Photo by peasap

The recent layoffs at my company brought a visit from the Ghost of Layoffs Past.  Years ago, at one of my old employers, I crossed paths with a former colleague.  He was a manager in the manufacturing area, in his forties, with a couple of kids in college.  When we passed each other in the hall, his words stopped me cold.

“I just got my two weeks notice.”

“You’re getting laid off?!”  Because he had over 25 years service time, the company gave him the heads-up.  Everybody with less time under their belts got ten minutes to clean out their desks.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do.”  I knew just what he meant.  He started with the company right out of high school.  He was bright, and a quick study, which allowed him to move up in the manufacturing organization.  He became the go-to guy when you needed something done correctly.  I know that I tapped his expertise more than once.  A born leader, he could have gone to college on the company’s dime, but marriage, children, and overtime took precedence.  Which was why he was now in deep shit.

He was making a good salary as a manager.  He was bright, and a hard worker.  But his prospects were bleak.  It’s hard to get a management job without a college degree, no matter how qualified you might be.  I didn’t know what to say to comfort him, and told him to stay positive, that people of his caliber were always in demand.  But he already knew the deal.  He was screwed.

So today’s lesson, grasshopper, is to take whatever the company offers, be it training or tuition reimbursement.  Get that piece of paper.  It might not mean anything to anyone except the resumé screener.  That’s who wields the power when you’re looking for a job.  Don’t put yourself in a position to be excluded because you signed up to coach Little League.  Get your degree!

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