Posted on 04/23/2006 7:49:45 AM PDT by SmithL
And your point is?
That's just my point. If you were a computer programmer in the early 1990s, you are most likely out of a job. But if you became a manager of computer programmers, you would be much more likely to bounce into another industry. You are not limited to be a "manager of computer programmers."
It's worse than that, most never have to take a basic logic course as a prereq to any other courses. I'm a military retiree who met the challenge of "you're military, you don't know anything", took a $28,000 income cut when I retired and took my first job. I proved to them that I was proficient in the latest technology and after a little over nine years they decided that the H1Bs and young guys were better suited than me and my recent masters in computer information systems. They laid off a large contingent of people in all of the business units and all were older employees, a lot of whom who had been there 20+ years and were the backbone of their areas. I beat them to the door and took a job with another $20,000 pay cut to administer an online program for a local university. I moved from that job to full time faculty teaching C++, web programming, database and other courses. The student's I have now, even in the graduate courses are woefully lacking in logic and hard tech skills because everyone is going to become a project manager. If I had to hit the job market again today at 55 it would be a crapshoot. I know what is out there and the idiots who do the hiring don't have it in their tiny little brains that an older employee might have a large variety of skills and that they might be up to date on the latest technology. They also don't have the concept that an older employee is usually very willing to take a pay cut to remain employed. It doesn't matter if you made financial arrangements 25 or 30 years ago, those were made using 30 year old figures and with the cost of everything including the basics like fuel food and heating going way up the amount you figured on 10 years ago won't take you much past 70 years of age. Most of my smarter friends who started saving and investing a lot earlier than I and thought they would retire at 55 now find that they will be lucky if they can retire at 65 without selling their home and possessions and retiring to a shack on the beach and that little plot on the beach will cost them more than their former house sold for. For those who are laid off in their 40s and 50s who have updated and have maintained multiprofessional skill sets finding a job anywhere int eh U.S. other than slinging hash (which I have done) is almost an impossibility. If they try to retire today on their retirement plans they will find that after 10 to 15 years they are out of funds and candidates for the democrat party concept of "just die and get out of the way".
You sound like my husband:') Too late though. The check and the application is in the mail. Oh, well, at least I'll be a happily delusional. If I never try then I will never know. If I don't even try then it's for sure I'm not going to succeed , huh? I'm a very hard worker. I don't mind that. I want to be in charge of my life and to give back to my communicty by helping some very special people. I'm not worried. Thanks for the encouragement though. (chuckling)
Exactly. Thank you.
I have the same problem. I went into firefighting. It's one of the few professions where that's considered an asset.
Then me and my purple TV have a few more years to go together :-)
Not surprising; in today's world, knowing when to keep your mouth shut is a survival tactic...
Perhaps, but very pertinent to the topic at hand. Many people choose to have a boatload of kids when even a fool can see that it is a highly questionable move financially -- my parents being examples of such fools, as it happens. If you cannot afford the lifestyle, having kids because you want them is no different than buying a plasma TV because you want one. Except in the case of having kids, the parents' financial foolishness may be visited on them in various ways.
I have no problem with people having huge families, but it is a selfish financial choice based on personal desire just like every other such decision. We make our choices, and live with the consequences, and having children is unambiguously a voluntary personal choice. If one chooses to have children, one should not complain to anyone else that they are expensive to maintain -- anyone should have known that going in.
If your parents had been "wiser" which one of your brothers or sisters would you have prefered they passed on? What if it was you?
You are correct, you do not need to tell your boss everything. I plan on giving my company just a few months noticed as to my retirement date (which I already know).
It will be long enough to replace me, and short enough it would not be a major bother if they told me to hit the road now.
Getting laid off at 59 is better than I did. I got laid of at 58. I could see the handwriting on the wall when I was 48. My managers reviews were setting me up for the layoff. No raises for 10 years. They just advised me I could look anytime I wanted. Try finding a job when you making more than the market will bear.
I have been laid off 15 years and I don't mind that so much as the way I was treated the 10 years before I was laid off. My wife says I have an attitude.
I'm not convinced that unnecessary consumerism is really good for the economy.
If an economy's success is judged purely on output (GDP), Keynesian theory predicts that maximum consumption will maximize output. But the alternative to spending is investment, and in the long run higher levels of investment should allow for even more production.
None of this was directed at you. Life is full of fortunate and unfortunate events. They affect us all. Some events we have some cause and effect in; some we don't. But that has nothing to do with accepting things the way they are, especially when we have no control over them. Again, not being prepared for a "lay off" at age 59 is something this gentleman had not prepared for. And my point is that he should have, prepared for that possibility and if one keeps abreast of the business climate, more a probability. You miss my whole point in your self-centered pity.
There are things we can change and prepare for and there are things we can not.
Not planning for a lay off, especially late in life, is not something a reasonable person couldn't see coming, especially in this business climate for the last 30 years. And that is nothing to do with unexpected medical problems, explicitly.
I really feel bad for you, but there isn't a darned thing I can do. You lost the whole point of the thread.
You attack me because I have accepted responsibility for "ourselves" (wife of 38 years) and worked towards being as financial sufficient as we could and then you claim to know that we have never been through a "major tragedy". You don't have a clue mam or sir, what ever the case may be. And no I am not going to share the challenges my wife and I have faced on a public board with you.
I don't have the credentials to help you in your grief, and far be it for me to suggest that you need some help, however ...
God Bless and yes you may have the last word.
"In fact, most of my friends of the same age have been laid off. One was fired after telling.... "
You can thank Government and Greedy companies for refusing to hire people past 50 years of age, lower births, Mexican hordes, outsourcing full time to avoid benefits politicans like Cheny earns $9,000,000 (gives $7 million to medical charity), Clinton 10's of million dollars at Yucaipa, Pres. of Mexico sending his charity cases and smugglers to US for our economic inequality. Companies not paying their fair share medical ins. retirement, cheating on income tax, Fraud DeLay and Abramohof (illegal pay offs for favors). Cheaters proof show up economically.
Completely agree. And not just in IT.
"Job Security" is a myth...and always has been.
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