Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

At 24, I knew more than everyone else too. Nevertheless, This person is doing what I'd do in the same circumstance without reservation, Godspeed! Just be careful to avoid having to get ganked and have to pay back on that master's. Lastly, FAANG companies are hiring (!) but the work/life balance expected can run brutal; don't expect miracles to happen for you but do expect cutthroat office politics to ensnare you.

To @129I8pCP-4pmn...….I was using an analogy that unfortunately you could not understand.....to contradict your bizarre thought process and cynical ran about employees becoming lazy and entitled? You may want to read up on psychology of a workforce.....when treated fairly and with respect they are less likely to take advantage or feel entitled. Also the comment about being overpaid; Overpaid compared to what? There are employees in any company with 20, 25, 30 yrs of service and I assume due to salary increases based on their productivity that they do make higher salaries but isn't this based on their knowledge, experience and of course yrs of service? Isn't this the same basis for the over inflated salaries paid to execs for their knowledge/experience? Also, unless you have actual day to day experience on the ground floor in working with outsourced contractors you are making a lot of assumptions. I on the other hand had 15 years of experience working with every major consulting company working for T on the ground level as partners. I know from first hand experience how these employees think and operate and there is no loyalty to T, trust me. Productivity is 50-50 from what I had seen not to mention inflated cost and budget overspending for every delivery. Your suggestion that contracted workforce is just as productive or loyal is presumptuous.... Furthermore, the analogy of leasing a car was in respect to treating a resource/workforce as if they are owed nothing but a paycheck and are indispensable and your thought process is unconscionable at best....Not everyone shares your same mentality or thought process and I find it very sad...I also feel sorry for the 24 year old who started the blog...My experience when I started at T was the polar opposite. I paid for my under grad and grad school before I joined T. I loved working there and had great mentors, managers and made wonderful life long friends. I would not have traded my time working there or experiences for any other company. I several options to choose from and T was by far not my highest salary offer...Not every decision is purely based on the almighty dollar....

@ 5ank well said and great advise

My advice to you is to leave now. I left after 5 years. I make over 40K more at another company then I did at AT&T. Half the time I was training myself to work for other companies. Heck, my job is training me now and I am already planning on leveling up despite a six figure salary. The goal is always to get the next job. A lot of these things hurt your retirement.

I spent five years at AT&T.

"Take on this work so I can show upper management you deserve a promotion" :-)
"We are working on it " :-)
"Just give us sometime" :-)

It never came, meanwhile your peers at other companies are learning technical skills and building solid careers. There are lots of people that left the company and are now struggling to find a job because they worked on old garbage. People with Engineering degrees. A lot of companies are throwing six figures for the right technical knowledge. If you are young and your job can't get you there! LEAVE.

"You sound like the type of person who leases a car, abuses it and runs it into the ground, buys regular gas when the car requires premium as you know you will be unloading it in 3 years...you get the picture?"

What does this even mean? How do you get that out of anything that was said. Not sure when abuse was recommended, or where a car was being unloaded. WTF? This kind of bad logic is exactly why jobs are outsourced. Who wants to employ overpaid people who's thought process goes like this. It's not worth dealing with.

“Search the webs for pro's and cons about, let's say Google. You'll find cons like:”

Lol more arrogant fantasy land thinking att is any where in the same neighborhood as google.

Att is no google and never will be no matter how many vps get on a stage and tell you to go beat google.

Nice try though

To the person who wrote the below....You sound very cynical...There are many people who do not think as you suggest. There are moral and hard working people who believe in the reward system in the workplace. One that encourages employee engagement and productivity by offering benefits and yes even security for a job well done. You sound like the type of person who leases a car, abuses it and runs it into the ground, buys regular gas when the car requires premium as you know you will be unloading it in 3 years...you get the picture? Not everybody thinks or operates as you suggest as some have a moral compass and expects their employer to also.....Cheap contracted and or outsourced labor is not premium support for many reason....and the workforce has no ties or allegiance to the company they are supporting. This is pretty evident to most who have worked with any of the outsourced labor force in any capacity.....
YOU SAID : "The whole point was the loyal hard work is the reason they'd want to keep you, cause you provide value for dollars. But when the workforce gradually becomes more lazy and entitled, why should they stay loyal to you, cause they can get just as productive people for 20% the cost elsewhere. In other words, you think you are smarter and more valuable than you really are. You don't even realize you have the same cynical mindset as the people getting rid of you (look in the mirror) "

“First, correction to OP - It's not "FAANG; " it's FANG - Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google“

Yes it is FAANG
Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google

First, correction to OP - It's not "FAANG; " it's FANG - Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google

Search the webs for pro's and cons about, let's say Google. You'll find cons like:

• Learning focus on very complex Google-specific technology that can't be applied elsewhere
• Long hours
• Too many smart people that may make you feel dumber than you are
• Junior employees are not helped by senior ones.
• Many workers are introverted and don't talk much which may make you feel isolated
• Employees rank each other but only higher-level employees ranking counts.
• Base salary is low

Be aware many companies have growth at one point or another but as they get larger and other companies mimic what they do, that growth can slow down. T brought all the wonderful telecommunications products you use and had very good growth. From 1983 to 1999 the stock grew 1,000% averaging 62% a year.

Has anyone else heard that if you are in the tuition reimbursement program you are generally safe from surplus?

“ @1gdp - nice comment - this is example number the problem with att. I hope att rots in their own filth because it deserves it. Att should just keep doing what you are doing because I want to see that happen.”.

Yep I have seen so called leaders do nothing but manage their managers while the people who are technically knowledgeable do all the work clean up the leaders mess then leave. T doesn’t reward technical knowledge but knowledge on how to mane your manager.

"obviously the union guy isn't educated" an electrical contractor or professional plumber is worth ten times as much as the la-di-da OP and @129I8pCP-1gqo. Learn a trade and be one useful.

"Younger folks get that , older employees see hang onto illusion of hard work=means loyalty and company appreciates your efforts, it doesn't stop dreaming."

Is this in English? It's a sad state if you think an old person is stupid cause they believe it's right to work hard if you are getting paid, and believe your work ethic reflects on you. Now-a-days people think you are smart if you get paid and can get away with doing nothing for it. Maybe some day you'll realize the reason your job is disappearing is because companies don't see the value proposition in American workers anymore. To summarize for you, it was never about loyalty as in each side blindly agreeing you have a job for life. The whole point was the loyal hard work is the reason they'd want to keep you, cause you provide value for dollars. But when the workforce gradually becomes more lazy and entitled, why should they stay loyal to you, cause they can get just as productive people for 20% the cost elsewhere. In other words, you think you are smarter and more valuable than you really are. You don't even realize you have the same cynical mindset as the people getting rid of you (look in the mirror)

For the record,

A couple = 2
A few = 3 to 9 depending on whom you ask
Several = 6 or 7+

@1gdp - nice comment - this is example number the problem with att. I hope att rots in their own filth because it deserves it. Att should just keep doing what you are doing because I want to see that happen.

"Unless you plan on paying back the tuition for your masters degree you will be sticking around for a couple years after you finish."

Unless they lay him off. And the way things are going, he's got a good shot at it. Wouldn't that be in character for AT&T though? Would not be the first time they paid for something and then lost interest. Look at DTV. Randall the Vandal thought that was great until the next shiny thing came along and drew the attention of his boundless intellect. LOL!

Unless you plan on paying back the tuition for your masters degree you will be sticking around for a couple years after you finish.

Comparisons based on age or generation fall short of the current economics. Technology changes rapidly, employment will follow. Wireless finally overtook wireline, but still coexist creating a longer reach. Capital investments used to be depreciated over 10 years, and regulatory constraints prohibited higher returns. Think about it, do you want a 10 year old cell phone at today’s price plans?

I question the premise. Our future is bleak because young people with new degrees prefer to go get an immediate promotion by going to another company rather than hoping the company eventually pays them what they're worth? its pretty standard to need to leave any company when you've increased your value.

the mandatory period where you either stay here, or pay us back will slow your exit also.

obviously, the union guy replying to getting your masters on the company dime isnt educated. any tech company will pay AND have opportunities

Over 30 years here. Sounds like a good plan to me. I would never recommend this company to a relative for long term employment. It has gone to hell the last 5 years.

You have worked here approximately 2 years and had 5 to 10 SVPs???? LOL

if your 24, i'd leave RIGHT NOW.

You $uck at personal finance. OP is smart to get his/her Masters on the company dime.

"This makes sense to me as a GenX , I millennials and GenZ are smarter than Boomer and GenX because they're realizing the future of work has nothing to do with company loyalty. "

I have no idea why you think boomers still believe in corporate loyalty. We're just riding it down to milk as much as we can. Take it from this boomer, don't let anyone tell you that you owe the company anything for educational expenses they may have incurred. They didn't do it for you. It's all about image. Finish as fast as you can and find out what strings they have and only do what you have to do to avoid paying anything back. Take whatever you can from them and leave. Follow Randall's example. That's the only leadership you can believe in. :-)

if your 24, i'd leave RIGHT NOW. everyday here is a wasted day for you and your falling further behind the real technology company employees. it might seem like your doing the right thing and taking advantage of the company for education, but your just falling further behind the rest of your generation.

also, there will be a recession soon and cuts will occur everywhere. the fed is propping the market, everything with buybacks has topped out, credit card and car payments are avg 70 days late per data, this bubble is going to pop. get in a real growth company before its too late

Smart thinking. Randy's idea of growth is to make at&T a behemoth so we can control the world and therefore survive, even if it makes everyone miserable.

If AT&T wasn't in the wireless business, they would have bankrupted decades ago. If there were real competition for wireless, they wouldn't last 5 years. Same goes for Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint.

This makes sense to me as a GenX , I millennials and GenZ are smarter than Boomer and GenX because they're realizing the future of work has nothing to do with company loyalty. The old notions of working hard for company x so you can be dumped at the first chance , because some vendor sales guy promised upper management a better rate , is how American capitalism works in 2020+. No big corporation is going to be loyal to you until your in some position of real authority , until then your just an HR cost. Younger folks get that , older employees see hang onto illusion of hard work=means loyalty and company appreciates your efforts, it doesn't stop dreaming.

You’re smart. Ignore the mouth breathing troll. Be aware you may have to stay on longer than a year else risk paying back part of the tuition.

So the company is paying for your masters and other than getting your little feelings hurt by politics and upstairs doesn't respect the vast business knowledge you possess that somehow they fail inspection. Good riddance.