract I've been working on forever just got renewed and finalized, so I'm good for another year. However, if something happened to that contract my employer would just pimp me out somewhere else.
 
I'm dependant on the stock market. If one day they decide that stock market shouldn't exist ever again. Then I will be out of a job...As long as DOW is at 1pt and higher, I'm in luck.
 
[quote author="blackvault_cm" date=1228362494]I'm dependant on the stock market. If one day they decide that stock market shouldn't exist ever again. Then I will be out of a job...As long as DOW is at 1pt and higher, I'm in luck.</blockquote>


If it gets to 0, I recommend buying hand over fist...
 
[quote author="skek" date=1228354708]I'm an owner, so no chance I'll be fired. Will revenues be flat or better next year? We're not counting on it. Plus, our employees get paid first and we get the leftovers in the form of a profits distribution. A small decline in revenues will result in a large decline in my compensation.



And that's before Obama taxes the crap out of me...</blockquote>
Do you mind me asking what kind of business you own Skek?
 
[quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1228364239]Do you mind me asking what kind of business you own Skek?</blockquote>


<img src="http://www.willydog-hotdogcarts.com/images/willydogfront.jpg" alt="" />
 
[quote author="Panda" date=1228364585][quote author="usctrojanman29" date=1228364239]Do you mind me asking what kind of business you own Skek?</blockquote><img src="http://www.pieceofgarbage.com/panda-express1.jpg" alt="" /></blockquote>
 
I'm already laid off. Second time this year. Hope to have a new job within about a week.



My company will be around next year. I suspect they will lay off a number of people throughout 2009 and 2010.



After the credit crisis is over, maybe they will get together with a few other megacompanies and buy a country, issue their own currency.
 
This isn't me. But I used to do this with my sister when we came to America. Through experience we knew exactly where to go to find the most aluminum, copper, nickel, etc.

For example if you raid areas where large crowd gatherings occured such as stadiums, you can pile up bags upon bags of aluminum cans. 20 cans or so will equate to 1lb; 1lb of aluminum sells for 0.70 cents.

Another fantastic place to get aluminum and copper is construction/remodeling sites. For example shower doors are framed by aluminum. When people remodel their homes they throw tons of metal out. Copper piping, electrical wires, shower doors, etc. This will make a fortune as copper sells for twice the price of aluminum and nickel as high as 5-6 bucks a pound. The advantage is that often this comes in heavy amounts. Someone throwing out numerous 10 foot copper pipes because they are reworking their plumbing system will lead to a couple of hundred bucks. Another example is car mechanic shops. They throw away a lot of scrap metal as well. Many times you will find items and have to take it apart with a screw driver and a hammer to pull out all the metal. But it's extra work well paid...

I'm not going to go into million details, but you get it...There are also numerious other ways you can make money without even having a real job. Such as offering to mow lawns, paint someones home, learn to use a torch and laminent and pick up plumbing, clean peoples homes etc. In order to reduce my college tuition, I cleaned classrooms and bathrooms at the campus.



Combine this with numerous cost saving tactics and you can be very well of with suprisingly very little. Oh and worrying about people looking at you in a disguisting way isn't an option...and it wasn't. When survival is the game, one must get creative and savy.



This is why if I ever become homeless...give me a year or two, and I'm confident I could surpass the wealth of 50% of American families.



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/389950085_4c708c6d54.jpg

Some look at this man with disgust, I salute him with respect.



Here is a faster way to profit...Shows you how desperate people can get...(I don't promote this behavior)



<a href="http://ypsinews.com/index.php/200809-copper-thieves-strip-water-street-buildings/">Scrap Metal Raiding...</a>
 
Thanks Blackvault. That is the kind of mentality we need in this country, especially in these times where everyone wants a government handout.



I personally have worked all different kinds of jobs, from food service to public service to IT. I have cleaning toilets as part of my job and was never ashamed of it.



Speaking of toilets, in between cleaning them, I would study dictionary-sized computer books. Today I own two IT businesses. The first business may lose a little of its work if the economy really falls hard or some catastrophic even occurs in our market segment. The other business's growth may slow in '09 somewhat compared to '08 but it is still busy (I'm actually looking to hire a technical support specialist as is in the next month or two).



All in all I have too much code floating on the Internet to ever really be out of full time work. Experienced web and business application developers are in high demand now days.



Even if Armageddon did come to my neck of the woods, I wouldn't ashamed to going back to a manual labor or service job. I try not to take my position for granted and appreciate there being any work at all. Of course, manual labor and service jobs do get boring after a while so I'd probably start studying something else whenever I had any free time to transition later. You have to slowly build your way up.



Lets home Armageddon doesn't happen, but if it does, I'll be the guy taking your parking ticket while reading a statistics book.
 
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