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[entremet]

I love the new Lifehacker. They've moved from showing us how to use binder clips as phone cable charging holders to more macro issues like career, cooking, organization, and so on.

I learned a lot of these the hard way lol.

One thing becomes apparent after the honeymoon of a newly-launched career is over: Your employer—whether it's a scrappy startup or a massive multi-million dollar company—is not your friend. You are a resource. That means the only one you can trust, really, is you. Here's how to keep a cool head and stay in control of your career.

Sure, there are great jobs and companies out there that truly care about their employees. Those companies are rare, though, and you'll be lucky if you land a job with one of them. It's more likely you'll find a team or a boss that cares about you enough to keep every day from becoming soul-crushing drudgery.

For many of us though, we quickly learn—either through layoffs, bad bosses, or how they handle disputes—that the companies we work for aren't looking out for us. We learn the double standard of giving two weeks notice when we quit, even though the company can lay us off any time they choose with no warning. It sucks, but it's a reminder that you are your best ally.

Details here:

http://lifehacker.com/the-company-you-work-for-is-not-your-friend-1692113529

TLDR:

• Human Resources Is Not There to Protect You, They're There to Protect the Company
  
• Always Keep a Job Offer In Your Back Pocket
  
• Never Stop Looking for Work, Especially After You Land a New Job
  
• Your Professional Network Is More Valuable than You Know
  
• Know When to Fold 'Em

 

[Admiral Woofington]

As a recent grad early 2016 I went into my company job with high hopes. Then the oil prices started Going down and lay offs started happening.

The boss I started with didn't want to kick me out during the first round of lay offs so he organized a deal to give me a job at another sector with his boss.

I'm working in this sector and I'm still doing jobs when the next round starts and even though so much of the company isn't doing work I get the boot because even though I'm cheaper labor and still doing work, last in first out policy. The company decided that because I hadn't been there long enough I would get kicked out. Listen I understand this isn't some loyalty thing, they were getting rid of personel without much experience but thats when I learned it isn't the company who cares about you, it's your bosses and coworkers if you're a friendly enough person.

I'm now in a new company in a different industry and love my new boss and coworkers just as much. Our first project is ending and soon enough we'll have to start thinking of which city with a new project to move to next.

My boss has already warned me that regardless of my experience or how much I've done the company isn't going to throw me more money for no reason, they're going to try and get me as cheap as possible, regardless if the city has a huge increase in cost of living. That it'll be a fight to get me to go anywhere on the cheap.

The company doesn't care about you. Even if you're working in an area with safety concerns and they stress safety, they don't care about you. Even the safety department doesn't care about you. They care about what looks good and what looks bad. If somebody dies it'll look bad on them.

 

[Makai]

I worked at a company where the CEO got laid off. The lack of loyalty goes all the way up.

 

[entremet]

I worked at a company where the CEO got laid off. The lack of loyalty goes all the way up.

Well, if you don't produce the board will replace your ass lol.

 

[Grizzlyjin]

I've tried to explain this to so many of my friends before. They graduate and get really excited about a new job and let themselves get taken advantage of. If things start going sideways, keep detailed records and leave a paper trail. And always be on the look out for something better. Nobody is going to take care of you better than yourself.

 

[SuperBanana]

That's why unions matter.

 

[goodcow]

That's why unions matter.

Yeah, as a unionized government employee, I'm glad I don't have to deal with most of the article's nonsense. Although we have a different set of issues.

 

[ClosingADoor]

Don't know why people expect the company to be their friend. People are there to make money. If they stop paying you, you stop working. If you don't earn your money back, you get dropped. Companies should provide a good working environment for their employees, but they aren't there to take care of your life. That's on you.

 

[entremet]

Yeah, as a unionized government employee, I'm glad I don't have to deal with most of the article's nonsense. Although we have a different set of issues.

I've only been in the private sector. Compared to my friends and family in the public sector, I feel like I've always been at war lol.

 

[LegoDad]

I've only been in the private sector. Compared to my friends and family in the public sector, I feel like I've always been at war lol.

It's a two edged sword.. public sector people are too comfortable in their jobs and slow. Private everyone is faced paced and dont care about each other. Really need to find that equal medium. Which is super rare.

 

[CanUKlehead]

l learned when I was made redundant that this was true, no matter how much you think they appreciate you. It's business.

In my last company, they say whatever you want to keep you, but all they care about is the hours you're willing to put in for overtime, and the fact that one person did three people's jobs. Even you really appreciate me, pay me what I'm worth. That's a start.

As Mr. McMahon might say, the bosses always do 'what's best for business'

 

[Dr. Benton Quest]

I've only been in the private sector. Compared to my friends and family in the public sector, I feel like I've always been at war lol.

Just landed a homeland security job that I start next week.

I've been gunning for a government job since I graduated. Where else are you going to get retirement, good benefits, and job security in the tech sector?

 

[Face it Tiger..]

I worked at a company where the CEO got laid off. The lack of loyalty goes all the way up.

CEO's get sacked all the time if they aren't producing a favorable outlook for their executive boards.

 

[CreepingFear]

I'm at a great place right now, but even I realize that in a few years I'm going to have to give notice to the company if I want to get a decent pay raise. I really do have a cool supervisor and co-workers for the first time in my life, so it will be hard. I just need to find the right job for the right price while I'm still working for my current employer.
Edit: I should add that it helped seeing my mom lose her job and pension after working for a company for over 30 years.

 

[Bluecondor]

This is an interesting take on things.

Interestingly though, I have worked at the same place since 1992. Also - when a co-worked of mine had a heart attack recently, our boss immediately called 5 of us individually and personally asked each of us to step up for our co-worker in different ways until she was healthy enough to return to her job.

I do agree that my situation is definitely not the norm, and, we did just have an instance in another department in which someone was fired suddenly.

 

[Megalosaro]

What if I hate my career and industry, haye netwirling and hate myself

 

[Lights and Waves]

I disagree with the advice to never stop looking for work. I can't imagine how much constant anxiety and stress I'd have if I was constantly looking for a new job every time I already secured a job.

 

[entremet]

I disagree with the advice to never stop looking for work. I can't imagine how much constant anxiety and stress I'd have if I was constantly looking for a new job every time I already secured a job.

Huh?

Try looking for a job when out of a job. That's even more anxiety and stress. 100x.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

Just went through this with my current employer. Love the environment, and my supervisor is great, but I told them they just weren't paying enough. They couldn't do anything, so I accepted an offer paying much more for similar work.

 

[Lights and Waves]

Huh?

Try looking for a job when out of a job. That's even more anxiety and stress. 100x.

If there are no signs that I'm going to lose my jobs, I'm not going to add to my daily workload by constantly looking for something else and interviewing at other places when I have no intention of actually leaving.

 

[tanooki27]

What if I hate my career and industry, haye netwirling and hate myself

entremet believes in you

 

[CreepingFear]

I disagree with the advice to never stop looking for work. I can't imagine how much constant anxiety and stress I'd have if I was constantly looking for a new job every time I already secured a job.

It's the opposite. If you already have a job, you can give no fucks during interviews and show a lot of confidence because at the end of the day, you have a job. Many companies view people more highly if they are currently working than if they are out of a job and looking for one.

If there are no signs that I'm going to lose my jobs, I'm not going to add to my daily workload by constantly looking for something else and interviewing at other places when I have no intention of actually leaving.

It's really not that hard. You set aside like 30 minutes a day or so. Maybe, do it on your lunch break. Make a generic resume that you can make some changes to tailor to the job duties of the job you are applying for. Send out like 2-3 resumes a day. Sites like indeed.com can make shit fairly easy.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

If there are no signs that I'm going to lose my jobs, I'm not going to add to my daily workload by constantly looking for something else and interviewing at other places when I have no intention of actually leaving.

Given most people are at-will, there generally are no signs. If they're nice, I guess, they'll start taking away projects or giving bad reviews, though.

 

[Aurongel]

I disagree with the advice to never stop looking for work. I can't imagine how much constant anxiety and stress I'd have if I was constantly looking for a new job every time I already secured a job.

It is indeed stressful but it's far easier to find a job when you have a job. When you're out of a job and looking, you'll have a myriad of other stressful considerations to deal with that will just make the search more difficult. Also, the people who change jobs more frequently tend to make more money and are more competitive in the long run.

It's not fun, but it's better than the alternative.

 

[entremet]

If there are no signs that I'm going to lose my jobs, I'm not going to add to my daily workload by constantly looking for something else and interviewing at other places when I have no intention of actually leaving.

With online tools it's rather easy. And many interviews are conducted via Skype.

You can also be choosy about opportunities.

 

[Flux]

If there are no signs that I'm going to lose my jobs, I'm not going to add to my daily workload by constantly looking for something else and interviewing at other places when I have no intention of actually leaving.

Basically this. It's a very stressful process to put yourself through constantly. If you begin to doubt your job security, or do want to move on, definitely do it before quitting or losing the current job.

 

[Slayven]

What gets me is when folks are scared to take sick or vacation time

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

This seems completely obvious to 38 year old me, but I think 25 year old me would scoff and ignore. I have by all measures a great job as an attorney, but I would be nuts if I didn't keep my resume refreshed and review the beyond/indeed/glassdoor mailings daily and flirt occasionally with another employer. My problem now is that I make too much money to be very moveable unless I want to just strike it out on my own, which seems to be inevitable.

 

[entremet]

What gets me is when folks are scared to take sick or vacation time

I know a few ppl at my current gig like that. It's not cultural thing, others in the company take vacations easily, they're just boring people lol.

 

[Megalosaro]

entremet believes in you

I wouldnt. I just want to lay down and die

 

[Slayven]

I know a few ppl at my current gig like that. It's not cultural thing, others in the company take vacations easily, they're just boring people lol.

Nothing wrong with taking a "Mental Health" day every once in a while

 

[CreepingFear]

What gets me is when folks are scared to take sick or vacation time

Same fuckers get the rest of the office sick. My IT department is constantly sick. I've been fairly lucky.

 

[nicoga3000]

I'm very fortunate in that my job is nothing like this shit. I'm a Structural Engineer at a small company. I can't imagine working for a big corporation that acts the way the article describes.

 

[Sanjuro]

That's why unions matter.

They can be just as sketchy.

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

If there are no signs that I'm going to lose my jobs, I'm not going to add to my daily workload by constantly looking for something else and interviewing at other places when I have no intention of actually leaving.

Basically this. It's a very stressful process to put yourself through constantly. If you begin to doubt your job security, or do want to move on, definitely do it before quitting or losing the current job.

If you sign up to glassdoor/indeed/beyond/linkedin and others, you spend 5 minutes a day looking at postings and see if there's anything interesting. Your resume is current and that and your cover letter need minor tweaks for a position and you fire it off with little effort. You don't do that for everything that comes around. And of course, if you're specialized it is easier than if you are entry level with a BA to pick and choose. You have a job, you can be choosy. You know you can't burn vacation days interviewing every week, so keep it reasonable.

 

[gdt]

If there are no signs that I'm going to lose my jobs, I'm not going to add to my daily workload by constantly looking for something else and interviewing at other places when I have no intention of actually leaving.

Looking for a job while you have a job is amazing. You can choose to be very selective and have higher standards than if you were desperate.

 

[GoldenEye 007]

It's the opposite. If you already have a job, you can give no fucks during interviews and show a lot of confidence because at the end of the day, you have a job. Many companies view people more highly if they are currently working than if they are out of a job and looking for one.

Yup. Barely gave a fuck in my latest interview. Got hired!

 

[Nivash]

I know a few ppl at my current gig like that. It's not cultural thing, others in the company take vacations easily, they're just boring people lol.

I've worked with some true workaholics that just keep racking up thousands and thousands over hours in overtime but are completely uninterested in taking them out either in time or money. I guess normal incentives and rewards go out the window for people who've made their jobs their entire lives.

 

[Glass Shark]

Depends on the company. In my experience it's very rare, but it does happen. I was fortunate enough to work for a company for 8 years where I felt like they showed as much loyalty to me as I showed to them. Literally every other job I've had, though, it's definitely been something where I felt like I was just a pawn.

 

[The Lone Courier]

I disagree with the advice to never stop looking for work. I can't imagine how much constant anxiety and stress I'd have if I was constantly looking for a new job every time I already secured a job.

It also would possibly burn some bridges with the company wanting to hire you and then telling them no I already have a job.

 

[Slo]

It's the opposite. If you already have a job, you can give no fucks during interviews and show a lot of confidence because at the end of the day, you have a job. Many companies view people more highly if they are currently working than if they are out of a job and looking for one.


It's really not that hard. You set aside like 30 minutes a day or so. Maybe, do it on your lunch break. Make a generic resume that you can make some changes to tailor to the job duties of the job you are applying for. Send out like 2-3 resumes a day. Sites like indeed.com can make shit fairly easy.

1000x this. I'm not saying you need to actively be applying for jobs every day, but you should be following the job market, monitoring what skills new jobs are looking for, and planning your career and your self-education based on the next job that you want.

Always.

 

[CreepingFear]

I'm very fortunate in that my job is nothing like this shit. I'm a Structural Engineer at a small company. I can't imagine working for a big corporation that acts the way the article describes.

I've found that too. I currently work for a small non-profit company. But, if I want to have a 35% raise, which I plan for in 2018, I'm going to have to leave.

 

[entremet]

I'm very fortunate in that my job is nothing like this shit. I'm a Structural Engineer at a small company. I can't imagine working for a big corporation that acts the way the article describes.

Companies of all sizes can be heartless. Don't be fooled. Think of the advice as an insurance policy.

Most people need to work for a living, so the stakes are higher on the employee to look out for number one.

 

[Slo]

Great OP.

I learned this the hard way as well when I was aqui-hired/fired at a giant company that used to be known for being a place that you were there for life. Engineers that were there for 25-30-35+ years were getting the ax and found themselves under trained to compete in the modern job market because they'd let their skillset become stale in the comfortable, cushy gigs.

They were dinosaurs with high salary expectations.

Keep yourself relevant, and keep your options open. Employment is a two way street.

 

[CreepingFear]

Companies of all sizes can be heartless. Don't be fooled. Think of the advice as an insurance policy.

Most people need to work for a living, so the stakes are higher on the employee to look out for number one.

True. I forgot about the small company that I worked for before I got into IT. Boss ran things like a dictatorship. It was his company, but small companies can be shit too.

 

[Makai]

https://bothsidesofthetable.com/nev...ke-terrible-employees-e30cd5ff7322#.2ttskorvf

this is what employerologists actually believe

 

[Slo]

True. I forgot about the small company that I worked for before I got into IT. Boss ran things like a dictatorship. It was his company, but small companies can be shit too.

First company I worked for was about 50 employees. Sales were good. One day out of nowhere it became 30 employees and nobody could understand why.

Two months later we were acquired by a much larger company. Everybody got cut because we knew roughly how much money the company was going to make in the next year, and the current company wanted parole to appear smaller than it had been to the prospective buyer. Future payroll is seen as a liability in mergers and acquisitions.

I survived that time. Then the same thing happened 5 years later when the buying company sold itself to a mega corporation. Cut payrole, make sales look better. Sell out.

I was at the mega corporation for 3 years before they let me go.

 

[Random Painted HIghway]

https://bothsidesofthetable.com/nev...ke-terrible-employees-e30cd5ff7322#.2ttskorvf

this is what employerologists actually believe

Well this is definitely true, I review resumes occasionally and multiple jobs under a year are a huge red flag that would likely cause me to trash the resume.

 

[ryutaro's mama]

Looking for a job while you have a job is amazing. You can choose to be very selective and have higher standards than if you were desperate.

Interestingly enough, there is a similar mindset for people who start "testing the market" while still in a committed relationship.

It's crazy how much overlap there is with those two dynamics.

 

[CreepingFear]

https://bothsidesofthetable.com/nev...ke-terrible-employees-e30cd5ff7322#.2ttskorvf

this is what employerologists actually believe

It depends what industry you are in. The person in the article states that you should stay 3-5 years. That's bullshit if there is no room for growth. As an IT person, you need to be careful that you aren't on the help desk too long or you may become a lifer. Also, many IT jobs are short term contracts. Sometimes, you have no choice but to stay at a place short term. At the end of the day, if people are hiring you, I don't give a fuck what the guy in the article thinks about job hoppers. I think the poster of that article is just salty. It can be hard for a company to bring on new employees and train them. Guess what? Keep them fucking happy and give them good raises if you want to keep them.