So I Got Laid Off...

[GuitarIV]

Kinda saw it coming. But getting called to the bosses office yesterday and hearing the words felt like a smack in the face.

I am a student and as such I work part time as a waiter/barkeeper to keep me financially afloat. I can't do fulltime because studying and life and such.

I got this job around fall/wintertime when the place is the busiest and they are in desperate need of helping hands and it was all well, I got my hours, tips were good and it was never boring, plenty of customers, you're busy all the time and the shifts are over fast.

Around comes new years and January. Business dropped. Suddenly the place isn't half as full as it used to be. Hell we regularly had to send people away if they walked in without a prior reservation.

This continued through February and now March. All the other people that got hired during winterseason were let go, slowly but surely. My hours got reduced. I knew what was coming.

Now all is fine and dandy, I left calmly, said my goodbyes, the boss told me I can always come back when winterseason comes around again.

What pisses me off is that a few workers that came after me and do the full hours are now the new team. Sure, it took them months to learn what I already knew from working in the bar/restaurant branch for years now, but now they know how to work the place and all of a sudden there's no need for me anymore. Screw the fact that I speak 3 languages fluently. Nobody pays me extra for that anyway.

I won't vent, I just can't deny I'm kinda angry.

I'll go on unemployment till the end of month, cash in some money from the state and use the time to find a new job. Why not, I mean I pay taxes after all.


What I have learned from this experience and working as a barkeeper/waiter in general: fuck manual labour. And I don't mean that in the sense of people that do it, I have the highest respect for them, after all I come from a worker family.

What I mean is the only way nowadays to make any decent money anymore without being exploited is either to use your brainpower and have others depending on you or being your own boss. It's motivation to finish university more than ever.

Workers are there to be exploited. Always have been. There were times in history when this was worse than it is nowadays but we're heading back to slavery. And it makes me bitter. I'd have no problem being a barkeeper for the rest of my life if it paid what it should. Enough to cover bills and have some money left over for leisure.

I'll do this shitty kind of job some time longer. But I only have one goal now: finish my studies and then be the guy that sits at the bar and orders the drinks instead of serving them.

Ugh. I'll go hit the gym and lift some iron now.

 

[end user]

A degree doesn't guarantee anything other than debt. If it's in a relevant and high demand area then it sure helps a lot though. I went to Tech School myself and have done very well for myself and my family. I did go through the "dot bomb" fiasco though and had to really scramble to stay afloat back in the late 90's, early 2k's. I know that in my field I see job sites paying about half of what I earn now and asking for a 4 year degree and 5 years experience on top of it.

I have run entire companies for people because I had motivation and business smarts, I have hired many College Grads and sure some have been great but nothing beats actual experience in most fields. I have rescued a company from the brink of bankruptcy and turned it into a top performer in the region in under 2 years. Hard work and dedication is all it took. The rest is up to you to make things happen. Degree or no degree your career path is determined by you. Just don't assume that once you have that degree that companies are going to throw themselves at you. They just may if you have that "it" factor but assume you will need to work hard and if it ends up being easy then all the better.

 

[stringbender11]

A degree is almost a must these days. I work p/t in retail, and seeing people that are in their 50's and 60's in that business is a very sad thing. Terrible pay and lack of benefits makes surviving extremely difficult. They spend their lives struggling with no security and age just making things harder every day.

To the OP I say, definitely finish your studies, a lifetime in the restaurant business is not something you want to be thinking about if you have other options.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Because of the high cost of education you gotta be smart about it, community college first, then transfer to a 4 year school and commute it if you can, or do it online. You can get a quality education without bankrupting yourself, but you gotta have that piece of paper to get anywhere.

Good luck GuitarIV, you seem like a smart dude, all this will only be a minor setback for you.

 

[end user]

A degree is almost a must these days. I work p/t in retail, and seeing people that are in their 50's and 60's in that business is a very sad thing. Terrible pay and lack of benefits makes surviving extremely difficult. They spend their lives struggling with no security and age just making things harder every day.

To the OP I say, definitely finish your studies, a lifetime in the restaurant business is not something you want to be thinking about if you have other options.

Yes stay in school for sure. Though the degree depends. If you end up with a Bachelors Degree in Western Philosophy, Communications, Liberal Arts etc etc it's going to limit you severely. A friend of mine is a College Professor at the local big university and he told me a lot of the students there are just going for the experience of college and not for the education and are majoring in completely useless areas. I say shame on the College for offering so many useless majors.

 

[paul-e-mann]

Yes stay in school for sure. Though the degree depends. If you end up with a Bachelors Degree in Western Philosophy, Communications, Liberal Arts etc etc it's going to limit you severely. A friend of mine is a College Professor at the local big university and he told me a lot of the students there are just going for the experience of college and not for the education and are majoring in completely useless areas. I say shame on the College for offering so many useless majors.

I agree with you whole heartedly on all points.

 

[mirrorman]

In my experience, the best way to get and keep a good paying job is to work your ass off from the day you've been hired. Take on extra work or projects. And for god sake, don't ever use the "that's not in my job description" line. You were hired to help the company for a reason; make sacrifices and show them you have what it takes to get the job done, because if you don't, they will find somebody who will. I'm sure that todays job market is a lot different than the last time I was looking (30+ years ago), but I am sure that the goal of the employer has not changed -- employ people who will help the company meet its goals. I finished high school, dropped out of college twice and managed to end up with a career in a company that I worked at for 30 years. Everything I learned was on-the-job, I sacrificed weekends, holidays and special events by working shiftwork 24x7x365, was on call after-hours, got relocated 3 times and spent a fair chunk of time away from home travelling. Now I can sit back and watch the pension cheques roll in as my reward. As I said, this may not be todays reality, but I don't think that any degree will be worth anything if the effort doesn't go along with it.
So what does all of this have to do with your situation?
Yes, stay in school, but don't be tricked into thinking that a degree means an automatic ticket to the front row in life.

 

[clutch71]

Sorry to hear that. I know it sounds cliché but sometimes when a door closes it presents other opportunities.

 

[BftGibson]

A degree is almost a must these days. I work p/t in retail, and seeing people that are in their 50's and 60's in that business is a very sad thing. Terrible pay and lack of benefits makes surviving extremely difficult. They spend their lives struggling with no security and age just making things harder every day.

To the OP I say, definitely finish your studies, a lifetime in the restaurant business is not something you want to be thinking about if you have other options.

or be the best in your chosen trade...learn it inside & out & find a niche market..be the best at a fair price ..they will find you..

 

[end user]

In my experience, the best way to get and keep a good paying job is to work your ass off from the day you've been hired. Take on extra work or projects. And for god sake, don't ever use the "that's not in my job description" line. You were hired to help the company for a reason; make sacrifices and show them you have what it takes to get the job done, because if you don't, they will find somebody who will. I'm sure that todays job market is a lot different than the last time I was looking (30+ years ago), but I am sure that the goal of the employer has not changed -- employ people who will help the company meet its goals. I finished high school, dropped out of college twice and managed to end up with a career in a company that I worked at for 30 years. Everything I learned was on-the-job, I sacrificed weekends, holidays and special events by working shiftwork 24x7x365, was on call after-hours, got relocated 3 times and spent a fair chunk of time away from home travelling. Now I can sit back and watch the pension cheques roll in as my reward. As I said, this may not be todays reality, but I don't think that any degree will be worth anything if the effort doesn't go along with it.
So what does all of this have to do with your situation?
Yes, stay in school, but don't be tricked into thinking that a degree means an automatic ticket to the front row in life.

Exactly what I have done and though I am not enjoying a pension yet I will be in another 5 years or so. I have had a great life up to this point because I was always willing to do what it takes to get the job done. Heck I bs'd my way into my first real job and ended up becoming (in my Managers words) invaluable to the company. Why? Because I sacrificed and worked hard. Harder than most of my peers and co-workers. Thats what it takes to become successful. Sure some people luck into it or are born into it but in general only good things will come if you go above and beyond in whatever field you choose. If the company you are working for doesn't recognize your hard work then you upgrade your career by going to another one.

I was taught very early on in life that whether you are a CEO of a Giant Corporation or pouring coffee at a diner you do your best at all times and I have always done that. It really bums me out when I grab a coffee at a Dunkin Donuts and the kid working there looks and acts like he/she would rather be doing anything else in the world than what he/she is doing. No matter what it is own it! Take charge and do your best!

 

[ampmadscientist]

Kinda saw it coming. But getting called to the bosses office yesterday and hearing the words felt like a smack in the face.

I am a student and as such I work part time as a waiter/barkeeper to keep me financially afloat. I can't do fulltime because studying and life and such.

I got this job around fall/wintertime when the place is the busiest and they are in desperate need of helping hands and it was all well, I got my hours, tips were good and it was never boring, plenty of customers, you're busy all the time and the shifts are over fast.

Around comes new years and January. Business dropped. Suddenly the place isn't half as full as it used to be. Hell we regularly had to send people away if they walked in without a prior reservation.

This continued through February and now March. All the other people that got hired during winterseason were let go, slowly but surely. My hours got reduced. I knew what was coming.

Now all is fine and dandy, I left calmly, said my goodbyes, the boss told me I can always come back when winterseason comes around again.

What pisses me off is that a few workers that came after me and do the full hours are now the new team. Sure, it took them months to learn what I already knew from working in the bar/restaurant branch for years now, but now they know how to work the place and all of a sudden there's no need for me anymore. Screw the fact that I speak 3 languages fluently. Nobody pays me extra for that anyway.

I won't vent, I just can't deny I'm kinda angry.

I'll go on unemployment till the end of month, cash in some money from the state and use the time to find a new job. Why not, I mean I pay taxes after all.


What I have learned from this experience and working as a barkeeper/waiter in general: fuck manual labour. And I don't mean that in the sense of people that do it, I have the highest respect for them, after all I come from a worker family.

What I mean is the only way nowadays to make any decent money anymore without being exploited is either to use your brainpower and have others depending on you or being your own boss. It's motivation to finish university more than ever.

Workers are there to be exploited. Always have been. There were times in history when this was worse than it is nowadays but we're heading back to slavery. And it makes me bitter. I'd have no problem being a barkeeper for the rest of my life if it paid what it should. Enough to cover bills and have some money left over for leisure.

I'll do this shitty kind of job some time longer. But I only have one goal now: finish my studies and then be the guy that sits at the bar and orders the drinks instead of serving them.

Ugh. I'll go hit the gym and lift some iron now.

"...Screw the fact that I speak 3 languages fluently. Nobody pays me extra for that anyway..."

You need to find a job as an interpreter.
It will pay way more money and you will be much better off.

Where are you located?

One door closes, another door opens.
You could have a major upgrade in your job because of this.

 

[BftGibson]

lost my job as a project manager in the 2008 financial debacle..screwed royaly, was a single dad..waited on tables at 3 restaurants to feed my family,,fast forward to now..selling my company i founded in 2012 & retiring in FL at 54-55..work ..if you wanna work its out there..like in sports..be the best..yes even at work.put the effort in to get somewhere..wont happen overnight..but you control your destiny..work comes first then ya can do what you want in life once you figure that out

 

[stringtree]

I needed to hear what you all are saying, not falling on deaf ears.

Hang in there GuitarlV.

Drivers ed applied to life:

So Where Should You Steer In a Skid?
(when ones life is suddenly out of control)

Most driving instructors today recommend against "steer into the skid" advice. Instead, take these four steps to recover:

1. Keep your foot off the gas:
(give your emotions a rest)


The most common reason for a loss of traction is driving too fast for the road conditions. The instant you feel your car begin to slide, take your foot off the gas. This does not mean you should slam on the brakes. In fact, slamming on the brakes can shift the car's weight and make things even worse. Just take your foot off the gas to slowly bleed some speed off your car. In some cases, that's all it takes for you to regain control.

2. Keep both hands on the wheel:
(know your in control of your life)

This one's obvious but easy to forget in a panic that your steering wheel is the tool that will allow you to regain control of the car, and you'll have the most control over it with both hands in place.

Pro Tip: You may have been taught that, in addition to letting up on the gas, you should shift the car into neutral. This is terrible advice because you're taking a hand off the wheel when you absolutely don't need to and putting your car into a gear where you have even less control. Don't do it.

3. Look where you want to go:
(stay focused on where your headed)

This can be tough advice to follow when your car is careening out of control. If you see a telephone pole in your path and want to avoid hitting it, you’re probably going to stare straight at it and be too panic-stricken to stay focused on driving. The bad news is that you tend to steer toward where you're looking, whether you consciously intend to or not. So, don't look at the thing you want to avoid hitting. Instead, look where you want to go.

4. Steer where you want to go:
(make a new decision that takes you where you want to go)

The final step in getting out of a skid is to actually steer the car where you want to go. Combine this move with the previous step, and look down your intended path. Then, gently steer the car there. Don't worry about steering into the skid, and don’t jerk the wheel. Smoothly steer your car in the direction you want it to travel.

The cause of any skid, whether it happens on a snowy road, a dry gravel road, an icy road, or during a heavy rainstorm, is a loss of traction. No matter what driving conditions you’re facing, the advice remains the same. Drive slower than normal, and allow more room between yourself and the car ahead of you. That two-second defensive driving rule should expand to eight to 10 seconds instead. If your car does start to skid, take your foot off the gas, keep both hands on the wheel, look where you want to go, and then steer there.


Number 3. is so important. If you look at how bad the times are and keep doing so, thats what will keep happening. Look for the good and see the good that others have, and know that there is more than enough good for all to have if they so choose.

 

[Scumback Speakers]

GuitarIV: Sorry you got laid off. I've seen both sides of this myself. It made up my mind to get a degree, much like you. One of my speaker builders has a masters degree in marketing/business. He's been working as a tour guide, but just got promoted to the legal dept at Paramount Studios. Even with the salary bump, and full time benefits, he made it clear to me he's coming in on weekends to build speakers because he bought a new car, and has made me aware that he's going to be here on weekends for the next 60 months until it's paid off.

So he's using his Masters degree (with the $20k student loan bill) during the week, and his hands on weekends.

My point is that it's good to have multiple skill sets, even though jobs change, being able to do different things keeps you employed.

 

[Biddlin]

Good luck.

 

[ido1957]

Just got laid off last March 27th after 24 years. With severance, EI, CPP and my RRSP's I said **** it I'm done. I can play my guitar for hours every day and have improved exponentially in the last 12 months. It helps to not have to work 60-70 hour weeks, evenings and weekends for zero overtime, unrealistic deadlines, on call 24/7, commuting, $325 a month parkade fees. I think after 40 years I deserve to put my feet up and not work until I die. I have no problem finding things to keep myself busy.

My daughter recently graduated with a teaching degree - and I thought I did a lot of overtime.

 

[Michael Roe]

I think the best answer is to work for yourself! Probably the hardest and scariest thing you could ever do but the reward at the end of the day is worth it.
I got fired from my last job in 2011. They fired me for asking for a raise! I told the owner go F yourself! I waited out my one year non-compete and then went on to give that business a F ing. That one year sucked because I had to sell off a lot of nice music gear I had. Probably more than 50% of my customers now are my ex-employer's accounts...… Ha!
8 years latter, I have recouped all that I sold and added to it! Never again would I want to go work for a company again.

 

[Scumback Speakers]

Never again would I want to go work for a company again.

Yep. I got fired from a Fortune 500 company while I was the #3 sales rep in the US (out of 800 +) for insubordination. I had to laugh, how do you get to be #3, and making twice as much as the bulk of the sales force and be found insubordinate? Easy, division manager screwed up and needed to cover her tracks.

That's when I went solo 26 years ago. Tough at first, but I've done ok with the decision.

 

[Robus]

Hope your degree isn't in gender studies.

 

[axe4me]

Sorry to hear of you termination.

For what it's worth, In my experience, your worth your last paycheck.

I have a BA in History.

I was thinking about getting my Doctorate.

That was 35+ years ago.

I ended up becoming self employed doing delivery work.

It's a drag.

I feel that, if I pass out on a customer's floor, they'll call the janitor instead of calling 911.

I know I can do better.

I've made from $4k to $16K in a week on my best business moments.

I'm nowhere near that kind of $'s now.

It's all about determination; woking hard to find the right accounts and knowing that you have to be professional even though your clients aren't.

I've done the corporate 3 piece suit thing.

I had a president of a company tell me: "Lou we want you to stay here forever"...................6 months later, at 6:00 PM on a Friday, he told me, I"m letting you go because business is bad".

That prick had to get his day's money out of me.

I felt used; foolish and naive.

I gave my all to that SOB's company.

I had the longest train ride home to tell my wife that I've been let go.

I was determined not to have that bastard leave me at the curb.

I did the grunge delivery gig and I bought a home within 6 months.

I have the mindset that you will not be well off by working for someone.

You'll always work harder when things get busy and make the same and, when business goes south, you're thrown away.

I'm at a stage now where I want to retire but I can't.

I can't afford myself.

It's called "semi retirement" and I'll be on the road till I die.

Good luck and know that you're worth something and things will be better.

Always know that you're worth more..............a lot more.