Laid Off - Need Hugs

[sheilafri]

Consider yourself hugged!

 

[ronandannette]

No outsourcing is usually people from India or the Phillipines they did not specify all that was said is their vendor partners will be handling everything.

One big concern is I did not record start and end dates for the few jobs I had prior to this one and they will see a huge gap from when I graduated college to this so am worried employers will be concerned and not want to hire me.

You are in your 50’s and have been with the same employer for 17 years. No one is going to care about specific dates preceding that, much less ever try to track down those references. If the jobs were relevant experience to what you’re looking for, just put in the years you were with those companies. Trust me on this.

 

[tony67]

You are in your 50’s and have been with the same employer for 17 years. No one is going to care about specific dates preceding that, much less ever try to track down those references. If the jobs were relevant experience to what you’re looking for, just put in the years you were with those companies. Trust me on this.

Honestly - I've hired many people and I have never called a reference even for recent jobs.
For the most part a reference is going to spin it positive as they are usually expecting the call. Also they usually no longer work at the company - and if they do they will probably send you to HR as there are legal reasons they wont give a reference. The most Ill say as a reference if I am still employed at the company and like the person is that I'd hire them again.

Also for seventeen years at the same job - Id probably not even mention previous jobs unless there is a good reason too.
Not sure your job 17 years ago is going to be all that relevant today. If they are worth listing maybe just bullet point them without the dates.

Also look into how resumes are written today - may be very different than you think. I read one article where the hiring manager was complaining because there were two spaces after the period in a sentence. I thought it was ridiculous, but I then discussed it with someone and they said yeah it tells them someone is gen-x, older millennial - maybe even a boomer lol.

You may not even want to list the year you graduated college - just list the college and degree or whatever.
The only reason I list the year is I was actually well into my career when I graduated so that date takes 10 years off my age - at least on paper to get me in the door.

Yeah its illegal to discriminate on age - but don't let them use that to calculate your age and make a decision before they even talk to you.

I am in tech so that may be very different than medical billing - although I did write medical billing software for many years and was in an office where 95% of the staff was doing medical billing.

 

[tvguy]

No outsourcing is usually people from India or the Phillipines they did not specify all that was said is their vendor partners will be handling everything.

One big concern is I did not record start and end dates for the few jobs I had prior to this one and they will see a huge gap from when I graduated college to this so am worried employers will be concerned and not want to hire me.

Well, outsourcing can also be a company looking to get away from having to hassle with hiring/firing/HR/Benefits and everything related to being the employer, to just paying an outside company a flat rate every year to provide the staff. Often in that case, laid off employees are hired by the outside contractor since they already know the job.
Applying for jobs now can be a huge hassle. My wife hired back on for a temporary project with her old employer after retiring over 2 years ago. The company uses INDEED for the applications and it wanted information that was impossible to provide. She worked over 40 years for this employer, and all her previous employers were out of business, and any supervisors she had not seen in 45 years, or were deceased. But corporate required applicants to go through this process, however she did notice that her job offer letter was dated BEFORE she had submitted her INDEED application or did an interview!

 

[sam_gordon]

I'm sorry this happened to you OP. I just went through similar a year ago, after nearly 32 years at the same company. It wasn't outsourcing, but they cut the department I was managing in 1/2 (thank you automation), then decided the remaining half could be absorbed in another department. I had 30 days notice.

After a couple of days of being angry and feeling sorry for myself, I picked myself up and started looking at job openings on indeed. I kept a spreadsheet of each job I applied to and whether I heard back from any of them. I customized a cover letter for each job. I found out after I had applied to many jobs that companies (especially larger ones) apparently use AI to sort through the cover letters and resumes. I never did find out the "secret" to getting past the AI screening.

Although I didn't want to move, I did search across the country. I mean, people do it all the time (move for a job), right? Fortunately, it didn't come to that.

Find out what your state laws are for filing for unemployment. I was technically out of work for three weeks. I collected UE for one week. The first week they don't give you until you've been out of work for 26 weeks (makes NO sense to me), and I forgot to apply for the third week.

I'm enjoying my new job, but it was a paycut and a cut in PTO. But, I'm travelling a LOT, so while I'm travelling, food & gas is on the company, so that's a savings.

Good luck!

 

[Tuffcookie]

OP, I had lunch with some longtime friends yesterday. One of the ladies shared, her daughter was starting a new job with Summa Hospital’s billing. She will be working remotely. With your experience, you should have no trouble finding a job thru a hospital!

TC

 

[flyingdumbo127]

CynBeth along with prayers. I'm so sorry. Here is indeed to a very bright future to come for all of you! Health prayers also for your family.

 

[robotsneedlove2]

Sending you a virtual hug. And a reminder that it's not you, it's the system.

Best of luck to you in finding something better.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

I am so sorry. What a rotten time of year for them to spring this on you! Sending hugs your way and hopes of finding a new and better job.

 

[DCLMP]

Sorry, this happened to you. I know job searching and interviewing after 17 years can be intimidating. Since you're in the medical field I honestly don't think you'll have too much of a problem.

I spent most of the Summer looking for a new job and I found many of the community forums on Reddit to be a stress reliever. It's comforting to see people going through the same thing as you and there's a lot of humour in some of the posts.

Don't take anything a recruiter says to you seriously. I'm convinced you have to be a sociopath to do that job.

 

[mylilnikita]

Virtual hug going you to OP!

2 of my former co workers at my old job got laid off 2 weeks ago. The powers that be ( not sure corporate or the GM who is a lying liar who lies ) help this along so they can give others more work and reduce staff so the look good to the higher ups.
Anyway both been there for 7-10 years so get a severance package.
Another former co worker who he and I now work for a different company texting me saying that one of the laid off co workers now works same company as us. So I’m thrilled for her!

 

[SpaceMan5]

Hey @CynBeth As I scrolled thru the comments I see quite a few familiar names. Very, very good ppl offering their support.

Lean on us, we have your back 100%. I know this for a fact because I have leaned on my fellow DISers as of late.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Outsourcing again, so sorry this is happening to you.

Similar jobs are in schools, hospitals and law enforcement and they tend to be kept local.

Maybe this is a good time for your DH to get a Social Security lawyer to help him, they only get paid a portion after you get it but it takes about two years of a person remaining unemployed and trying to sort things out. Don't assume he isn't unwell enough to quality. I discovered that there is a lot of legalese in what seems like a up front process so just because they say no doesn't mean it isn't true it could be you aren't saying things right, I got it right away after the lawyer but was unemployed a long while. My records went back ages but I guess I just didn't know how to say things correctly.

 

[nw6675]

I sent a PM with the names of some companies to be sure and look into. Remote Healthcare related jobs.

 

[tony67]

Well, outsourcing can also be a company looking to get away from having to hassle with hiring/firing/HR/Benefits and everything related to being the employer, to just paying an outside company a flat rate every year to provide the staff. Often in that case, laid off employees are hired by the outside contractor since they already know the job.
Applying for jobs now can be a huge hassle. My wife hired back on for a temporary project with her old employer after retiring over 2 years ago. The company uses INDEED for the applications and it wanted information that was impossible to provide. She worked over 40 years for this employer, and all her previous employers were out of business, and any supervisors she had not seen in 45 years, or were deceased. But corporate required applicants to go through this process, however she did notice that her job offer letter was dated BEFORE she had submitted her INDEED application or did an interview!

Ive been on both sides of this for many years. My first tech job was outsourced from one of the big players and eventually they moved that oversees. Ive also been at a place that outsourced medical billing oversees as well as a place that outsourced development and\or parts of development oversees.

Unfortunately these days much of the outsourcing seems to be overseas so its usually not an option - especially in tech and no doubt something like billing - its just a lot cheaper.
Yeah sometimes they do outsource to the middle of the country, but those are the exceptions IMO, and not everyone wants to move to the middle of the country - its a big ask.
We actually did something like that - and then a year later all those people were released and stuck - so plan accordingly.

As for the hassle etc - I agree that is a plus, but they pay for it in many ways - first financial as they probably have to pay enough for the outsourcing companies to cover its benefits and more important is company loyalty.

In an outsourcing companies they are loyal to that company and not us - I've run into this many times.

A big issue in tech is communication and understanding. More often than not things have to be done over or refactored because they did not fully understand the issue and they pretty much ignore the spec.
Even for countries where for all intense and purposes they are native English speakers.
I've even had full times people who are originally from those countries and they get frustrated with the contractors.

In addition they often don't have the power over them they have with a full time employee. They wont stay late or come in early or do a weekend - unless they are paid - and even then its like pulling teeth. A full time employee getting well compensated knows that will happen on occasion.

Its a big headache, but when they can hire 5 to 1 in country X its worth it to them.
In the past I've seen it get pulled back - but not so much recently - it does come down to the bottom line and keeping the company from failing in many cases.
As long as the C Suite has their jobs and golden parachutes they are good with it.
I do sort of laugh at the HR folks who don't consider it - but they are probably next - less employees need less HR folks..

 

[scrump]

OP, sending hugs and also this:

Know--absolutely know--that something so much better is coming your way that in the end you'll be happy this job ended.

100% agree with the above.



Since covid I have been both furloughed and laid off (different companies), and it's led to exponentially better situations for me, but were super tough to get through at the time. Transitions are so hard - but know that you will look back on this and be grateful.

 

[Skywalker3]

Sending hugs and best wishes for whatever new opportunities will be coming. Lots of emotions leaving a long time job, and friends/co-workers, especially when unexpected.
I changed careers in my mid-40s, and it was surely different, but quite a few of the people I started with then were older also. DH and I are both federal govt workers. My location has hired several times this year, and there's a huge age range, from 19 all the way up. Lots of people doing this as later in life gig, for insurance and benefits, until they retire.
Best wishes through all of this time of change!

 

[design_mom]

Ugh. I'm so sorry. I got laid off in December 2021 at 50 years old. It took me a couple of months to find a job that I thought was the right fit, but when I did I got two offers on the same day. It was NOT a fun time, but I really do like the new job much more than the old one. Most of the time, these things end up working out for the best, but it is certainly not something fun to go through and especially to have it hanging over your head at the holidays.

 

[CynBeth]

You guys will love this. The CEO called a meeting for Monday to introduce the new company that bought us the cause for a lot of us to have lost our jobs. I figured most people would say they had no interest so can’t believe a few of my co-workers want to sign on to the meeting and hear more of his lies including one person who is off that day, She actually said maybe he will finally answer questions. I would not count on it. He also had the nerve to send a Happy Thanksgiving e-mail saying the same stuff like how valuable employees we are, etc and hopes everyone is happy and healthy. One girl who has only been there a year or 2 that a few of us trained on our computer system but ended up in another dept and was somehow one of the people they did not let go keeps rubbing it in. Because she helps my dept with one thing every month she is included in our team instant message chat group and she will say insensitive things things such as when the e-mail came out about Monday’s meeting and people were not happy as it was disrespectful to us she said something like I can’t wait to hear what they have to say. In addition a few of my co-workers say they are doing the minimum not busting their butt and when I have asked for help with an insurance they have more experience with are refusing to help and just giving things to the awful current outsource team. Thanks for letting me get my frustrations from today out.

 

[luvthatduke]

We're here for you!