Hang in there Dave, we will keeps in our communication. Paul Austin
Wow. That’s a bummer.
Bummer Dave. I know the feeling. I spent 22.5 yrs with a large national company that did allot of business in the Four Corners and we were bought out (more of a takeover) by a “corporate financier”, who in a couple yrs stripped the company of assets and sent 7,000 people nationwide packing. We were the first company of it’s type (ins) that closed it’s doors while still making a profit. Being in middle management, I was one of the first to go.
Things do get better, even tho at this point it is hard to believe. I worked a few more years (elsewhere) and now I am a full time Doodlebug driver in Albuquerque. I drive a couple DSP&P units too!
Jim
Its a shame that all your extra work to help with the transition didn’t secure your position. But its the bean counters’ fault, it always is. I hate bean counters.
Over the years I have been through a few mergers, and then the companies fell apart. So I understand the roller coaster ride it can be. My last lay off allowed me to get some things together, and then land a job for what I was making at the last place BEFORE the salary reduction.
So try and stay positive, it can be difficult, I know. Keep sending out the resumes, calling perspective employers and knocking on doors. Something good will turn up.
Don’t be so quick to accuse accountants. I’ll bet you someone was not telling the truth, and it was upper management. Why? because they make the decisions. The “bean counters” may give input, but they don’t make decisions in companies.
I’ve seen this countless times… they don’t want the company to go to hell until the new management get’s hold of it.
Greg
I think I need to explain myself here. I do not think accountants are bad people, and they are very necessary for a company to have. I know management makes the decisions, many times based on what the accountants tell them.
My “issue” with accountants, is that they see numbers on a spreadsheet, they don’t see the real world operation. So, what looks like a great idea on paper, doesn’t always work out well in the real world. I feel that they should ask those who know the actual situation for some input, before they just add and subtract numbers and say that “we need to do this”. I have spent a lot of time, and money, in various jobs, dealing with decisions made based on numbers on a spreadsheet. If those bean counters had asked any of us techs, we would have explained how the up front cost savings of such and such was going to cost so much more on the back end in time and added repair costs, not to mention upset customers. So I guess I should have chosen my words more carefully. I do not “hate” bean counters as such. I just don’t like, really don’t like, cleaning up messes that were a result of decisions made strictly from an accounting viewpoint, without considering the real world consequences of those decisions.
So, please do not take my comments as an insult to any profession. I just feel that so many times, folks should be exposed to other facets of the company, then they would have a better understanding of what is really going on.
Dave, so sorry to hear of this turn of events. I hope and pray that everything will work out for the best.
Sorry to hear that you have lost your job.
Sounds like you even tried hard to keep it.
Would you please provide an updated email address, as I think the one from page 3 of the Mik-a BUild Challenge will not what you want or can use now. [email protected]
PM me if you’d like.
Check your messages for a suggestion for a new email address.
Dave, I hope you realize I was using humor to try to cheer you up.
I have been through a very similar situation. The powers to be closed our location, and we were told “there will be jobs for all of you.” Well, it was 99 percent true. I was the only one let go. When I told the others they thought I was kidding because of all the work I did helping with the closing, and the promise made. It did turn out for the best, however.
Hang in there.
Thanks for all the support guys… I really do appreciate it. I was blind sided by this change in events. I’m not sure where the road will take me next. But I do know that I hadn’t planned on not working.
This morning I re-viewed and updated my resume.
And… I downloaded a job app. for the Durango & Silverton NGRR. Why not? They have a Job fair for they’re yearly hiring in a couple of weeks.
Yesterday I “Round-Up’ed” the sprouting weeds on my Pike. Sometime this week there will be trains running.
Again Thanks!
I can’t think of anyone more qualified for the D&S. It will keep you in beans while you look for something more in keeping with your skills.
That’s what they mean by “knowing the costs of everything, and the value of nothing.”
Maybe it’s time to retire, if the new company didn’t gut your retirement program.
Don’t know if you could afford to be semi-retired, but if that D&S job comes through that could be a perfect opportunity for that scenario. I have a friend who retired from a full time job to work at the local tourist RR. He loves it and it gives him plenty of time off to railfan and travel. Wish I could afford to do something like that.
Dave Taylor said:
Thanks for all the support guys… I really do appreciate it. I was blind sided by this change in events. I’m not sure where the road will take
And… I downloaded a job app. for the Durango & Silverton NGRR. Why not? They have a Job fair for they’re yearly hiring in a couple of weeks.
Again Thanks!
I know someone of semi-importance there. He must be because he is a member of our Orange County Garden Railway club who gets us on the train for free including tours of the shops. (He winters here in So Cal.) Maybe I could put you in contact or put in a good word.
Thanks Todd. Of course a good word is always appreciated, I have had contact with a number of D&S people thru the years, and he just might know of me. I have hosted a number of night photo shoots, and photo specials with the D&S. Also as a 315 crew member i’ve been around when 315 runs for Railfest.
The D&S annual “Job Fair” is Apr. 14th. Don’t know if Putting in an App early, or showing up in person Face 2 Face, would be better.
I know when I was hiring people, An app. would come across my desk, I’d do a cursory look see, and get on with my daily work, If something caught my eye on the app, I would note it and save it in a diff pile. When I interviewed people, for the second round, I could get a better feel for that person from their body language and speaking, and the better ones made the cut for further look see. I want to be sure to make the cut to second round consideration.
I have never participated in a “Job Fair” event, either as an employer, or a job seeker, so I have no knowledge of the proceedings, and how it all works. I assume that you’r “Checked In” to make sure you have all the correct paperwork, and then sent to the right area (table) for the job you’r applying for, wait your turn to see the guy across the table, he briefly looks over your app & resume, asks a few questions, smiles, says thank you, and if your chosen for the position we will be in contact in a few days, Don’t call us we’ll call you.
Is there a good strategy to these things? Be early in the proceedings, and the interviewer is rushed to get thru the people stacking up, but set the standards high, so he has a base line for comparison, but a forgotten face by the end of the day? Or be last, and he has more time to spend with you, but he’s tired of the whole thing, and just wants to be done with it?
Any one been thru one of these? Any words of wisdom?
Never been to a job fair in any capacity. I do know that when I was hiring I quickly gave up on blind resumes and tried to get recommendations from my good workers. I figured that they would at least have some sort of share in the process. Networking seemedto be the real key and much less of a crap shoot.
Job fairs are usually no more than a resume collecting function. Occasionally a person may stand out and get further review. The two SWMBO was required to attend here in FL during her period of unemployment, you walked in, roamed the tables, chatted with folks (sometimes made a contact) and came home with a bag full of stuff. Don’t know if it works the same there, but that was our experience.
Good luck Dave. If the Freedom Central was real, we’d offer an opening, unfortunately, we currently only pay our gangs in freelanced credits 
I don’t think that’s the type of peanuts you’re looking for.
-J.D.
Went to the D&S job fair Last evening (4-7pm). Talked to the guys at the table for Brakeman jobs. They were interested but the head guy pulled me aside and said that they would only be hiring 3-4 guys this year, and only full time. I was looking for 2-3 days a week, trying to be the fill in guy for weekends and on-call. Did say that my experience working on and with the 315 was a big plus thou. Kind of a bummer… But we will see. Not holding my breath…
The Engine House guys that knew me wanted me to put in an app. for engine maintenance but that is big full time, and I didn’t want to be a grease monkey on the K’s. Dirty, nasty, grimy, un-rewarding job, but very necessary. High turn over for that job, and most work is done starting at 4Pm until.