That is just mean! Sending good thoughts to you for a better job--or at least a better boss!

I am so sorry to hear this. Sadly, I think this will be happening to a lot of people once Obamacare is fully enacted. I definitely would look for a full-time job...and I would start looking right now, before the kids start graduating. Good luck, and email me anytime you want to talk. Hugs!

Ditto Wanda.
Less time wasted the better. Good luck!

Multi thoughts for you!

sequester cuts more likely, if you're at a state funded college...sure hope you can find something you enjoy...what i don't understand is why they can't split you between the 2 depts with benefits, and salery esp if you know both? a case of ppplanning on their part..

I absolutely would not wait to look for work, jobs are very hard to come by. A friend of mine who has a wonderful resume and great references started looking as soon as her position was eliminated. It was easily two years with zero work, she had to get into her retirement fund and depleted her savings, she was getting close to being homeless when a job opportunity came along, nothing in the category of work she had been doing but it was money. I have seen well established people lose everything, so very sad.
Get another job and take care of yourself! It's easier to find a job while you still have one.

Samkaren - No pearls of wisdom here, but that sucks......I concur with Susanjf's suggestion of combining the two. Could you suggest that to the powers that be? Squeaky wheel and all that.....

Samkaren - No pearls of wisdom here, but that sucks......I concur with Susanjf's suggestion of combining the two. Could you suggest that to the powers that be? Squeaky wheel and all that.....

That really stinks but these things happen and you go on, that's the great thing about life. A year from now you may look on it as the best thing that happened this year. Stay happy, don't let it get you down.

Ditto ravencajun....you deal from more strength if you look for a job while you still have one. Start looking ASAP. Sure hope you come up with something not only better but that you like even more.

absolutely DO NOT wait...average job hunt is 6-9 months. took my DH who grad last May w a 4.95GPA in a nationally ranked MS Mechanical Engr degree, w years experience w his BS Mech Egr (4.98gpa) degree, Harvard U even paid him for projects he did & now display in their own department, 9 months to find the perfect job, many others came along over that time but the top of the line job, top pay & benefits took that long. don't wait atleast start looking. The job applying process is VERY VERY different these days, each job application process usually runs 2-3 months long. also get into contact w your universities own career center, often they are clueless in the ways of todays job process, mostly because they are older & unfamiliar w all the media outlets now but they can give you a good start and have inside connections.

The days of sending out mass resumes are LONG gone, these days NO company worth working for pay/benefits wise accepts mass resumes they only accept for open positions and ALL resumes are scanned thru filters where they look for specific words & phrases. Once DH added in his Harvard work TONS of emails poured in LOL ;-)) ~ liz

Well, that just bites! I am so sorry this has happened to you.
As others have said, don't wait until July to job-hunt.
Hoping good things happen for you.

((((SamKaren))))

I have no advise to offer, but I do care and I'm wishing you a string of good luck. You are due.

I agree with the "start looking now" for another or second job.

Agree - do NOT wait to look for a job. Start NOW.

You are young and healthy and the best time to look for work is when you are employed...Make finding a new job your highest priority....I know that you feel that you just got hit below the belt but I promise you, you will survive this and there are lots of people out there with problems much worse than yours. Get up tomorrow with a new outlook on life and a real FU attitude toward the people who just demoted you...an "I'll show you" attitude will take you a long way...

Sorry to hear that. I agree to start looking right away especially since kids are graduating from college right now and looking for work as well. You may be a seasoned worker, but many employers like to "mold" the non-experienced ones to their ways in the workplace, and with a lot less pay.

Good luck.

I agree with everything Ruthie said. And everyone else. My son couldn't find a job with benefits until he was hired on as a personal trainer at a gym and worked there for not quite a year, and finally got an interview with the state and was offered a permanent position. Took him 2 years!

It IS easier to be hired when you are working. I've heard it over and over and it does prove to be true. You can do it! I don't know how big your area is, but maybe you would even be willing to move? Fresh new start?

My dilemma is that I don't know if i want to stay in the area or move to another location. I don't have any real reason to stay here.....but the thought of moving again to an unknown area scares me. Of course I am not sure if I could get out of my lease either.

SamKaren
your resident DJ

I'm so sorry to hear this Karen, and unfortunately it's happenning to way too many in an effort not to have to pay those medical benefits. "Obamacare" has nothing to do with it, but rather the large reduction of federal money insisted upon by Congress. Anyway, go online and read up on how to write your resume, (yes, it has changed a ton!) and apply for jobs. It's very helpful to know someone in the organization to which you apply, but still possible of course, if you don't. I believe there are some on this board who really know their stuff when it comes to job hunting and have in the past been generous with their knowledge. Good luck!

Sorry this is happening now. It stinks. As the saying goes, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I know from experience that is true.

I was very sorry that I did not immediately start looking for work when my job was eliminated. I also recommend that you start looking right away.

You might give us an abbreviated resume here, and we'll see if we can come up with ideas.

Sorry this is happening to you Karen... but I think it'll be a good opportunity since you haven't seemed very happy with the job you have now. I agree with the others... start looking for something new right away!

whatever you do don't think of this as a bad thing, this very well could be a HUGE turning point for you! approach this w an open positive mind and a determination to turn things around to go your way... I don't have much time to come by the KT but I have been here since the start and I remember your postings in the past about your job and the issues you have had. I would take this as an opportunity to move on to something better and at the very least something in a better environment. Don't take it personally, the school made a business/financial decision and that is all it is. Budgets in education are being slashed drastically these days despite tuition rising fast, they are having their state $$ taken away forcing the cuts. If people saw things from a different perspective, like why the real reason job was cut/changed & not think "why did they do this to me" (cuz if not you then it's ok for someone else??) it could make it easier to move on.

don't be afraid to move for a better opportunity! I moved from the Chicago area 15+ yrs ago, only knew my DH here in Orlando, we met on the Gardenweb's Garden Party forum too LOL. I secured a corp job w Lowe's down here & picked up & moved, DH hated the crowds in Chicago in the summer (THE best time of yr LOL). the job he took in Dec is in Tampa and he rents a temp place there, is on the road some days & working from home 1 day a week but we will be moving this year that way. Luckily my jobs' main farm is out that way, so for now I will go there BUT i will be looking for better opportunities!

I would not say there are no jobs. there are plenty avail BUT employers are being EXCEPTIONALLY picky, there are LOTS of people to chose from and as mentioned the whole process has changed. DH applied to atleast 10 open jobs a day 5 days a week for 9+ months, he is still getting emails/calls on stuff and it has been 4 months since he sent any resumes out. the jobs are out there, you just need to figure out what you want to do, where to do it, and what kind of company do you want to work for.... Keep us posted! ~ liz

I agree, start looking now.. and do you use LinkIN? If you're on Facebook, depending on how you are set up, let people know you're looking and what are your interests. I'm not familiar enough with what you do at the university... but while you're still there..if there are 'free' classes..upgrade your skills!

Ditto,with what everyone had to say. I wish you the best!!! Stay strong!!!

May I also post on here about things going wrong in my life?
Admittedly, (other than my parents joint dementia) some is of my own making. Stress makes small tasks seem so daunting at times.
Today at work I became upset over some work my boss wanted me to do. I vented to a co-worker, who in turn went to my boss and repeated what I had said.
First of all, I never should have said what I did (which was nothing terrible) but I was hurt that my co-worker repeated it. After my boss asked if I were really that upset, I offered a sincere apology (and meant it) but never further explained that I felt that too much was asked of me while my co-worker did not pull her weight, in my opinion.
So today I quit my job. It was only a part time job, only giving me extra spending money, but I had worked there for many years and loved the job up until this year when my new co-worker was hired. While I did like my co-worker okay, despite feeling like she didn't pull her weight, I thought that now I would have to watch my back.
I'm a venter. I like to vent. Just let me do it and then get on with work. Sometimes you should just keep your mouth shut, though.

I am sorry Sam. Meant to say that I hope things go better for you very soon and you can make some peacefully decisions for yourself.

SamKaren, methinks your boss has a budget shortfall and he is dealing with it in a way that is easiest for him. If he really cared for his employees, he would give them a letter of recommendation to pass to their next employer.

I recall what I saw early in my career. I started my employment with an electrical controls maker. The manager had built up an oversized crew to plow through the development of the company's next line of controls. After 2 years, this product line was headed to manufacturing and the manager needed to reduce costs. The country had entered a mini resession. He let young engineers go. During the first week in January he called my friend into his office to break the dreaded news. My friend emerged with the strangest story I have ever heard. The boss gave him a 10% raise and a pink slip at the same time. What an odd combination.

And then, it was explained to me. The manager was sending a message to the next employer that he valued this employee and that the only reason he let him go was to fix the budget. This odd mauver did a couple of other things. It boosted the pay level of this employere (never mind that he never got a paycheck at that level) and boosted his unemployemnt pay. It gave this employee a better chance of getting another job.

This happened around 1963, a very different time and conditions in the corporate world.

Jemdandy, yes, that was a time when corporations actually cared about their employees. For the most part, that is gone. The dollar is the bottom line now, period.

I can't tell you the real reason why this happened but it had nothing to do with downsizing. I am trying to stay strong and positive right now. I know I have options and i am going to look at everything before I make a rash decision. There is a job fair I am going to today. I gave my resume to a student who gave it to a friend of his who is hiring. I also have the option of getting out of this area and moving back to the city. Since DH and I have seperated there is really nothing keeping me here.....except guilt (which I am trying to get over)

Thank you everyone for the kind thoughts and encouraging words.
SamKaren
your resident DJ

SK, I'm so sorry. In 2001 I had a stroke, was hospitalized five months but returned to my job. I worked for the federal government for 31 years. Never in management (my choice) but a highly-skilled well-paid technical position. In 2005 I was told to train a certain person, which I did, and in June 2005 I was told quit or be fired. The woman I trained got my job. I decided not to fight it, I had multiple health problems, at least I had a pension coming, but it's half what I made when I was working. Good luck, SamKaren.

SamKaren:

Do you perchance work for a school? We have a rotten procedure in the grade and high schools around here. Its the treatment of new hires and new teachers with less than 2 yr service at a particular school.

When exiting the school year for the summer, the principle may not know with certainty how much staff he should have at the beginning of the next term in September. School boards mess with the budget over summer and its August before they have a good head count on the number of students to expect. So what does he do: He fires a bunch of teachers. Who gets fired? Its the ones who do not have tenure and an occassional tenured teacher he wants to move out of his school. He fires too many keeping his favored core, and then in August, he hires back many that were let go.

This is what the rascal has done. He has kept many new teachers from gaining tenure and made it easy on himself to adjust the personnel list. The re-hired teachers are classed as new hires and any tenure they had is wiped out. This is one reason we have a teacher's union in this state.

I hope that you are not caught in this this sort of grinder.

Yes I work for a school. My situation is that my boss wanted to make one of the advisers who is part time...full time. So he took 15 of my 40 hours a week and gave them to the adviser.

Thats a big cut in hours and it would have made you the part-timer - not good. It is too bad he could not have found those hours somewhere else.

Man that's tough to deal with. It has been happening here for years, cut back to part time and save on benefits. As a former manager I can tell you as soon as we heard budget cut the easiest and most cowardly way for a manager to deal with it is simply cut back manhours. It's much less work than coming up with methods to increase profit while maintaining the workforce. It never works because we weren't resourceful enough or had a mindset to change paradigms and only resulted in an overworked workforce that no longer felt they had a vested interest in the business. Only successful operations are able to think outside the box and maintain the bottom line without reducing manhours.

However remember the Chinese symbol for disaster is the exact symbol as opportunity.

samkaren & jannie - I work at a school (University) also. I share your pain. I won't go into my story because this thread is about you. I just wanted you to know I send you my support and good wishes.

Wow, sorry to hear that. Hope things get better & good luck in your job search.