The Importance of Buffers (partner has lost her job)

Discussion in 'Money Management & Banking' started by Propagate, 27th May, 2019.

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  1. Propagate

    Propagate Well-Known Member

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    What a lovely send off her staff gave her, it was so nice that they asked me along, I felt really proud of her as they each said some words around the table about what they'd learned from her, how she was a true leader and a women of immense integrity.

    They presented her a massive card, everyone that had signed it had wrote huge messages, not just the usual one line "all the best" stuff. There was even sheets of paper stapled in side to make more room., and gufsts just kept coming! Biggest whip round in the organizations history... quite embarrassing on some level.

    There were laughs, and tears as the mood and conversation continually flipped form gratitude, respect and love of her to what can only be described as devastation at the decision the organization made to let her go.

    More things came to light that her staff had found out of the last few days about the why's and wherefores of the decision, quite disgusting what they have done and how they went about it, but never mind, that door closed at 5pm Friday so it is on to the next chapter.

    Circular e-mails were sent from her two "leaders" to all staff to say she was leaving (note that they said leaving, not pushed, so Em was fielding calls and emails from colleagues asking what and where she was going, she put them all straight in that it was not her choice. No one could believe it.

    Her Heads had only circulated the e-mail to all Victorian Staff only, whereas Em was responsible nationally for many things and was often flying all over country to their different branches, they didn't even know that, that's how detached they are form what she did for the organization.

    The NSW Director got wind of it and called her on Friday morning as we were driving to the City, he couldn't believe it and said to her the Organization is making some very strange decisions at the moment.

    Can you believe, after they sent out the mails saying she was leaving, another was sent out to say that had just released funding to engage another external business analyst!!! unreal, and that they had released funds for another full time Marketing position yet they can't find the money to keep key personal on that actually make the place run and ensure they are making money.

    So, the long and short of it all the people that actually mattered to her are gutted, the send off was fantastic, an absolute love-in and her whole team are actively seeking alternative employment. Her two Heads are coming to the realization of how much work she did and what she did for the place and are now running scared as they have nowhere else to hide. No doubt the place will carry on they'll band-aid it up but it is such a crying shame they have taken what was an organization renowned as the peak body in the game and are slowly strangling it to death. The biggest shame of it is to think how good it could have been had they not got rid of Emma's old Director and Emma and a handful of other superb employees in favor of "mates" and brown nosers, the trouble with that is once you lose all the people that actually give a dam all your left with are the empty all-talk, no substance ones. The place is becoming a laughing stock both within its own ranks and more and more so externally.

    So, onward and upward, job hunting well underway so lets see where it leads, Hopefully somewhere with people that actually care about where they work and have the brains and ability to run their organizations.

    I should point out that Em's teams are amazing they have some great talent there right across the organization, it's the "Leaders" that are inept. We have a saying in the UK, "Lions Lead By Donkeys", and it has never been more true than that place.

    Cheers all, I'll post up any updates once she finds something.
     
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  2. Propagate

    Propagate Well-Known Member

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    Bit of an update, 3 key people have resigned from her old place since she was "let go". There is no one there now that knows the workings of the organisation as a whole and they are struggling to get someone to project manage the key elements that she was doing when there. Unreal. Such a shame.

    In term of job hunting... nothing. Tough out there at the moment. She's not even getting shortlisted! 100+ applicants for each role shes gone for. She was interviewed for one position as a service director for a government organisation. On paper, if you had to wrote out her old job that what the advert would have said, she could do it standing on her head backwards. In the interview they were completely disinterested in her, didn't engage her at all and were out and out cold toward her. When she asked who was currently doing the role they sheepishly said there was an "acting director" who'd been in place for the last 6 months. Turns out this department, like a lot of government ones, have to advertise externally out of protocol but pretty much always appoint internally. The acting Director was always getting the gig, they just had to go through the motions with Em as she was such a good fit.

    I've no issue with internal recruiting, but annoys me when they advertise externally for bureaucracy when they have zero intention of hiring from outside. What a waste of peoples time and effort.

    So, that's all her current applications gone and nothing new on the horizon to apply for. She's really starting to get a bit down now.
     
  3. Tofubiscuit

    Tofubiscuit Well-Known Member

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    It's not her fault nor does it reflect her value as an employee or person. This whole economy is pretty bad and the more senior you get the harder it is to get work at same roles.

    Has she explored a role that is a step down so she can then build herself up internally and promote from there? The key may be finding a work place with good culture and management
     
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  4. Propagate

    Propagate Well-Known Member

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    She's explored all sorts. She was approached 2 weeks ago by a recruiter specializing in non-profits, (which is her passion area, that's where she started), it was an outfit that cultivated string female leaders. Sounded very interesting. It was a short term 2 yr contract and 4 days per week plus very ordinary money (being a small nonprofit).

    The role itself sounded very interesting and exciting, and something she was well equipped to do well. What put her off was the commute was dreadful, not a deal breaker for the right job with the right money and right prospects but for a short term contract with a hellish commute it was just that extra tick in the "cons" column.

    She mulled it over but was so excited by the role itself decided to go for it, the recruiter was over the moon when she called her back to say please put her forward, (the recruiter works for the parent organization so knows the role, the CEO and the board and thought Em would be a great fit). The recruiter actually said "I;m so glad you want to pursue this....).

    Fast forward a few days and she gets a call fro the recruiter, sorry, but the CEO and board have shortlisted and you didn't make the list. They are only shortlisting two people and chose the two that had the most experience with working with women! Although, other than the job itself, this wasn't an ideal position for her in many ways it was the most excited she'd been about doing a job she could feel like she could make a real difference in.

    So, at the moment there's nothing at all on the radar that remotely interests her, or the ones that do are just that little bit too high level. The exec recruiter have told her she should be looking at CEO roles, which she has done in the past and has been interviewed for, but it's finding the right one. She's not experienced enough to take on a CEO role for a huge origination, but for the likes of a non-profit or a membership organization with a small/medium sized staff of up to say 100 she'd be awesome. Trouble is, they don't come along often and when they do the competition is fierce.
     
  5. Marg4000

    Marg4000 Well-Known Member

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    This is the situation with most higher level govt jobs.
    Department know who they want to do the job.
    Put the person in “acting” for months or even years.
    When acting time runs out, advertise the job as per regulations.
    Shortlist the required number of applicants, interviews.
    By then, the “acting” person knows the job backwards, and can answer all the carefully targeted questions the best.
    Surprise! Acting person gets the job, which was actually his/hers all along.

    Big inconvenience and misleading for other applicants, who almost certainly never stood a chance.
    Marg
     
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  6. Tofubiscuit

    Tofubiscuit Well-Known Member

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    That must be really hard on her, can't even imagine

    Only value I can add I suppose is to encourage her to keep going, eventually things will come up as long as she doesn't lose hope.
     
    Last edited: 2nd Aug, 2019
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  7. EN710

    EN710 Well-Known Member

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    In the mean time, can she go to do volunteer work? Hubby was out of work for almost 9 months before he found one. He went to teach ESL, just once a week, but it really help to put some confidence and structure back.

    If not already, make sure her linkedin is up to date and "open for opportunity" toggle is turned on.
     
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  8. moridog

    moridog Well-Known Member

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    I’m really sorry, I read things like this and am glad I’m nearing the end of my paid working life! Volunteering is a great idea, maybe something like dog walking at the shelter/refuge? If she is feeling a bit too demoralised to deal with people? Getting out and about is important, sometimes job opportunities arrive in unexpected ways. But I know talk, (and advice) is cheap. :(
     
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  9. inertia

    inertia Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like maybe she should just go for those bigger roles and stretch the comfort zone - at the very least it would expand the scope of opportunities available.

    After I went through the process of doing for a ton of jobs myself when I moved the the UK, and then shortly afterwards ended up setting up a new team and had to be the interviewer on a ton more jobs, I really changed my perspective on what an interview was. I stopped thinking that as an applicant I had to try and convince them I was the best. I took the perspective that it was a consultation between 2 parties, to determine if they suit each other. Give the organisation the chance to decide if she is suitable - she may be pleasantly surprised.

    Cheers,
    Inertia.
     
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  10. The Y-man

    The Y-man Moderator Staff Member

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    Not sure if I wrote about this before (probably have!!) but the mrs was having a really tough time at work last year in a big multinational corp head office. Toxic environment and they were a stage 2 of performance managing her out. She took the gamble, left before being given notice. She went from a financial accountant role to a finance manager role at a small subsidiary of a foreign multinational.

    Though she took a technical pay cut, much better role (albeit with very different demands ~ she now needs to learn how to manage staff :D).

    So stepping up a role position would be a good thing... and a small office may be the outpost of a huge multinational, not necessarily a SME.

    The Y-man
     
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  11. Propagate

    Propagate Well-Known Member

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    The problem with the CEO appointments @inertia isn't generally that she couldn't do the work, she's got all the skills and experience needed and her big strength is people management and building highly skilled, successful teams. She's got the works, ticks all PD boxes generally apart from one.... the one thing she doesn't have, that 99% of CEO & COO adverts we've seen so far want, is "networking".

    Pretty much every PD will say something along the lines of "you will bring with you your extensive network of contacts in the industry", but as she's never been in a one specific industry, nor has a large network, they look straight over he despite the skill set being top notch.

    It's so frustrating as it's exactly why her last place is going down the gurgler, the current CEO is an ex PR guy, massive network of high flyers, gets his mug in all the papers and on TV constantly, flying about wining & dining the pollies and business leaders but doesn't know **** about running an organization or how to even put a hierarchy in place with the right people that do, so at least there'll still be an organisation.
     
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  12. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    A mate of mine just got a big job in his industry - advertising. Took him two years to get it after his last gig. It can be a long road.
    Scott
     
  13. TMNT

    TMNT Well-Known Member

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    Thats why I never take any job for granted,

    One minute your industry might be short of your job,

    the next minute there could be an oversupply
     
  14. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Considering that an entire generation hasn't experienced a recession I'd hate to see what's going to happen if things go south.
     
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  15. Hetty

    Hetty Well-Known Member

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    Not all jobs in the public sector have people filling the roles. They’re still worth applying for. If there’s an option to go for a short term temp job that can be a way in to a longer role too.
     
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  16. Propagate

    Propagate Well-Known Member

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    SUCCESS!!!!! Contract of employment signed last night.

    That's been 3 months of applications, interviews, presentations, knock backs and couple of down to the wire pipped at the post being into the last 2 and missing out.

    What a week she had this week. Two interviews last week leading to two second round interviews this week plus a third interview.

    First company was a very odd situation, good job (CEO level, replacing ex CEO that left under "unknown circumstances". vacancy re branded as a GM role), great pay, very weird application process, interview, second interview and presentation to the board. Bad "gut feel" and quite unprofessional they way they went about it all. Down to the last 3 and missed out (not a bad thing based on how she felt about the place/people).

    Left field one, (which you'll all find funny if you followed the NBN thread I started a while back), was for the NBN, "Leadership Coaching". Good pay, but not a job she wanted or a company she really wanted to work (nothing against NBN as an employer, she just didn't really want to go into corporate sector if she could help it). 12 month contract and would report to an ex employee of hers who used to report to her. He explained that its a foot in the door, upward progress for the right people in NBN is very fast tracked, so an interesting prospect but she's always worked in not for profit sector and really wanted to get back to NFP or preferably community focused charity organisations). Anyway, with no offers there's nothing to lose in going for it. Sydney NBN recruiting office booked her in for an interview on Wednesday at the Melbourne CBD offices. She turned up only to be told that the manager interviewing her was working from home that day and they couldn't do the interview! What a waste of time, they rescheduled her to today.

    Mean time, she went from that "interview" to an informal chat with the CEO of the job she's just accepted. She'd been through the second round interview with him and the board on Monday night, this chat was essentially to be made an offer.

    So, last night it was all formalized and she withdrew from the NBN application.

    Two week s on Monday she starts her new role as 'Director of People and Shared Services' for a community legal centre and she is thrilled. It's a great fit being that she has a law degree, has practiced law, has an economics degree and an MBA (plus many years in senior management and strategic management). It's pretty much what she used to do back in the UK before we left, (Assistant Manager of a Citizens Advice Bureau) which she loved, the last 12 years at the mob that retrenched her had drained all the sense of career fulfillment from her, she's going back to what she did and always wanted, to work for a charity that provide community services. Not city based either, so a bit better commute (still a decent drive but all freeway).

    Pretty big reduction in wage from what she's used to, but who cares really, she's looking forward to looking forward to going to work every day again and not waking up feeling like she's losing a little more of her soul each day.

    Thanks to everyone on the thread for being a sounding board the last few months.

    Cheers.
     
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  17. geoffw

    geoffw Moderator Staff Member

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    A "Like" is unfortunately the best kudos I can give.

    Congratulations and well done to her. And you.
     
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  18. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    @Propagate - it's the strangest interviews which are the most effective.
     
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  19. Tofubiscuit

    Tofubiscuit Well-Known Member

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    Glad its worked out!! Congrats
     
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  20. willair

    willair Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    Well done,six months time you will be thinking what were we worried about ,a least you are have a solid team..
    good luck for the future..
     
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