tightasadrum
Full time employment: Posting here.
In 1981 I had to lay off about 25 people from my department. Worst experience of my life, hands down. Then years later my company was purchased by a competitor who then closed our plant that had been their worst competitor. I was paid a very healthy sum to help coordinate the closing. Then I took a two-week vacation to Hawaii.
Upon return I had a voice message from a sister plant that they wanted to hire me. I took it because it continued my longevity for pension. It was a terrible job that I wasn't interested in really doing. I suppose there are worse things than unemployment. After one year another plant in the company wanted to hire me for a position I really enjoyed doing. I took it, with a pay raise, and a one-hour commute.
Two years later, remember the dot com crash(?), they closed the plant and paid me again to help close it. This was beginning to be a habit. After I closed that one, I had the years I needed, I took the package and left for good. Don't know if I could have picked up another job with the company or not, but I decide I didn't want to move since DD was in high school and doing well.
I never was able to find another equivalent position in the area, so I worked as an independent consultant for a year or two and then a minor management position until I FIRE'd in April 08. I think my age had a lot to do about not finding something else in the area. If just finding a job were the only goal, that's not too tough. Or finding a job in your field and professional level of experience is also possible if you're willing to pack up the family and move somewhere else. But if you're not willing to move, it can be very difficult. Luckily I was in a position to avoid moving and stop w*rking when I had originally planned it.
Upon return I had a voice message from a sister plant that they wanted to hire me. I took it because it continued my longevity for pension. It was a terrible job that I wasn't interested in really doing. I suppose there are worse things than unemployment. After one year another plant in the company wanted to hire me for a position I really enjoyed doing. I took it, with a pay raise, and a one-hour commute.
Two years later, remember the dot com crash(?), they closed the plant and paid me again to help close it. This was beginning to be a habit. After I closed that one, I had the years I needed, I took the package and left for good. Don't know if I could have picked up another job with the company or not, but I decide I didn't want to move since DD was in high school and doing well.
I never was able to find another equivalent position in the area, so I worked as an independent consultant for a year or two and then a minor management position until I FIRE'd in April 08. I think my age had a lot to do about not finding something else in the area. If just finding a job were the only goal, that's not too tough. Or finding a job in your field and professional level of experience is also possible if you're willing to pack up the family and move somewhere else. But if you're not willing to move, it can be very difficult. Luckily I was in a position to avoid moving and stop w*rking when I had originally planned it.
