Ever since Wednesday I’ve been getting a ton of email, LinkedIn notices and Facebook messages from friends who were effected by the resource actions in my company. For some, this is the start of retirement, but for most, these folks are looking for ways of applying their technical skills in some other way. they are asking me.. and I’m sure many others.. if i know of places that need folks with good engineering, science and math skills. Most of these folks will want/need to stay in vermont. This is where there families anre and where their kids go to school. Vermont is a very small place which is both a curse and a blessing.. A curse because there’s not a huge amount of other industry up here.. but its small size is also a blessing. We are so tightly connected up here that i’m hoping folks can network there way to a new career.
I’m hoping that if you’re reading this, you can help me help some of these folks out.. Do you know of anyone who’s looking for electrical engineers, or programmers ? These are all very bright folks with strong technical skills.they have very strong math skills, some have strong business skills. All are hardworking.
If you have a lead on job openings anywhere in the area, please let me know so I can steer some of these folks in that direction. If you’re out there and are lookign for a person with a specific set of technical skills, let me know and I can canvas the folks I know to find you a good match..
I know that it’s going to be hard to match everyone up here with a job .. but I need to find some way to help.. even helping 1 or 2 o these friends would be great Let me hear from you if you know of oppertunities
nite all, nite sam
-me
Many of our friends here in Rochester were affected as well – a very very sad time for all of us. And like your community, Rochester’s not really the easiest to find another engineering job in (esp when it’s the engineering company that lays people off!)
There is life after IBM. I left seven months ago and am enjoying the new challenges. Fidelity Investments has a presence there, I believe. I’m happy to help find details if you send me the job ID for a role there.
There does seem to be conflicting messages in that we are telling young people to look at STEM disciplines and yet we are shedding STEM talent. I was “shifted” into retirement last April when resource actions affected the HR community. I left IBM with 36 years of experience and found that there were opportunities for me to return to work in IBM and outside of IBM and it meant that I had to be very flexible about where I wanted to work and what I wanted to do. I chose to not go into another corporate position and have been enjoying the flexibility and versatility of retirement.
I realize that retirement is not an option for many, so my suggestion for those who have STEM experience is to think about how their talent could be applied in non-STEM positions. You are in a position to contribute a new perspective to enhance the Arts. For example, you’ll find that schools, community colleges, state colleges, many small businesses, appreciate the need to have an “integrated approach” that brings STEM and ARTs together. Be open to new ways of applying your talent. Consider how you can broaden the perspective of a business by adding you to their staff.
In HR, I did a lot of career counseling, and one thing I observed going through the Right Management Career Guidance, offered by IBM, is the confirmation that YOU must think through how you can contribute to any new position. The statement you come up with about who you are and how you can make an impact will serve you well in your discussions with anyone and everyone about what you want to do next. It may not be in the place you want to be, but with tel-commuting you may be able to design a position that has never been thought of before.
I understand the feeling of betrayal, disappointment, confusion and even fears…but there are opportunities out there…and you have experience and practiced talents that others don’t have. Don’t lose heart…believe in yourself…and talk to everyone you know…in person and online…get enrolled in the employment transition programs that IBM offers and put some thought into that two or three line statement about what you want to do and how you will make an impact to the person who hires you. Best of luck to you.
John………for those willing to consider a transition into education, there is the local Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP), an 8 month program to prepare professionals from other careers to enter a 7-12 classroom. They have an excellent track record of preparing and placing transitioning professionals in Vermont schools. I know their upcoming class is close to full, but it’s something to consider. TAP has been based at Chittenden Central SU for the past 10 years but is moving to Champlain College on July 1. One advantage of that is that applicants will have access to federal loans to help with the tuition costs ($10,900 most recently).