Mentor has been fired (loan, house, unemployment)

[marsilni]

My mentor, a guy who gave me my first break while I was still in college, taught me a lot about our industry, and spent over 19 years with our company, has been fired. This is a man who I have really come to admire over the past year, professionally and personally. I figured when I graduated in May, I might even join the company full-time under his watch. His boss and mentor has over 30 years in and will be retiring in the next 2 years or so. Everyone figured my mentor would assume his role. Now everything has changed. And, of course, my boss was the kind of guy with a peerless work ethic and great integrity...just the kind of person that seems to get fired these days.

I'm really busted up about this and find it hard to go back to work. Anyone have any advice or want to share a similar story?

[Design7]

Welcome to the new corporate culture where there is no stability nor permanence. A big secret of this economic downturn is that the fastest growing group of unemployed are 40-59 year old males who would normally be in the prime earning years of life. Pension plans are shrinking or being eliminated. Loyalty is rarely rewarded. This is the brave new world.

[clevedark]

This has been happening to women forever in this age group.

[RobRiguez]

The more someone makes the closer they are to being on the chopping block unless what they are doing is a critical function. My wife is a perfect example. In the last 2 years at this new company she has been showered with bonuses, given a promotion and a raise and had received nothing but praises from her collegues and the managing partners of the company. Now that the busy season is over and they have had their worst year ever, she was the first to go. Sucks, but thats the way it goes.

[Alex07860]

After more than 14 years of loyalty I lost my job today. Unfortunately in down economic turns, the bottom line becomes more important than loyalty and long term service. My case is a case of nepotism and altough they will never admit to it, I know it is.

[RobRiguez]

Originally Posted by Alex07860

After more than 14 years of loyalty I lost my job today. Unfortunately in down economic turns, the bottom line becomes more important than loyalty and long term service. My case is a case of nepotism and altough they will never admit to it, I know it is.

After hearing the bad news about my wife this past Friday, I learn today I may be in the same boat as you Alex. I have 15 years here.

[stevemorse]

Originally Posted by Alex07860

After more than 14 years of loyalty I lost my job today. Unfortunately in down economic turns, the bottom line becomes more important than loyalty and long term service. My case is a case of nepotism and altough they will never admit to it, I know it is.

Im so sorry! This was a shock right? This has been a crappy year!!! Ohh Alex, please chat with me on the PM if you need support, now there is a limit to my support !!! Im so sorry. However you do have a rich friend who lives not too far , keep that in mind if you ever need a loan, you can clean my house naked.

[BergenCountyJohnny]

Our nation has shifted so far to the right that what was considered humane and good for people decades ago is now considered "marxist" and "socialist" when it goes against any business' bottom line. Money first, companies second, people last is the new order of things. Don't even think that workers should have rights to have any input as to their working situation other than "yes I'll work" or "no, I quit"; anything more is "communist" because it hinders businesses from dumping highly paid guys like your mentor.

Oh, and just be aware that whenever you are going to be laid off, there is a strong chance they will try to fire you, instead. When my time was almost up at a major corporation, they tried to fire me. At our meeting with the HR rep, the reasons they were giving for firing me were found to be inaccurate because I aptly defended myself. A couple weeks later, I was laid off, which I was expecting because they were laying my department off one person at a time. I didn't realize they'd try to fire me. Later, when I talked to one of the girls who got laid off before me, I found out they had trumped up "charges" againstt her, also, to get her fired. We believe that they figured if they could fire someone who wouldn't fight it, they would have done so in order to not subsidize that person's unemployment.

Real scummy world of business these days. It's not about hard work and honesty so much as clever work, gambling, and whatever works (including or especially treachery and backstabbing and lying) to gain financial advantages over individuals and groups that are financially weaker. Money is the god of the USA.

My advice is to learn how to live your life with a focus on things other than money, and learn how to enjoy life without a lot of money. If you end up making a lot of money, no problem, but if you don't (or you do but lose it quickly later) then you won't be or feel so "lost" without it.

[luckyshoes]

Good post BCJ.

I'm looking forward to Michael Moore's new movie myself.

[VeradoDan]

Originally Posted by luckyshoes

Good post BCJ.

I'm looking forward to Michael Moore's new movie myself.

As amazing as this may sound, I'm looking forward to it as well. Though I almost never agree with anything Moore has to say, his movies do make me think a bit about the other side of things. I just hope everyone who sees his movies does their own research, since he does tend to bend the truth a bit for entertainment's sake.