#advice

I spent close to two decades at Nielsen before my "demise." The one thing I could say for Nielsen during all those years was the company was NOT going to go under! Lol. So many companies out there hang on by a string - and that's some real stress for employees. I've been involved in the ad measurement game since the early 90s (even while in college). The demise of Nielsen has been predicted for years but never really happens. This article is prob the best I've read out there explaining why. Well worth the half hour read if you're still in the biz or just an outside over the hill observer like myself. Enjoy https://new.adotat.com/p/the-nielsen-bonfire-who-s-holding-the-match

Bypassing the thick of L1, L2, L3, L4, L5's above me? And the middle men/women of the DARN and chairman's line?

I know we're all scared, I am too, but don't take what you read on an anonymous forum at face value.
There is no firm proof. Saying "I'm a people manager" anonymously is like saying "my uncle works for Microsoft" on Xbox live.
Fact of the matter is, if you are on a list whether it exists or not, there is nothing you can do about that until it is communicated to you allegedly in 2 days.
If you want to plan for the worst, great, not a bad idea to have a backup plan regardless of a RIF. Please don't let anonymous Internet posters scare you into getting sick over a possibility. Take a breath.

anyone speed read overnight???

Background, fairly new engineer less than 3 YOE and im on a new team (not by choice) and the team is not what I was expecting it to be. This role/work is better suited for someone with more experience. I want to leave this team already and advice on this

Let’s share some here. Real ways to get through a layoff, since many people here are very worried.

https://www.eeoc.gov/how-file-charge-employment-discrimination

Not here to contribute to saying a layoff is/isn’t gonna happen.

That being said, I took 0 hours of PTO when I was laid off. I was surprised when I had my PTO hours paid out to me in cash. That and equity all paid out to me in a lump sum for each.

So, if you believe you’re getting the axe… don’t take PTO. You’ll be paid a bit more extra as a parting gift.

All these posts about how fantastic it is that the stock is at 92. For those holding on, and not selling and diversifying into other investments, or aren't cashing out now; re-read this post when the market corrects. It will.

The best thing you can do is diversify your portfolio. Take CSCO profits now. Before it's too late. Take the proceeds, and simply invest them in simple index funds. Or; take profits now, and pay off debt. Mortgage. Car Loans. The future you, decades out, will thank you.

Yes, I had CSCO RSUs, CSCO Stock Options (the old Cisco Options from the late 1990s/early 2000s), and Cisco ESPP. Never, at any time, did CSCO ever exceed 25% of my total investment portfolio. Ever. I always took option and ESPP profits and rolled them into simple total market index funds. Max out Roth IRAs with the ESPP and RSU proceeds. You will thank yourself later.

Save your market gambling for using the Cisco Brokerage-Link function to day trade things like SPY and other index funds. Save the speculation for that aspect. Leverage Brokerage-Link functionality.

There is safety in being diverse. You are wasting a HUGE opportunity cost, by having an all-in-one basket, waiting to be all lost at the next correction, 2008-ish market meltdown, or CSCO stock demise. It is amazing yes it is at 92; but look at the curve of CSCO going back to 1990s.

Writing this as former CSCO, and living in a neighborhood with several CSCO friends, waiting for their payout, in their $750,000 homes, coupled to serious mortgages and BMW payments. Stop living life shackled to the speculation that this thing is going to keep running. Take your profits now and simplify your lives.

I was guilty of handing on too long to have options and ESPP accumulate, but then as things got very miserable with Cisco corporate ideology changes, I downsized my life financially. I felt shackled in staying because of a number on paper on what it could all be worth. I dumped the ESPP, the RSUs, and paid off all the debt. Then Cisco dumped me. All good, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. Now financially and more importantly mentally free from the whole game.

Writing this in hopes that somehow it inspires someone truly as miserable as I was at my last two years at Cisco to do the same. Now may be the time. Cash out. Get your life back.

By the way: AI play on it. Go put all your RSU shares, and ESPP shares, into ChatGPT. Go ask her how much you will get AFTER taxes. You will be astounded how much Uncle Sam is going to take. Another reason to take the money and run.

Shout out to the anonymous posters who give us warnings on internal decisions made by our management teams. I know that there are some trolls who try to dilute the quality posts, but when I identify the well meaning posts, I take them to heart and apply them at work, which has helped me avoid pitfalls. I hope I can do the same if I learn anything key that can help you, my fellow Wells Fargo anons!

I started realizing somethng - - maybe i just needed to get better. so i did. i practiced speaking, interviews, technical systems, and problem solving. i practiced in front of a monitor with a random picture up, like i was talking to a real person. i built projects every day, pushed code to github, learned new tools, and forced myself to adapt to ai even though i was still releuctant about it…

at first, i really thought the problem was me. but after getting better and doing stronger interveiws, i started realizing something else. this market is broken!! i know that sounds like an excuse, but i can take criticism. i was a marine corps infantryman. i know what hard things feel like, and i know what it means to improve…

but i also know i’m not the only one. i know 10 to 15 people, some with 10+ years of real experience, who still haven’t found work after months of searching. companies say they want thoughtful engineers, but right now a lot of them just want speed above everything else???

one company gave me a 3-hour full-stack assessment. they said it should be 50% manual coding and 50% ai-assisted. i followed every requirement, built the feature, deployed it live, and even went beyond the spec. they rejected me and said i “didn’t do enough.” then they showed me another candidate’s submission, and it was basically the same thing, except they had thrown in 30 more ai-generated features!!

that’s when it clicked. companies say they want engineers, but many of them want someone who leans fully into ai, ships fast, stays available, fixes whatever breaks, and does not slow down to think too much about security or long-term quality. i’ve asked multiple companies about security in this ai-heavy market, and the answer has basically been the same: features first, move fast, worry later…

that is a dangerous mindset, and it will probably backfire eventually. so if you’re a software engineer going through this, give yourself some grace. you may not be a bad engineer. you may not be a bad coder. you may just be trying to survive a market that is demanding unicorns???

take breaks. go outside. spend time with family, your dog, your cat, or whatever keeps you grounded. don’t let this job market destroy your health. you are skilled, and the market is just ugly right now!!

maybe one day this bubble pops, and we all get paid to fix the mess it created. until then, take care of yourself…

Monitors for efficiency are back on property, all supervisors have been instructed to conduct more camera ops testing, and violate agreements if need be under the guise of insubordination. Any refusal will result in automatic being pulled from service pending investigation, senior employees have already been pre warned, and instructed that even good faith challenges will result in being pulled from service, with conduct becoming the leading charge, rather than the task being challenged.

Keep a close eye on your phone that day (5/7), early morning calls is a call when ur shown the door…….

As someone who was let go from another company, here are a couple of things I'd tell my younger self:

• Take some time to process everything that happened and what it means to you financially
• It's almost impossible not to speculate why YOU. Whether there was a specific reason or not, it doesn't matter anymore
• Connect to that ex-Nike linkedin group. I heard good things
• Once it is all said and done, avoid coming back to this site

You'll feel the urge to state your opinion, and share something like "see, I knew this was going to break!". As someone who actually did this, I only regret my decision of doing so, because it took me longer to move on from being let go.

I have seen d-mb decisions that had to be rolled back later on. I'm sure Nike has done some d-mb stuff that will have to be undone. But, if I were you, stop checking this site if you no longer work here. I've only found helpful to know when these reorgs would happen so I can start prepping my resume/interviews in the event that I am cut off.

have a great one

This regards the very much worries have I about my manager’s manager. My address and phone number the manager has access to. But he must be called out. Never will change. He must go. I do not have the trust for human resources. They will certainty side with him. Please advise.

I’m considering an offer from Nielsen in NYC within their Consumption Products / media measurement organization, focused on driving product adoption, campaign activation, and incremental revenue growth across client accounts.

Is it worth it or hard pass?

Hi everyone, I was impacted in this round of layoffs. I'll spare everyone the s-b story but I was with the company for 15 years, which is almost my entire professional career, and it's my first time in this situation. I'd appreciate any advice

How do I know if my severance package is good? Should I get someone to review it even if it is good, just help me understand what the he-l all of the corporate jargon actually means?

When can I file for unemployment? Yesterday was my last day but that isn't my separation date. When I tried entering it, the unemployment site told me the separation date couldn't be in the future.

Hi everyone,
I’m a former employee of Nike and I’m trying to obtain a more detailed experience letter. So far, I’ve only received a basic employment verification that includes my start date, end date, and job title.
For my current needs, I require a letter that also outlines my roles and responsibilities (job duties) during my time there.
Has anyone here successfully requested a detailed experience or reference letter from Nike after leaving the company? If so, could you share the process, the right contact/team to reach out to, or any tips on how to make this request effective?
Any guidance would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance!

People are complaining today as if any of this is new, but it isn’t. These same patterns have played out in every generation. Different names, different systems, same cycles. Jobs change, economies shift, uncertainty comes and goes. It happens throughout the lives of every generation. What changes is not the pattern itself, but how aware people are of it, and how they respond when it shows up again.

Follow the narrow path that leads to life.

So I put AI on tthe resume.

I can make CoPilot hallucinate with the best of them!

Let's go back to on Nike catalog and bring back all the classic shoes and reintroduce them and put them on the pot and create all different kind of crazy color way and bring in rap artists and celebritis that has nothing to do with athletics and do a "collabo"!

What? What is that you say?

You already tried that to death and now you burned the whole market, toasted really well?

Oh, I am sorry, I was not tuned in for last 20 years.

EH you are touchy and sensitive these days.

Assigned city X to relocate. Asked for city Y. Accepted relo. Now regretting decision due to horror stories of commute and bad work life balance. I don’t think I can sustain city Y. What to do?

"Stay alive." — Haymitch Abernathy’s blunt, recurring survival advice.

Just got displaced. Understand that as an individual I cannot start a new role during this timeframe, but if I have an LLC, then my single-member company gets paid and not me as an individual. Any thoughts? Any useful, constructive thoughts?

I heard someone say this three years ago, but I didn't listen. I thought things might improve. Instead, they got worse. Now, I've been here five years too long. So let me say it to you now - if you can leave, leave. Take a pay cut if you have to. Move cities if you can. Just get out.

I called the Vz pension department a couple of months ago to inquire about who is custodian of the pension if I was to retire and take the annuity pension instead of the lump sum. I was put on a 5 minute hold. The rep told me pension obligation was sold off to Prudential in 2013 and 2023. It had to do with contractual obligations concerning Bell Atlantic and GTE. She further stated that there’s currently no plans to sell off more of it. Doesn’t mean it will never happen but for now going forward, if you retire , your pension is with Vz. If you’re bent on a monthly pension but don’t want to leave it with Vz take the lump and purchase a guaranteed life annuity. I’ve been quoted an almost identical monthly amount for a glf as if I had taken a 100% pop-up for my wife from Vz.

Bumping this from @gk+1kq2atb5s for info.

What is settlement agreement? Does it have any drawback if I sign it? Do I need any lawyer to process it. Any help will be appreciated.

Layoffs continue across major industries, causing financial and emotional shock for many. Experts advise workers to focus on perspective, networking, and new tools to move forward. Monique Kelley emphasizes consistent networking, especially on LinkedIn, as a crucial strategy. She also suggests embracing artificial intelligence to strengthen job applications. Layoffs can also provide an opportunity to reevaluate career goals and pursue new paths.

https://abc7.com/post/got-laid-off-7-side-shares-top-tips-help-rebuild-confidence-find-new-job/18979231/

Working for decades at Ford and living though the slow decline from the most profitable car company in the world to a second-tier floundering truck company gives me perspective on how to use Ford for my benefit. If you work at Ford and are not an LL5 by 35 you’re too old to be promote, stop trying. Stop doing all the additional duties, stop working night, weekends and during lunch. Ford pays for eight hours a day, five days a week, given them their time, do your job, nothing more, nothing less. Take every vacation day and every personal day, max your Ford matching, let Ford pay to upgrade your skills. Take advantage of every Ford benefit, never leave a single dollar of Mr. Ford’s money on the table. Ford is a paycheck, your cash cow to allow you do to other things Use your time to make yourself smarter and richer, learn to invest actively. If you can average a 15% return on your investments, you double your money every five years. After 25 years of investing my ETF returns are significantly more than my Ford yearly income. Also look at getting a side hustle and double up on a monthly check. Do something you like that makes a few bucks; every dollar counts. Remember, Ford is just a tool to pay your bills, use the tool to create your future.

Interviewing @Elevance... What are your thoughts on it? What are the pros and cons, and are there any hidden downsides to watch out for? It sounds almost too good to be true.

One of the classic excuses for a low assessment at ExxonMobil is not being mobile. They talk a good game about caring but then if you aren’t willing to move and change jobs every couple of years they will say your potential is limited and drop your ranking. Of course it is okay for people to spend their entire career in Houston but forget it if you are a Pioneer employee wanting to stay in Midland.

Any person, young or old, should steer wide of telecom which is a capital intensive business subject to large bo-m-bust cycles resulting in ever present layoffs and dead end careers. Ever since the IT people took over in the early 2000s, it's been an endless rip and replace operation and a meat grinder for anyone employed in it. You'll get worked long hours for stagnant pay then kicked out the door on a whim.

Good advice from @qq+1kpkaw8fk.

Windstream/Kinetic employee here looking for advice or feedback on all your former leaders coming over here. They are not making friends and ripping the company that we spent nearly a decade building apart. They have come in like a wrecking ball and it seems if you are not part of their inner circle then you don’t mean anything to them. They might be smart folks but their people skills are awful and the only opinions they care about are their buddies they brought over. Are you happy they are gone or do you miss them? Help me understand my future lol

If you care about longevity in your career or a stable and evolving strategy...stay away from Cigna. Not sure whose bright idea it was to have a group of fresh college kids and HIH create an AI slop fest of tech. Not to mention all the senior technologists are the ones who managed to create a cr-p show for us at express scripts.

Expect them to do what they did to a lot of us in esi.

Run. Run far and away

Anyone working with LHH that was JE’d? Are they helping? Did you find employment using their service?

With potential layoffs next week, any advice on how I can save work files?

Heard IT can provide access if I download my files into a folder and make a note of it.

Will downloading a ton of files right now alert IT security

& it begins. Top talent, all stars, super studs, leaving the company for better opportunities.

GLTA that stay - I pray things get better for you. My advice, take the first step to see what else is out there. Resume, add the world on linkedin, don't just sit around waiting to see if you'll get RIF. The company is going down a path nobody can change, it just is what it is. Do what's best for you and your family, you owe this company NOTHING. Go make something of yourself

Have you been backstabbed working at State Farm? Share your story. You might save another person the pain of a similar fate. Here is a resource that can help with your backstabbing injury. Hope this is helpful.

https://www.orthopedicshoulder.com/

What do you consider "red flags" in an interview? For me, it's the "we're like a family" line. Every time a manager says that in an interview, I know what's coming. It usually means they'll expect you to stay late, cover for others, and never complain about it. Call it what it is. A workplace with blurred boundaries and guilt trips. Hard pass.

I had a friend who passed away recently who was an exxon retiree. Their family lived into their nineties so he expected to live until at least 85. My friend retired at 61 with 40 years of service and chose the annuity. The annuity was huge and paid them nearly 50 percent of his yearly pay. The retiree expected to live at least 25 years and collect the pension but it was not the case. They only received 6 years pay from the annuity and had no relatives to leave as beneficiaries. If they would have taken the lump sum it could have been left to anyone as beneficiaries. Alight only allows spouses and children to be beneficiaries for the pension. He could have left the lump sum money to his nieces and nephews, friends or even a charity. He was in excellent health and would have lived to an old age but pancreatic cancer took him out. From the time of diagnosis to death was 5 months. Exxon and alight won. Don't make the same mistake as my old friend.