The Economy and Where I Work

[IrishGodfather]

I'm afraid of how the economy will be in two years when I get out of college and try to just find a stable job.

[BonnieT100]

I'm afraid of how the economy will be in two years when I get out of college and try to just find a stable job.

The Army is short something like 600 officers each year. OCS is an easy course these days. Pays $2555.70 a month (taxable) plus $202 for food, and then there is your housing allowance (amount depends on where you're stationed and married or not) tacked on as well - both tax free. If you're lucky enough to jump out of airplanes, they give another $150 a month tax free. Automatic pay raise every January, and additional ones every 2 year anniversary, as well as with every promotion. By your 3rd year, you'll have made a $1600 a month raise, in addition to the annual January increase. Not a bad gig, if you can deal with some of the late nights and retarded stuff. It's not all bad - there's more 3 and 4 day weekends than you'll ever find anywhere else, plus 30 days of vacation every year. Oh yeah, from 15 DEC to around 2 JAN is usually a half-day schedule. If you want stable, it's relatively stable. If this organization goes under, the economy is the least of your worries!

[IrishGodfather]

The Army is short something like 600 officers each year. OCS is an easy course these days. Pays $2555.70 a month (taxable) plus $202 for food, and then there is your housing allowance (amount depends on where you're stationed and married or not) tacked on as well - both tax free. If you're lucky enough to jump out of airplanes, they give another $150 a month tax free. Automatic pay raise every January, and additional ones every 2 year anniversary, as well as with every promotion. By your 3rd year, you'll have made a $1600 a month raise, in addition to the annual January increase. Not a bad gig, if you can deal with some of the late nights and retarded stuff. It's not all bad - there's more 3 and 4 day weekends than you'll ever find anywhere else, plus 30 days of vacation every year. Oh yeah, from 15 DEC to around 2 JAN is usually a half-day schedule. If you want stable, it's relatively stable. If this organization goes under, the economy is the least of your worries!

Great advice, I have made a plan B that if I can't find a job within a year out of college I'll join the armed forces, which one I don't know yet, but I think that'd be a good bet.

[Livingston]

A lot of major corporations are feeling the squeeze right now. They have to tread a fine line between making sure their stock is always going up, but not too fast, and putting out a good quality product that will make their sales. The company I work for as taken jobs offshore, consolidated call centers, moved to cities that give them major tax breaks and will even pay for some training of new hires...provided they are from the surrounding area. This last is happening to me. They announced a week ago that there were 2 new state of the art call centers being build in Conway, Arkansas and Rio Rancho, New Mexico. All of there existing call centers will move to those two locations and Atlanta, Georgia by some time in 2011. Then Monday the laid off some of the people in Indianapolis. Now the team I am on has dropped 10 people out of 28 since March 1........and none have been replaced yet. Plus, there has been no promise that any of us will get to move to the new locations. Of course, I don't expect that to happen either. So, good luck to you ncof300d. I know exactly how you're feeling.

[Coinneach]

Dealing with change...especially when it's abrupt and affects the people you know...is always difficult for all. I've experienced it myself (and now I'm a freelancer) and I've seen it done with and without dignity for the people involved. I hope some kind of severance package was offered to your coworkers to help ease their transition. If management didn't handle it well, it means a lot of lost productivity as the people who are left deal with the aftermath.

Best of luck to you.