#careergrowth

With how often we have layoffs, all of us have two choices. Run ourselves into the ground and hope for the best, or just kiss up to our boss and call it job security. One is a gamble. The other is gross but effective. Pick your poison.

Was asked to persue this. What are the real upsides? I read 15-20% base pay jump based on quartile (I’m in top already)? Seems slight for the order of magnitude of workload increase I may see. If offered has anyone negotiated up, and to what? (30% was my gut)? To what %? And beyond base pay what perks are LL5 to offset the (seemingly) minimal pay bump?

The sole purpose of D&S is to ensure that Hipos rather than the most qualified candidate is selected for the best roles. Ranking follows role meaning that your ranking is highly dependent on your role being visible and valued by management. The cycle perpetuates.

Permian has become a place hipos have to punch their ticket. This means the rest of us no longer have opportunities for career advancement as the roles for higher CL are all being taken by hipos cycling in and out. If you are in operations forget ever being able to get that promotion. You deserve it and would do a better job than the clueless hipo but you will never get the job.

8 years ago I realized terminations were not going to end any time soon. I began putting my financial house in order and expanding my skills. I wanted to ensure I would be able to support my family if I could no longer find employment in the technology sector. I've interviewed for positions I was very over qualified for and did not like what I was seeing. Everyone wants to pay near minimum wages regardless of skillsets and experience. Today I am far less concerned about being let go than I was back then. Anyone else made realistic preparations for their untimely exit?

New Careerminds research indicates loyal employees are hit hardest by layoffs. Many long-tenured workers believed their dedication would protect their jobs. Over two-thirds of these employees felt blindsided by their layoff announcement. Most had significantly outdated resumes or inactive professional networks. This experience often leads to financial stress and reduced future employer loyalty.

https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/05/20/loyalty-tax-why-loyal-employees-are-being-hit-hardest-by-layoffs/183753/

Has anyone forced out or currently training their replacements have any luck finding a new job? Can you share any tips? Did that "job search assistance" they offer help at all? I read that you get taxed in your severance for that "benefit". If it is useless can we opt out so as not to pay taxes on that?

Please keep this on topic and don't have this thread devolve into "the usual". This is for job hunting information only.

What is the average raise after graduating from the analyst program? Is 10% an average or that’s too high to expect?

General Motors recently reduced its IT workforce. The company cut approximately 600 salaried positions. This move is part of a deliberate skills exchange. GM is now hiring for AI-focused IT roles. The automaker seeks professionals to build AI systems from the ground up.

https://www.indexbox.io/blog/gm-and-automakers-reshape-workforces-with-ai-focused-hiring-and-layoffs/

Companies like these get doomed because they don’t recognize people’s background, capabilities and experience. They have one lens of cost reduction. The truth is person in lower level can only make their contributions that are aligned with their pay grade. You may have heard some people say “ it is above their pay grade”. Person may have abilities but so many people may have thrown stones on someone’s career that title wise you will not see the growth. And the person may stay in the lower role because another phrase you may have heard “it pays the bills”. Do the right thing. Put people in right roles. Re-interview everyone. Listen to them. Then give them roles based on their abilities. Then watch your company reach new heights.

They won’t apply to higher positions because they don’t want to be laughed at. You have to make effort to re-recruit within the company.

Transformation does not happen using traditional methods. Think different, do things differently, re-structure differently.

I did my part, you do yours.

I've been trying for months. Demoralized doesn't even begin to describe how I feel.

Doesn't seem like you can climb the ladder here in any meaningful way. Your only option is to quit and find somewhere else to work if you want to grow your career. Am I wrong or is it dependent on BU?

How are the 55yo and under thinking they should stay until the end? You have lost out on merit increases, 401K matching and a future, are you staying just for vacation? Just curious as to how Xerox are retaining this group.
I realize some of the younger ones are just trying to build experience for a resume, and some nepatism is helping a few families. But the others?

Layoffs in 2026 are inevitable and I can’t help but chuckle when people come onto this board to whinge about more layoffs are coming.

Are layoffs stressful? Absolutely. No one is denying that. One thing you can do is change your mindset.

Control the controllables.

You can’t control whether you are going to be laid off or not. What you can control is finding a new job. It’s not easy to find a new job in this market, so start looking now. Don’t wait until your job is impacted to look for a new role. Who knows… you might get lucky… engineer yourself a redundancy when you have something else lined up. To do so, you have to be smart. You can’t be bitter. It takes weeks to engineer a redundancy so get your ducks in order! There is life post Citi. You might surprise yourself. You may enjoy life after Citi more than you enjoy life at Citi. Food for thought.

Especially if you're younger and recently joined Elevance. Save up six months of expenses. Keep interviewing even though you're employed. Find a way to make money on the side. Don't let this place have all the power over your life.

Work your hours and go home. Take your vacation days and actually disconnect. Hit the gym. See your friends more often. Learn something new so you're not stuck here forever. And talk to real people, not just LinkedIn connections.

I am no longer with the company but very curious about how things are going and moving along since last year's layoffs; and what the overall morale is like in Design and Tech; especially in the Home Division?

Prior to my departure, promotions were scarce and people were feeling stagnant, overworked/underappreciated and not being able to move around and grow... is that still the case for most L4/L5s and maybe L6s?

I used to think working hard was the path to promotion, before I watched three people who barely do their jobs get ahead because they know the right people. Now I spend more time on politics than on actual work, and I feel no guilt. That's just how this place works.

When I got the news that I was being laid off a few months ago, I expected to be devastated. Instead, I felt a wave of relief. Dell has been a mess for too long and I hated my job for far too long. I don't know if I got lucky or the job market is not that bad, but I had a new role within two months. Smaller company and much better culture. Just wanted to say, it's not all bad.

Can people go from AVP to SVP? Or stories that this has been done?

The way things are looking right now, the only way I can grow my career is if I quit and go somewhere else.

Bill’s talking about how RTO will help teammates further their careers, etc, but that’s 100% NOT TRUE if there are no advancement opportunities in your line of work in your geographic location. I was hired to work remotely and at that time my advancement opportunities were open (or at least more open than they are now) because Truist was OK with remote work. Now I have to go into an office that has nowhere for me to grow, OR I have to move to a more expensive city that will eat up any difference in salary I might get with a promotion. The lack of leadership’s acknowledgment of this impact is so disappointing.

I have a lot of bad things to say about Dell, but pay is not one of them. What's the biggest jump you've ever gotten?

Corporations often experience high turnover due to toxic culture, inadequate compensation, limited career growth, and, according to discussions on Reddit, unrealistic sales targets. Key drivers include burnout, poor management, and a lack of recognition, which prompt employees to leave for better opportunities, as discussed in this LinkedIn post and detailed by AIHR and Indeed.

People quitting every month. Almost no chance of moving up. Clear favoritism along ethnic lines. And the list goes on and on. And the sad thing is that I remember when this was a great place to work. When it earned the top spot on the best workplace lists. And that wasn't even that long ago.

My manager told me for years that I was the backbone of the team. Then I asked about a promotion and got told I was too important where I was. That's when I realized that being valuable at DXC doesn't get you ahead. It gets you stuck.

Artificial intelligence increasingly threatens white-collar jobs in Michigan. Experts estimate AI could automate a significant percentage of work tasks. Michigan's large technical workforce faces high exposure to this disruption. The state is expanding adult education and retraining programs. Community colleges are evolving into workforce transition centers to address these changes.

https://mitechnews.com/industry-40/michigan-is-racing-to-retrain-workers-before-ai-reshapes-the-economy/

At AT&T, I’ve learned that sustained success is rarely built on individual effort alone. It comes from being connected to the company’s priorities, engaged with the people driving the work, and committed to moving in the same direction as the broader organization. For many employees who have grown their careers here, relocating closer to Dallas has marked an important step toward greater impact and opportunity.

My own path has required real personal tradeoffs. I stepped away from what was familiar, adapted to new expectations, and chose career growth and responsibility over convenience. Those choices were not simple, but they opened doors to stronger relationships, greater visibility, and more meaningful collaboration.

Dallas is more than the company’s headquarters. It is a place where strategy, execution, and leadership come together. Being closer to key decision-makers and cross-functional partners creates faster communication, stronger alignment, and a deeper sense of shared responsibility for serving our customers and supporting one another.

That proximity also has clear business value. When teams are more connected, barriers are reduced, decisions move faster, and execution becomes stronger. Over time, that kind of discipline and coordination helps improve performance, strengthens the organization, and supports long-term shareholder value.

For that reason, moving to Dallas should be viewed as more than a personal career move. It reflects a willingness to invest in the company’s future, contribute more fully to the team, and help build a more focused, unified, and effective AT&T.

At AT&T, I’ve come to understand that the true path to long-term success isn’t just about individual performance—it’s about alignment, proximity, and shared commitment to the mission. For many of us who have advanced in this company, moving closer to the operational and strategic center in Dallas has been a turning point in our careers.

I made personal sacrifices to climb the ladder of success—leaving behind familiarity, adjusting to new routines, and prioritizing the demands of the role over comfort. Those decisions weren’t easy, but they created real opportunities for growth, visibility, and collaboration that simply aren’t as accessible from a distance.

Dallas represents more than just a location; it represents focus, teamwork, and accountability. Being physically closer to leadership and cross-functional teams strengthens communication, accelerates decision-making, and reinforces the shared obligation we all carry to deliver for customers and for each other.

From a business perspective, this alignment matters. When teams operate with tighter coordination and fewer barriers, execution improves. That kind of operational efficiency and cohesion is ultimately good for performance—and by extension, supportive of long-term shareholder value and stock strength.

In that sense, moving to Dallas isn’t just a personal career decision. It’s a commitment to the broader team, to the company’s direction, and to building a stronger, more unified organization.

Is it possible to successfully negotiate a CL promotion when considering to accept an assignment with more responsibility?

do guidelines on responsibilities handled by each gsr even mean anything? ive been gsr 7 for four years and my responsibility, scope, and importance of work dramatically increased but im still gr7 all the same. Exceeded on all reviews with the exception of met on my second year.

is this my direct management holding their cards close to their chest or is Ford not a place that cares about fairly compensating employees for workload

I got terminated from my job after 7 years. It wasn’t easy to accept especially knowing I was one of the top earners on my team. Last year my performance slipped, and looking back, I could feel something was off. I started to realize I was being pushed out.

But here’s the thing sometimes what feels like a setback is actually a reset.

At the start of this year, I shifted my focus fully into the stock market. I had been learning and investing for almost 6 years, but never gave it 100%. Now I am and I genuinely love it. For the first time, I feel like I’m building something for myself, not just working for someone else.

I’m also starting to move into rental properties, creating another path for income and independence. I don’t know exactly where this road will lead, but I know I’m no longer standing still.

I’m sharing this because conversations like these helped me prepare mentally. If you still have a job, stay sharp and keep growing. If you feel like something isn’t right at work, don’t ignore it prepare yourself. Build skills, save money, create options.

Don’t wait until you’re forced to move -move before that.

Sometimes you don’t realize your strength until you’re pushed into the unknown.

Good luck to everyone on their journey.

Hope for 10 more years

Fcat Team is leveling up! Time for Fcat folks to snag some sweet gigs, internal or external. Get ready to shine!

No opportunity for progression and no pay raises. Thats the whole point of working right?

The job is mind numbingly boring, it drains the life out of you and opportunities are limited to a select few.

The people are great but that’s the only benefit, it’s good to gain experience but don’t stay here for the long term, the only positive on the overall situation is that everyone is in the same boat.

Been at WF for almost 1.5 years and want to switch groups. Problem is, my first year end PR was an IM. Although if any hiring manager read it, they would see the review commentary doesn’t match the rating.

Anyways, how does this affect internal transfers? Do I need to have a “meets” on my most recent review to be considered?

For those of us impacted by the greatest economy of all time and it’s not even close, here’s a LinkedIn template for your layoff with gratitude, grace and a pivot for what’s next!

Thrilled to share a growth opportunity I didn’t see coming.

I’ve been impacted by a recent layoff, and while this wasn’t the outcome I originally envisioned, I’m choosing to see it as a powerful reset and realignment moment.

Endless gratitude to Verizon for the journey, the incredible people, and the experiences that shaped me into the thought leader I am today. Nothing but appreciation as I close this chapter.

Now it’s time to lean into what’s next. The market is…dynamic, and this transition may come with trade-offs—whether that’s compensation, benefits, PTO, or starting fresh without tenure. But growth doesn’t happen in comfort zones.

I’m energized by the chance to rebuild, reimagine, and reinvent.

Because sometimes you don’t get what you wanted—you get what you need.

Open to opportunities. Ready to add value. Let’s connect!

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

I finally started a new role last month. It took me six months of applying and interviewing to get here. The market is brutal right now. Just wanted to say not to give up if you're looking to leave, as tempting and as discouraging as it may seem at times.