Posted on 03/02/2009 9:28:20 AM PST by Red in Blue PA
TEMPE, Ariz. — Mark Cooper started his work day on a recent morning cleaning the door handles of an office building with a rag, vigorously shaking out a rug at a back entrance and pushing a dust mop down a long hallway. iStockphoto --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nine months ago he lost his job as the security manager for the western United States for a Fortune 500 company, overseeing a budget of $1.2 million and earning about $70,000 a year. Now he is grateful for the $12 an hour he makes in what is known in unemployment circles as a “survival job” at a friend’s janitorial services company. But that does not make the work any easier.
“You’re fighting despair, discouragement, depression every day,” Mr. Cooper said.
Working five days a week, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mr. Cooper is not counted by traditional measures as among the recession’s casualties at this point. But his tumble down the economic ladder is among the more disquieting and often hidden aspects of the downturn.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
This guy doesn’t sound like an exec to me... There’s been plenty of downsizing at my employer, but so far no execs have been let go.
Not to say that I would want to be in this man’s position and I’m glad that he willing to take a job that pays much less than he is used to in order to make ends meat... but wasn’t there a time when it was the norm to be grateful for any job you could get when you were down on your luck?
Well, this is me.
This whole article doesn’t quite ring true with me. However, if it is, then I admire the guy for taking whatever job he could find until he can do better.
Sniff, sniff. Nope. Doesn't pass the smell test. This one is made up.
The term "executive" just doesn't mean what it used to anymore.
Hmmm... meat!
Agreed. I know people in the company I work for making more to handle less, and they’re earning every penny.
exactly - this guy was a manager - just as his title reflected.
A mans gotta do what a mans gotta do!! I’ve done a lot worse for a lot less.
True. . .it is the exec’s that will be the last to go.
this is not an “exec”....this is a regular person with a pretty good job NOW GONE.
No, but I know people in this boat who aren't making things up and I've been there myself. Did a year selling appliances at a furniture store a couple of years ago because I got laid off in a tight job market. I didn't think I was any sort of hero, just did what needed to be done to pay the bills.
These so called exexcs now working at janitorial services sounds pretty much like media invented nonsense. Really? An exec who was highly prized is now cleaning doorways for a living? Sounds hokey. Either he was monstrously overpaid as an exec or the story is false. Execs are snatched up by other companies long before they are fired. And even if fired, they usually find good work pretty easily.
“An exec who was highly prized is now cleaning doorways for a living?”
Honestly, that sounds like something the Wall Street execs would be incapable of.
I read the whole article, and these people are not complaining, but dealing with life.
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