Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Nano degrees

How many were let go after completing nano degrees preparing to pivot?

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| 2834 views | | 25 replies (last January 31, 2019) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+XnxRgpM

25 replies (most recent on top)

I earned 2 nanodegrees from Udacity in 2018, including one in AI programming. I’m in ATO, management, “Principal” title, 22 years in IT, 16 with AT&T. I was never given the chance to apply the new skills. I was suplussed in Jan 2019 and will never find another job internally because I’m not in a collaboration zone. Developed in conjunction with companies like Google, Udacity Nanodegrees ARE recognized across the IT industry. Since I flipped my “looking for work” indicator to YES in LinkedIn, I’ve been contacted daily by recruiters with software development positions to fill. Use the next 60 days on the payroll to update your skills so you can find a job with a company that values its employees.

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Post ID: @1gir+XnxRgpM

I already had an IT job when i got my Nano Degree, didn't use it to get into a new field. I only got it as a defensive mechanism against the layoff robot algorithm. It has worked... for now.

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Post ID: @hiq+XnxRgpM

Maybe some creative person can come up with some new dance moves and call it the PIVOT.

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Post ID: @shp+XnxRgpM

I agree with the prior comment. I see people constantly posting on the opportunity marketplace (TOM)

for job shadowing etc after finishing a nano degree.

They trot out examples of a few people who pivoted for the exec presentations but I would bet less than 5% of Nano holders find an internal job in that area

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Post ID: @ian+XnxRgpM

It seems to me that the more important question is does anyone know anyone who has completed a nano degree and actually been able to pivot?

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Post ID: @tzr+XnxRgpM

"I don't believe the Nano Degree really holds much value; but it is curious that we are 18 posts into this thread with no one possessing a Nano Degree reporting being cut."

Our team lost a person last year who was within weeks of completing a nanodegree - he didn't volunteer

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Post ID: @qxy+XnxRgpM

I have both a CCNA and a Nano Degree and the Nano Degree was by far much more difficult to obtain. The aren't the glorified slide decks the other PLE training is.

CCNA is a multi-choice quiz, you only have a memorize a few basics. Nano Degree you have to actually do projects without hand holding and turn in your projects showing all your work.

Nano Degrees can actually count for college credit even.

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Post ID: @hrc+XnxRgpM

It seems as if a lot of people are conflating Nano Degrees with those worthless PLE courses. The NanoDegrees are more akin to a college course. They can take months to complete. It isn't watching a video on PLE and taking a ten question test.

I've got one of the Nano Degrees. I'm a full time teleworker outside of a collaboration zone and did not get cut (yet).

I don't believe the Nano Degree really holds much value; but it is curious that we are 18 posts into this thread with no one possessing a Nano Degree reporting being cut.

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Post ID: @qoa+XnxRgpM

To me there seems to be a big gap between the knowledge you get from a nano degree and the knowledge you need to pivot.

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Post ID: @uci+XnxRgpM

Verizon spent tons of money and pushed AWS certifications. And it didn't save anyone. The good news is that those certifications are good outside the company.

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Post ID: @tfx+XnxRgpM

Nano degree farce keeps you distracted why they lay you off next!!

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Post ID: @bqv+XnxRgpM

Nano degree farce keeps you distracted why they let you off next!!

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Post ID: @udj+XnxRgpM

"Pivot". Makes me chuckle. Pivot your way right out the door is more like it.

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Post ID: @kcg+XnxRgpM

People would have been much better off going to a junior college to get the CCNA certificate or something similar. At least companies will accept them and take them as real learning. I did the PLE video's before I was laid off in Sept and found them totally useless. I bet if someone who gets laid off goes to another company 'bragging' that they watched video's that they would be kicked out the back door. They wouldn't even let them go out the front door.

When I hear some people on this site saying that those video's for PLE are great, I think that they should be laid off just for being stupid. If anyone learned anything from those video's it means they were very low knowledge and low tech from the get go. I would suggest if people under 50 get laid off that you go get some 'relevant' skill that the market actually wants. just my opinion

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Post ID: @ahs+XnxRgpM

When people pivoted there was nothing there...LOL.......Every employee in the company should have an exit strategy.

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Post ID: @msm+XnxRgpM

I agree with the previous post if you are not working on 5G, AI or Time Warner, you will be history. I would bet pieces of the company will start to be sold to reduce headcount and expense. Ma Bell will now be known as Ma Bot.

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Post ID: @upa+XnxRgpM

Cuts under Jon Summers were based on geography. If you live outside a collaboration city, you are history. Nano degrees, age, experience etc. meant nothing.

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Post ID: @xam+XnxRgpM

Nano degrees were just the latest backscratching, good ol boys deal made on a golf course between Ivy Leaguers to give the company a PR boost when all of these layoffs started.

Pure corporate propaganda.

I’d be very interested to see how many of the people who completed these “degrees” are actually still on board after this bloodbath is over.

Something tells me they’ll all be overseas.

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Post ID: @psk+XnxRgpM

Nano= hope of fools.

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Post ID: @gfc+XnxRgpM

And Nano degrees don't mean squat outside of AT&T. Good luck to those who were surplussed and will be looking for another job with another company. All that PLE training is irrelevant in the real world.

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Post ID: @jaw+XnxRgpM

This is not corroborated but, from a reliable source, I'm hearing that they want to be below 100,000 employees by the time the new year bell rings for 2020. As was said above, between 5G, AI, and streaming entertainment, like DirecTV NOW, very few trucks will need to roll. The last satellite was launched in 2018 for the soon to be defunct DirecTV satellite service.

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Post ID: @mcv+XnxRgpM

Nanos Certs all mean nothing. What they can’t automate they send to Bangalore.

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Post ID: @wki+XnxRgpM

news flash: retraining... skills "pivot"... ple and all that are placebos meant to keep you busy until they cut you. they are AUTOMATING. where exactly did you think your "2020" job would be in a network specifically designed to require a fraction of the hands? they are building a no-touch network. WAKE UP.

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Post ID: @asi+XnxRgpM

No body gives a c-ap about NanoDegree's. Probably about the equivalent to a Certificate from a community college.

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Post ID: @itq+XnxRgpM

I'm FTW and completed a nanodegree last year and was not cut.... yet

However our entire team is geo-dispersed and nobody in our group was impacted this time. We lost about a half dozen last year though.

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Post ID: @xny+XnxRgpM

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