2008 Great Recession Changed My Life

When I was in high school we did a job shadow day, I shadowed an electrical engineer at an automotive production facility. I enjoyed the process of engineering and problem solving. So, I went to engineering college. I gained an ongoing internship at a family (not my family) owned manufacturing company.

I graduated in July of 2008. I took a quality engineering job at my internship employer for lower than market rate because no one was hiring. I was just going to ride out the downturn then go look for other jobs. Then the crash happened in late October. At first nothing happened at work, then new work got delayed early November. The Monday after Thanksgiving was a white-collar-pink-slip-frenzy. The plant speaker would come on and call a person to the plant managers office then they would be escorted out. The layoffs were timed nicely that everyone who went early holiday shopping better have saved receipts.

Fat overly compensated engineers with 20 years of experience were fired. Engineers referred to as family during work anniversary celebrations. An engineer with a stuttering problem (good luck interviewing for new jobs). A staff member who was employee number 10 of the five thousand employee company.  All those quarterly parties, staff appreciation, pats on the back and emails for a good job, and anniversary celebrations suddenly dropped the facade of what they truly are – total shit. These older wiser people had been lied to for years.

I  at one point hoped to be a happy fat over-paid engineer (I love the engineering process), but after seeing how quickly disposable those people were I decided that engineering is not for me. I empathized, seeing the older engineers disposed of was like watching a future-self exiled. I made up my mind that I could not stay in the current situation. I immediately started looking into law school with the thought process that it is much harder to remove a partner than an employee.

A few weeks into December, my name was called over the plant speaker to go to the plant managers office. The grizzly old man and an HR person was there. My position was eliminated, however, an electrical engineering job in another department was open and I was given the choice of a lateral move or a pink slip. I asked to think it over even though there was not much choice. I had no leverage. I was being played and new it. I had not worked long enough to have fuck-you money. I took the job; it came with no pay raise even though electrical engineers typically make more than quality engineers. I transferred to the electrical engineering position and started law school  on January 1st.

2008 taught me several lessons

1) Look how your mentors are treated. A good place to work treats the future you well. Find places with happy bald and grey haired people – these are the good places to work!

2) Survive! Sometimes you have to take the shitty underpaid work. Do it! Remember how they treated you when you were vulnerable.

3) Gain leverage and use it. The employer and boss typically hold all the cards and play you when needed. When you got a card play it – get that raise.

2) Mom might think you’re special – you’re not – you’re disposable. No matter how many fluffy nice gestures – motivational crap – you are a replaceable disposable cog in a machine. The replacement cost is where you find your leverage.

4) Always have fuck-you money. FU money lessens the leverage anyone can have on you. You are no long confronted with homelessness, you are confronted with loosing comforts.

5) A unique skill set is a valuable tool. Having my electrical and mechanical engineering degrees saved me.

How did 2008 change you? Do you view yourself, your world, or your job differently?

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