# Difficult Times



## ashesc212 (Dec 1, 2008)

I just need to vent. I have just joined the thousands unemployed due to the economic meltdown, laid off due to downsizing. I had been working at a financial services firm (don't want to name right now) as a junior equity research analyst. Well, all that just came to an end today when my "review" was actually a "sorry, you've been downsized speech." I didn't think it'd happen to me as our firm was one of the few that did not pursue risky investments such as collaterialized debt obligations, CMOs, etc. However, I had specialized in the marine shipping sector, and we lost several of our trading clients due to the meltdown, and our sector had been losing 4-5 years worth of gains. 

Anyway, now I'm unemployed, with a background in marine transportation and financial modeling/writing, as do the other thousands that are unemployed. Who is really going to be hiring in this economic environment? ...and look at my competition. One thing is positive - I don't have to wake up at 4:30 a.m. anymore, work 10 hours without lunch breaks, etc. However, I just bought a house and our first payment is due January 2009. I never thought this would happen to us and I don't want to lose our house. Furthermore, I have several animals, and I don't want them to feel the consequences of this. I'd like to keep some semblance of normalcy until I secure another position.

What's pathetic is that they fired me two weeks before I was supposed to take my first week of vacation. They got many months out of me without honoring ANY of my 3 weeks vacation. They also don't pay for unused vacation days. 

Additionally, they made me travel an hour and half into work at 5:30 a.m., work a few hours, and then give me the speech. I was in the middle of a model when I was told to leave. Then I had an hour and a half home. Sorry, but can't you just have told me this Friday?

I'd just like to say F U (sorry) to all the portfolio managers and bankers out there who thought it'd be a good idea to get wealthy on bad ideas, and then take down the WHOLE LOT of us. Greedy Wall Street p*nks! 

I wish I could afford to go back to school for veterinary medicine...missed my calling. :-(

Sorry for this scrambled "woe is me speech"


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## DaveDragon (Dec 1, 2008)

WOW!! That sucks!! How long have you been there? That sucks they don't pay unused vacation.

My company is sending everything they can to China as fast as they can. I've heard rumors of cutting 100 of the 600 people next year. I expect to be unemployed soon.

That sure is bad timimg. I hope you find something soon.


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## Gx3 (Dec 1, 2008)

I'm really sorry to hear that. I haven't been put in as bad of a situation because I am still a student, but I am graduating in the next few months and I have been trying to squeeze into a job and man let me tell you it is extremely hard. I'm an agriculture engineer so hopefully I can get employed by a renewable energy company (one of the few industries currently growing in todays economic state).


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## ashesc212 (Dec 2, 2008)

I had worked there about 1 year...they cut me out right before bonuses and raises, and gave my salary to my bosses as bonuses instead, I'm presuming lol.

I kind of feel like a loser now that I have to go on unemployment until I find a job. I've been working since I was 13 so this is new to me. I have never been fired or laid off. It's rough...I'm very "lost" feeling this morning. It's 8 a.m., normally I'd be at work for a half hour by now. I feel like I have to start researching market news and stuff like how I normally do at this time, and drinking my cup of coffee. 

I actually really liked my job aside from the hours and I really 
miss it already. It was the first job that I liked. 

Although I'm sure that being an vet specializing in exotics would be even more fun *sigh* ... 

On positive note, I FEEL REFRESHED sleeping until 7:30!!!! I used to wake up at 4:30 a.m.

Gx3, I hear you on that front. I started looking about 4 months before I graduated. I had applied to 150 places and didn't find anything til the first week of January. There is so much competition among new graduates because this just aren't enough jobs to absorb them all. Good luck on the agricultural engineering front however. It sounds like it would present more opportunities than finance, banking, automotive, etc.


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## DaveDragon (Dec 2, 2008)

ashesc212 said:


> On positive note, I FEEL REFRESHED sleeping until 7:30!!!! I used to wake up at 4:30 a.m.


WOW!! 7:30am sounds great!! My alarm goes off at 4:30am also. I've been up until 12:30am the last 2 nights. Last night we were working on our 11 year old son's major project that was due today.


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## ashesc212 (Dec 2, 2008)

DaveDragon said:


> ashesc212 said:
> 
> 
> > On positive note, I FEEL REFRESHED sleeping until 7:30!!!! I used to wake up at 4:30 a.m.
> ...



Anything interesting?

NOOOOOOOOOOOO The economic downturn not only took me down - it wiped out my cricket supplier (Crazy Carl's Crickets)! No one is buying crickets for their animals!?!!?!?!?! what are they feeding them then!?!


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## DaveDragon (Dec 2, 2008)

ashesc212 said:


> DaveDragon said:
> 
> 
> > ashesc212 said:
> ...


We had to build a school in Zimbabwe. 2 buildings, 1 with 2 floors (with the levels separate) and windows & door openings. He wanted to make furniture but we just didn't have time. Not very interesting. Everything was glued with 5 minute epoxy. amazing stuff.

I've been buying from Komodo Reptiles (NY somewhere, but shipped from down south). 1000 for less that $20 shipped. We usually buy from them at the show too. Our friend (who got us the space at the show) says she gets crickets for $10 shipped, but she hasn't given me the link yet.


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## jor71 (Dec 2, 2008)

wow, I am sorry about you losing your job. I feel that I am skating on thin ice here at my job. I have been with them for a little 3 years, started small and we grew and now we are small again. I work for a Mortgage company and run the IT department. It is scary out there and do not know what I will do if we shut our doors here.

I wish you and all luck and hope you find work soon.


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