Husband laid off after 8 years. What now?
October 17, 2014 7:43 AM
My husband was just laid off. He'll have about six months of severance ahead of him. He's 32 years old and has been in the same job for 8 years. Given his qualifications, what do you recommend we look for in terms of new jobs? Kansas City area but interested in moving, if that helps.
The job he was in was essentially Tier 2 Helpdesk for a large S&P 500 company, though he did have "Engineer" in his title if that will make a difference for future employers. His certs are A+ (from... 2005 or 2006? I think) and ITIL Foundation (from I think 2013).
He HAD enjoyed the job and coworkers for a long time, which is why he stayed in that position so long, but had become burned out and unhappy over the last year or two. Part of this was likely due to them cutting the offshore "Tier 1" group about a year ago and having his much smaller Tier 2 group take all the calls (with heavy emphasis on having users just submit tickets, to reduce the call load).
Emotionally, we're ok (this was roughly the 7th set of layoffs we'd been through so we were practically out of fucks to give), though it's a little surreal.
We know he doesn't have much in the way of certs - his employer didn't pay for certs unless they were having the entire group get them (which is how he got the ITIL cert), and we were too broke to do much else. I also work for this same company but have managed to stay in less-cuttable-or-outsourceable, non-IT positions so I am not overly worried about getting laid off myself at this time.
He's not going to start applying for jobs right away, both to help cut back on the "burned out" feeling and also just for taking a break's sake. But we're a little worried he might not be able to find anything other than Tier 1 Helpdesk kinds of things, probably paying less than what he was making now.
He'd prefer to be off the phone, and he has enjoyed the process-improvement kinds of tasks that he's had. I suspect he'd also be ok with hands-on computer repair kind of things. Little-to-no Linux or SQL experience. Dislikes programming/coding. Knows his way around Windows and Android quite well. Other general interests include photography, planes, video games, astronomy and biology. What sorts of job titles or keywords should we be looking for? We currently live in the KC metro area but don't really want to stay here for culture/weather reasons so if there is any advice related to finding a job in at least another part of the US (ideally west of here) that'd be helpful as well. Thanks!
The job he was in was essentially Tier 2 Helpdesk for a large S&P 500 company, though he did have "Engineer" in his title if that will make a difference for future employers. His certs are A+ (from... 2005 or 2006? I think) and ITIL Foundation (from I think 2013).
He HAD enjoyed the job and coworkers for a long time, which is why he stayed in that position so long, but had become burned out and unhappy over the last year or two. Part of this was likely due to them cutting the offshore "Tier 1" group about a year ago and having his much smaller Tier 2 group take all the calls (with heavy emphasis on having users just submit tickets, to reduce the call load).
Emotionally, we're ok (this was roughly the 7th set of layoffs we'd been through so we were practically out of fucks to give), though it's a little surreal.
We know he doesn't have much in the way of certs - his employer didn't pay for certs unless they were having the entire group get them (which is how he got the ITIL cert), and we were too broke to do much else. I also work for this same company but have managed to stay in less-cuttable-or-outsourceable, non-IT positions so I am not overly worried about getting laid off myself at this time.
He's not going to start applying for jobs right away, both to help cut back on the "burned out" feeling and also just for taking a break's sake. But we're a little worried he might not be able to find anything other than Tier 1 Helpdesk kinds of things, probably paying less than what he was making now.
He'd prefer to be off the phone, and he has enjoyed the process-improvement kinds of tasks that he's had. I suspect he'd also be ok with hands-on computer repair kind of things. Little-to-no Linux or SQL experience. Dislikes programming/coding. Knows his way around Windows and Android quite well. Other general interests include photography, planes, video games, astronomy and biology. What sorts of job titles or keywords should we be looking for? We currently live in the KC metro area but don't really want to stay here for culture/weather reasons so if there is any advice related to finding a job in at least another part of the US (ideally west of here) that'd be helpful as well. Thanks!
first off: getting laid off happens. it's a fact of life. he is not a bad employee or a failure because of this, he is no less. these may be a few exasperating days ahead, filled with anxiety and confusion but I swear to you things will be alright. consider that he has a six months package, which is double of what many other people get. he's in a good place.
I would strongly the following: first, get yourself on a cheap flight to somewhere sunny. doesn't matter where, just pick any cheap ticket. stay somewhere for a week. breathe. get away from it all. it does make a difference. stress almost magically falls off your shoulders when you step out of a nice swimming pool under blue sky. you could do other things to relax, this is just something that works for me and one week is not a lot but at least something. it also shouldn't break the bank.
only after that should you sit down and deal with the things that have to be dealt with now. health insurance. rainy day funds. cut back, try to halve your monthly expenses. the idea is to have these paychecks last a bit longer than they usually would. while you are at it also let friends and industry colleagues know what happened. make it clear you're interested in hearing should anyone know of openings but don't pressure them to make things happen when they don't come forward on their own. this is especially true for friends. you don't want them to feel used, you just want them to know in case they get asked or hear about anything.
now we get to point three and it's another really important one: sit down and think about what would make you both happy. what really is his ideal job? his dream position? where is it? is it in kansas or somewhere else? you have the amazing opportunity to take a few months for the certs or whatever else you think you should be doing to get in the best possible place when applying for that dream job. and then do it. don't procrastinate. learn, progress, build the one-two-punch of the amazing application that you always wished you'd get when interviewing job applicants.
see this as a chance to breathe and grow into something wonderful. it's the paper that gets you through the door but it's his attitude that convinces the hiring person to bring him on board.
posted by krautland at 8:08 AM on October 17, 2014
I would strongly the following: first, get yourself on a cheap flight to somewhere sunny. doesn't matter where, just pick any cheap ticket. stay somewhere for a week. breathe. get away from it all. it does make a difference. stress almost magically falls off your shoulders when you step out of a nice swimming pool under blue sky. you could do other things to relax, this is just something that works for me and one week is not a lot but at least something. it also shouldn't break the bank.
only after that should you sit down and deal with the things that have to be dealt with now. health insurance. rainy day funds. cut back, try to halve your monthly expenses. the idea is to have these paychecks last a bit longer than they usually would. while you are at it also let friends and industry colleagues know what happened. make it clear you're interested in hearing should anyone know of openings but don't pressure them to make things happen when they don't come forward on their own. this is especially true for friends. you don't want them to feel used, you just want them to know in case they get asked or hear about anything.
now we get to point three and it's another really important one: sit down and think about what would make you both happy. what really is his ideal job? his dream position? where is it? is it in kansas or somewhere else? you have the amazing opportunity to take a few months for the certs or whatever else you think you should be doing to get in the best possible place when applying for that dream job. and then do it. don't procrastinate. learn, progress, build the one-two-punch of the amazing application that you always wished you'd get when interviewing job applicants.
see this as a chance to breathe and grow into something wonderful. it's the paper that gets you through the door but it's his attitude that convinces the hiring person to bring him on board.
posted by krautland at 8:08 AM on October 17, 2014
He should aim on his first round of applications to reposition himself as something he can sell with a really good, finely worked CV he builds, perhaps as a Support Systems Engineer. On this CV he should sell his qualifications, process-improvement task leadership, and years of experience.
Despite the burnout he should not "take a break" because the longer he is unemployed the less desirable he is. He can take it easy while working with a CV specialist and building his LinkedIn profile though; that's sort a soft-entry approach to job hunting I think.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:09 AM on October 17, 2014
Despite the burnout he should not "take a break" because the longer he is unemployed the less desirable he is. He can take it easy while working with a CV specialist and building his LinkedIn profile though; that's sort a soft-entry approach to job hunting I think.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:09 AM on October 17, 2014
Seconding the LinkedIn profile.
Good idea that he's taking a little breather during his severance period, but perhaps use bits of that free time to pile EVERYTHING he has done and experienced into his profile.
Recruiters are combing LinkedIn like crazy these days and if you maintain your profile as superset of what's on your resume, you're bound to get a lot more cold contacts from companies than if you just listed the bare minimum.
Get some recommendations, put on a nice headshot, load up the "Skills" section with as many buzzwords as you can muster (people 1-click endorse these which helps). Skip the social media stuff, skip the groups, don't comment on other people's stuff. And don't pay for the Premium subscription. It's not worth it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:11 AM on October 17, 2014
Good idea that he's taking a little breather during his severance period, but perhaps use bits of that free time to pile EVERYTHING he has done and experienced into his profile.
Recruiters are combing LinkedIn like crazy these days and if you maintain your profile as superset of what's on your resume, you're bound to get a lot more cold contacts from companies than if you just listed the bare minimum.
Get some recommendations, put on a nice headshot, load up the "Skills" section with as many buzzwords as you can muster (people 1-click endorse these which helps). Skip the social media stuff, skip the groups, don't comment on other people's stuff. And don't pay for the Premium subscription. It's not worth it.
posted by JoeZydeco at 8:11 AM on October 17, 2014
He should do a first-pass update of his resume if he hasn't lately, mostly just to get re-familiar with it, and then he should spend a week kind of play-searching for jobs.
The whole point of that search process should be to discover what words are being used in listings these days, what certifications are being asked for, and in general how he needs to re-word his resume to match the way the industry is speaking right now.
What he can do now kind of depends on exactly what kind of support he was doing before, but he may be at the point where he can leave end-user support for systems or server support and implementation, which is a lot less frustrating.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:13 AM on October 17, 2014
The whole point of that search process should be to discover what words are being used in listings these days, what certifications are being asked for, and in general how he needs to re-word his resume to match the way the industry is speaking right now.
What he can do now kind of depends on exactly what kind of support he was doing before, but he may be at the point where he can leave end-user support for systems or server support and implementation, which is a lot less frustrating.
posted by Lyn Never at 8:13 AM on October 17, 2014
When I was looking to move slightly out of where I was and into "something else, something new" I found the book Strengths Finder to be really useful. I used the results to start looking in jobs related to, but not in, my current industry, and it helped me really focus on what I liked and wanted to do. Don't buy a used version, because you need the code in the back of the book to take the test, and if the version is used, the code has already been used. (It's a one time use code).
Business Analysts do a lot of process simplification work in some companies, and are a soft IT skills group in general. You get to do IT type stuff without a lot of coding needed.
Good luck and best wishes!
posted by RogueTech at 8:18 AM on October 17, 2014
Business Analysts do a lot of process simplification work in some companies, and are a soft IT skills group in general. You get to do IT type stuff without a lot of coding needed.
Good luck and best wishes!
posted by RogueTech at 8:18 AM on October 17, 2014
I'm a Business Analyst and it's AWESOME! Love it! Another option is to do Project Management Professional certification. I work with other BAs and PMs and the job marries the techie side of things to the social side of things.
Another option is QA Tester. Not so much stress on the desk, but great for the detail oriented person.
So put the skills into LinkedIn, because that's how my current job found me!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:27 AM on October 17, 2014
Another option is QA Tester. Not so much stress on the desk, but great for the detail oriented person.
So put the skills into LinkedIn, because that's how my current job found me!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:27 AM on October 17, 2014
Layoffs tend to happen at this time of year, which sucks because by mid-November everything shuts down (in terms of hiring new employees) until after New Year's.
My advice would be to use this time to decompress for a couple of weeks, and then spend November doing research and arranging a few informational/personal networking interviews. It would all be part of the groundwork of laying a plan for January 1st, when looking for a job becomes your husband's job.
Hustling for a job right now will be tough and demoralizing, but January marks a fresh start in all things, which gives one a boost.
You can also use November to research some "survival jobs" to pay the bills as well.
My last bit of advice is to avoid tailoring oneself to fit into the little checkboxes of corporate HR. The HR people who write these things are not the hiring managers. The hiring managers may give HR a laundry list of certs, but typically these are unrealistic.
It's far better to try to find a job where you are a good fit, rather than a cog in a machine.
posted by Nevin at 11:20 AM on October 17, 2014
My advice would be to use this time to decompress for a couple of weeks, and then spend November doing research and arranging a few informational/personal networking interviews. It would all be part of the groundwork of laying a plan for January 1st, when looking for a job becomes your husband's job.
Hustling for a job right now will be tough and demoralizing, but January marks a fresh start in all things, which gives one a boost.
You can also use November to research some "survival jobs" to pay the bills as well.
My last bit of advice is to avoid tailoring oneself to fit into the little checkboxes of corporate HR. The HR people who write these things are not the hiring managers. The hiring managers may give HR a laundry list of certs, but typically these are unrealistic.
It's far better to try to find a job where you are a good fit, rather than a cog in a machine.
posted by Nevin at 11:20 AM on October 17, 2014
I would suggest temping or short term contract work (<=6 months) to tide you over. I own a company and my company takes contracts. Therefore I am the president, owner, and operator of FOO, Inc. and I am a consultant. This really spiffies up some helpdesk work and will help you get some income while you find a Real Job.
posted by crazycanuck at 12:18 PM on October 17, 2014
posted by crazycanuck at 12:18 PM on October 17, 2014
I do contract work, so I get laid off a lot.
If your phone company will let you, pay your cell phone bill a few months in advance. This will keep the phone/mobile Internet on during the job search, and you won't have to worry about it for a little while.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:26 PM on October 17, 2014
If your phone company will let you, pay your cell phone bill a few months in advance. This will keep the phone/mobile Internet on during the job search, and you won't have to worry about it for a little while.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:26 PM on October 17, 2014
Some KC-specific thoughts in your memail.
posted by slenderloris at 7:16 AM on October 18, 2014
posted by slenderloris at 7:16 AM on October 18, 2014
I would suggest temping or short term contract work (<>
I do contract work, so I get laid off a lot.
Be careful here. A lot of managers won't hire "contractors" full time. There is a certain stigma attached to being a contractor that a FTE will never know. Once you become a contractor you become the property of the Agency. There is a price on your head that limits your ability to be converted to full time at any company you may be placed. If you do go that route I would only go with Agencies that will tell you the company name up front so you can check their HR site to see if there is a "real job" that the Agency is trying to put you up for. Believe it or not with the relatively low unemployment rate agencies are scraping to fill anything...even positions already listed on company web sites.
posted by Gungho at 11:23 AM on October 20, 2014
Be careful here. A lot of managers won't hire "contractors" full time. There is a certain stigma attached to being a contractor that a FTE will never know. Once you become a contractor you become the property of the Agency. There is a price on your head that limits your ability to be converted to full time at any company you may be placed. If you do go that route I would only go with Agencies that will tell you the company name up front so you can check their HR site to see if there is a "real job" that the Agency is trying to put you up for. Believe it or not with the relatively low unemployment rate agencies are scraping to fill anything...even positions already listed on company web sites.
posted by Gungho at 11:23 AM on October 20, 2014
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posted by Gungho at 7:51 AM on October 17, 2014