I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

[coreybv]

The recession has not been kind to folks in my line of work, and I'm no exception. My employer of 13 years went out of business at the worst possible time. I won't bore you with a sob story, because I know millions of people have one of their own, but let's just say the last 3 years have been a challenge.

So, obviously, I've been looking for better work. A while back I sent out a resume for a position that looked good, and the process started. The highlights of the requirements list were something like this:

Bachelor's degree (Master's degree preferred)
10+ years professional experience
CCNE and MCSE certifications required
Full criminal background check
Ability to obtain at least "Secret" level security clearance

So I went through 2 phone interviews and 3 face to face interviews. I was tested on technical material in both written and interview forms.

Long story short, I got a written job offer the other day.

Folks, those are the requirements for a job that pays $12.00 an hour! And they want to do it on a 1099 basis so there are no benefits.

My first job out of college back in 1992 paid better than that.

Needless to say I told them I'd keep looking.

So where's this "recovery" I keep hearing about on the news?

I'm just flabbergasted. (and I never, ever say "flabbergasted"). The really sad part is that they will find a highly educated, highly talented person who is in enough of a bind to take the job for that price. (pre-recession this would have been a $50+ per hour position)

 

[1973Chieftain]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

That's a ton of qualifications for such a low paying job!

 

[Fishing Dude too]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Where I work a warm body makes that.

 

[wlg]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Warehouse jobs where I live pay that. I have a friend who graduated last May with a degree in criminal justice. She just got a job with the turnpike paying just shy of $20 hr.

I guess it depends on location.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

So, you are telling us that through all of that interviewing process the topic of salary/wages never came up? Cisco and Microsoft engineering certifications should get you a handsome salary. Sorry to hear that all that time & effort was wasted.

On the other side of the coin, I hired a programmer recently and she had 2 other competing offers. I had to break open the piggy bank!

 

[coreybv]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Where I work a warm body makes that.

Yup... That's why I told them I'd keep looking. I have a medium-term contract gig starting up in a week that pays significantly better, and it's pretty much a "warm body" type of thing.

 

[coreybv]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

So, you are telling us that through all of that interviewing process the topic of salary/wages never came up? Cisco and Microsoft engineering certifications should get you a handsome salary. Sorry to hear that all that time & effort was wasted.

On the other side of the coin, I hired a programmer recently and she had 2 other competing offers. I had to break open the piggy bank!

Salary did come up, several times. I told them the range that I felt the job was worth, and they always seemed comfortable with that range. They were always vague, but stressed that they were paying "significantly above the market". Yes, that set off warning bells, but times being what they are I couldn't just walk away. I knew they were going to lowball the hell out me, but I never imagined them going below $25. Which, while an insulting number for that particular position, I would have taken just to keep my family fed and comfortable, and for the resume entry.

What's really sad is the number of employers that are taking advantage of the current economy in this way. This was a huge company that could have easily offered a fair salary, but they decided to take the low road and see if they could get someone at fire-sale prices. It's not the first time I've seen it and I'm sure it won't be the last.

Sounds like I might need to move to MA.

 

[coreybv]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Bubba, what can I say. You speak 100% truth.

To be perfectly honest, I very strongly suspect that this interview process was nothing more than a formality to meet their requirements to hire more H1B's. (and that's based on more info than what I've presented here....)

 

[roscoe]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

I think American business is shootign themselves in the foot by putting so much pressure on their managers to make the quarter look good and not be concerned with the future.

I've been saying that since about 1992.

Thankfully, previous employer was bought out by a much better company, that sees the big picture.

They don't pay a whole lot more, but they sure seem to be making the right long term decisions and investments.

Good luck to you Corey.

 

[coreybv]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Good luck to you Corey.

Thanks. I appreciate that. It's a ***** out there.

Times will get good again. I have faith in this country. It's been through hard times before and bounced back, and I have zero doubt that we'll bounce back again.

But holy crap does it suck waiting it out.

 

[coreybv]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

You can find out if that is the case by looking to see if the company has applied for H1-B permits for the job. http://www.immihelp.com/h1b-sponsoring-companies-database/

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Took a little creativity on search terms, but I found it. Like I said, I was already 99% sure that this was the case (have a bit of inside info).

I'll start on the rest of the stuff you mentioned on Monday morning.

And, yeah, at this point it probably is getting too political to continue here....

I know that pursuing this will do the exact opposite of getting me the job, but I'm getting fed up with the whole H1-B situation.

 

[R Socey]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Please don't forget about all these millions of illegals that are taking millions of jobs away from US citizens ie. Construction
:facepalm:

 

[coreybv]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Trust me, yoiu are not alone...

What gets me is that this is a "Very American" company. And one of the "too big to fail" companies that we just bailed out with our tax dollars.

And yet they STILL want to pay 10 cents on the dollar to hire an American worker?

I'd better shut up now, because I'm inches away from going off on a rant that would violate the rules of this forum in about 100 different ways.

 

[coreybv]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Please don't forget about all these millions of illegals that are taking millions of jobs away from US citizens ie. Construction
:facepalm:

Oh, believe me, I haven't forgotten. I consider those construction workers "brothers in arms". Very much the same situation, except in my line of work the big companies have passed money under the table so that every thing is nice and tidy, the foreign workers aren't even illegal.

When it comes to the politicians who have voted in favor of these visa laws, I do not think AT ALL that treason is too harsh of a crime to try them for. And yes, I know what penalty treason carries.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Gentlemen - good post but let's stay away from the political side or it will have to be zapped.

Thanks.

 

[bassman284]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Wel corey, your story is slightly grimmer than mine, but I'll tell mine anyway.

I retired in 2010 after 22 years as a Quality Engineer for an OEM automotive supplier. Automotive was a money machine through the 60's, 70's and 80's, but started to go sour in the 90's. Around 1993, we had our first big RIF (head count chop). Those who survived were thankful and decided to agree that those cut probably served no useful purpose. Later cuts in head count it was clear that those people had been doing useful work that had to be picked up by those of us who remained.

When everything went to hell in 2008, we did a major head count reduction in December, 2008 and lopped off huge numbers of people.

OK, come to modern times: My best friend, who still works for the company, told me last summer that they had started to hire back some of the people they could still find. Not that hard since this was in Detroit so if they were still in town, they weren't doing much.

Point being, people who had previously been making $75,000 to $100,000 per year were being offered jobs at $38,000. Keep in mind, these were people with anywhere from 10 to 25 years prior experience with the company, not newbies off the street. And they said, "Take it or leave it."

 

[rivermouse]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

Wel corey, your story is slightly grimmer than mine, but I'll tell mine anyway.

I retired in 2010 after 22 years as a Quality Engineer for an OEM automotive supplier. Automotive was a money machine through the 60's, 70's and 80's, but started to go sour in the 90's. Around 1993, we had our first big RIF (head count chop). Those who survived were thankful and decided to agree that those cut probably served no useful purpose. Later cuts in head count it was clear that those people had been doing useful work that had to be picked up by those of us who remained.

When everything went to hell in 2008, we did a major head count reduction in December, 2008 and lopped off huge numbers of people.

OK, come to modern times: My best friend, who still works for the company, told me last summer that they had started to hire back some of the people they could still find. Not that hard since this was in Detroit so if they were still in town, they weren't doing much.

Point being, people who had previously been making $75,000 to $100,000 per year were being offered jobs at $38,000. Keep in mind, these were people with anywhere from 10 to 25 years prior experience with the company, not newbies off the street. And they said, "Take it or leave it."

This just shows that in many cases there is a real need for a strong labor union..I wonder if the elite people running this con game took a pay cut.......

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

I'm in the construction industry, I can tell you every tom,**** and harry has now become a so called contractor. I call in atleast 4 illegal jobs going on in a week. Keeps it fair for those of us that actually carry proper insurance and pull permits etc.

The market sucks and the recovery will be a few more years atleast in my eyes. It would take me atleast 3 years to recover if it was economy recovered now. We are basically doing twice the amount of work today for half the cost/profit than we were 5 years ago. I see it picking up some, but in sperts. And who knows what will happen with the upcoming elections. Done with my rant,next!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

I have a lot of comments I would love to make but wish this thread to stay open. Good reading so far.
Staying in the background to watch.

 

[mscher]

Re: I knew the job market was bad, but WOW!!!!

The IT labor market is saturated, like most others. Hang in there.

I was in IT for 15 years, with some very good gigs.

I now drive a truck and make more money. It's a much better job, too.