OT:Xerox has laid me off after 38 years of working there...

[Boggs]

That 38 years includes 5.5 years of contract time there which started in 1973. Of course, I am not alone in the latest barrage of corporate greed. Prayers for all of those caught up in it...

 

I have several things going against me including my 58 years of age and the lack of a degree in a high tech field (I am a design engineering technician). I do have one thing in my favor, however... I'm ME!

 

That said, I do go through orientation at a job transition company tomorrow morning at 10:00 as I have already set up the appointment. I will solicit assistance there to develop a resume and a strategy that will hopefully deflect attention away from the education line and to get a feel for the successful strategies of those in my position of age and education and how and where they got placed. It's been 36+ years since I have had to submit a resume... One thing I do want to present at an interview is an analogy of what makes for a continuously successful franchise strategy in the NFL as an example. They do get the best rookies money can buy (in their best guesstimation), but they also recognize that they do need the free agency ticket of VETERAN players, often at the end of their careers, to be able to mentor and bring their knowledge and thought processes and attitudes about the game to them to build them into the most complete players they can be in addition to their own contributions on the field. Their price is typically higher, and it is known that their term is shortened, but it is universally understood in the league the true VALUE in such an individual and strategy. That is something I can and would bring to the table with great joy and enthusiasm. I just need to figure the right way to get those face-to-face interviews so my resume doesn't get deep-sixed before getting to the meat of it because of the education line. I have no degree...

 

I posted this here as most of you know of my lutherie business on the side (to be more mainline, hopefully).

 

Boggs

 

 

[Caevan O'Shite]

Oh, man, Boggs, I'm sorry to read of your being laid off like that, though glad that you're looking at it in as positive and healthy a way as you can... breakaleg! You know what I mean. here's to you coming out of this on top, and then some.

[TuskBuffer]

Hey Boggs, that really does suck and of course you're not alone. You do have a couple things going for you right now though. First, you've only recently been laid off. Second, you do have the Luthier business, so there will really be no gaps in your employment and as you go out for interviews, you can show that you are still working with no employment gaps. Take whatever kind of benefits you can get--grants to go to school, etc.

 

I was laid off a few years ago and qualified for an $8,000 grant to go to school. Had to jump through some hoops, but it wasn't that though. I struggled on unemployment for 6 months while I went to computer geek school (I'm a single father, raising two kids to boot) and somehow convinced my present company to hire me...maybe I was the only applicant who didn't drool excessively, I don't know . This was when unemployment only lasted for 6 months without the extensions for 2 years--so I just made it by the skin of my teeth! Stay positive and I'm sure you will make it through.

 

All the best to you!

[Winston Psmith]

Brother, I'm so sorry. I've followed your postings on Rock Beach Guitars, and I've always been impressed - maybe it's time to push that line.

 

Best of luck, whatever comes up next - like Red Green always says "I'm pulling for ya - we're all in this together!"

[picker]

Sorry to hear that Boggsy, but don't feel too bad about not having a degree. I have one, and it didn't get me squat. The folks who hire are much more interested in guys who can "do" than guys with a sheepskin who may NOT be able to "do'...

[Strategery]

Sorry to hear about this Boggs.

I see it all too often in my travels.

 

For any of you that have lost your jobs, and you think outside sales may be something you'd be interested in...please leave me a private message.

 

I work for one of the best companies in the nation and we're hiring nationwide to work in your area.

Give me a holler if you're interested.

 

Randy

[Boggs]

Thank you all... I will of course work harder on promoting my guitars ('cause building more requires SALES) but the market has been really bad for boutique builders. Not one sale last year. I will do my best on that front, but I am not going to rely on it. I WILL survive this and get back on my feet 'cause it's what I do. God Bless y'all for caring for this old fart you never even met!

 

Boggs

[Caevan O'Shite]

Of COURSE we've met you, we met you here.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Someone- other than Boggs, of course- needs to start a thread along the lines of "High-profile/Celebrity Guitarists who should really buy a Rock Beach Guitar"

 

You're in my prayers, man!

[skipclone 1]

Damn, sorry to hear about that. You`ve got drive determination and diversification on your side, you`ll do fine.

 

I can relate to some of your feeling though, I sometimes think about the prospect of moving back stateside and then I consider my age and what I have to offer, and what I`m up against. Then I think, no actually I`d rather have someone drop a bowling ball on my foot repeatedly.

[whitefang]

Y'mean Xreox didn't have a "30 and out" plan? THAT sucks. You could have been retired and kickin' full-time on your guitar building gig.

 

I've known some old-timers at the GM plant I worked at with 33 years who said, "I guess I'll give it another five" and then die in some freak accident. Should've got out when they could.

Whitefang

[Delta]

My wife was let go last year from a hospital system where she was a nursing director and where she had worked for 30 years. She was devastated. After collecting unemployment for about half a year she found another job in the medical insurance field and she couldn't be happier. She now realizes that it was the best thing that could have happened to her. All the best to you Boggs. You'll be fine.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

58 is about the age when I (along with a lot of others) was suddenly let go from a small business contract on a major military computer project - the large company was required to have 40% of people from small business, but they had added a lot of low level positions - so they got rid of us that were in higher positions. Lived in the Virginia Beach area then - 6 months looking resulted in 2 interviews and zero found. Studied real estate during the time, sold ONE house in the next 6 months - MINE.

Moved back to a small town where I had been 30 years earlier. Sold the city home for enough to pay off the $34,000 mortgage owed and buy the home in the small town fully paid. Opened a business doing computer networking and services. Lot easier to make a living when no $1000 or more house payment every month.

 

Sub-contracted for a larger company for a year, went in to Social Security office just to register as required - they showed me that I could start benefits then and it would be 19 years later by time I made less. Kept the business going part time, still doing it at 69. Enjoying life a lot more.

 

Boggs - have you considered not only making basses, but also doing repairs and that sort of thing? Might benefit you two ways - introduce you to more people that might buy a bass, and generate some revenue as well. I spent 30 years servicing electronic music equipment self-employed - never had to even advertise - the music dealers needed someone to provide service, didn't want to do it themselves - they fed me clients, I just had to do the work and do it well.

 

Large companies like EDS or Xerox have very little compassion for the people - but being one's own boss can be very rewarding. I don't make a LOT of money, but the bills are paid, reasonable GAS is handled, and I don't have all the corporate crud to put up with (now that I have my own small corporation, I can use that old "against corporate policy" line for things I really don't want to do."

 

Anyhow, blessings on you and your family.

 

[desertbluesman]

That 38 years includes 5.5 years of contract time there which started in 1973. Of course, I am not alone in the latest barrage of corporate greed. Prayers for all of those caught up in it...

 

Good luck amigo. I sincerely hope you find something to hold you over till retirement time.

 

I have been retired for years and I do not miss work a single bit. I did work part time as a masonry estimator till the bottom fell out of the building trades here in the Phoenix area. been on unemployment for almost a year and a half and may have 24 more weeks coming. After that it is on my social security check alone. My job may come back but probably not till mid decade.

[Boggs]

Well, I am thinking more strongly about a complete career change. I heard tonight from the husband of a physician who I sing with in a volunteer choral group. I think I am going to shoot for getting back on the medical track to leverage my EMT experience by becoming a surgical medical technician. It would be a very significant pay reduction from what I was making but that would have to be expected no matter where I started out. I cannot expect to make what I did after 38 years even though I received only one $100 raise in the last 7 years. I think my maturity may be a competitive advantage. I could conceivable be trained within 10 months after starting the training program.

[Bartholomew]

Count your blessings Boggs, move forward - turn it into a positive thing. I was forced to give up my Clients after being diagnosed with an incurable blood disorder. $150,000 of miracle drug Medicare expense and a year later I'm clean again and the Doctors are amazed.

 

Due to the medical treatments and visits I was forced to give-up my Taxation corporate Clients and all work with deadlines. It will cost me approx $300,000 in fees over the next few years - working part-time on my PC at home - the situation everyone wants, no traffic, no car expenses, no boss.

 

While I was in the Doctor's office being told I was clear last month my cell went off on the vibrator - not supposed to have it on in a hospital environment so I ignored it. Message on my voice-mail told me the Chartered Accountant I had given all my work & Clients to had dropped dead.

 

Ironic that I'm still here and he isn't - life is strange sometimes. It was like a wake-up call as guitar was a second career but my first passion, so I'll never work again except to be just another out of work guitar-player.

 

Hang in there buddy - it isn't over till it's over.

[Larryz]

Sounds like you'll bounce back...good luck Boggsy...

[Tennessee]

Boggs:

You don't know me, I don't post here very often. I went through the VERY SAME THING last March, 2010, when a company I came to as a Continuous Improvement veteran decided they were improved enough! My sales job I have now brought with it a 55% pay cut.

I also build guitars, in my case solid body electrics under the Tsunami name. It also has helped me to "fill in the gaps" of the money lost when I took the sales job as head of sales for a mechanical contractor. Turns out there are a number of benefits to maybe thinking of sales, no matter what you want to sell. First, I get around my area a lot, (SE Tennessee, and North Georgia). I meet a lot of people, and by the way, get to stop into a lot of guitar shops!! I always keep two sets of business cards, my company and my guitar business. Every so often the topic of guitars comes up, and Olah!!, I pull out the cards. I do fine with the new mechanical contractor job because I have been in maintenance and factories a number of times, and can often relate. The monies I get from selling the guitars is a nice filler. And I get to see a great number of guitars for sale in lots neat stores that I would not normally get into. Think closely about some sort of sales. You can get around and build more than one thing at once!! And the people you meet? Just neat as you can imagine!! Good Luck and God Bless!! Oh, by the way - I don't have a degree either, and I was just ready to turn 60 when they laid me off!!

[Boggs]

Tennesee, post more often, man... You have much to offer and you sound like top shelf people that we would all like to get to know better! I can take some hit in pay, but I cannot take too much without risking having to sell my home. I will be doing some fill-in work transporting blood around the state when the paperwork gets here and hopefully the guitar business will pick up with the economy (and I have to advertise about my repair-setup services and develop more professional looking cards), and I will be doing some testing with Rochester Clinical Research (not adverse to renting my body out for research), and add to that I am going to try and get into a surgical tech training program. God Bless ya, Tennesee, and all the best with your growing careers!!

[Terrell]

Sorry to hear that! But, I don't think it's your fault. Xerox has lost its way! What does Xerox even do now? Every time they stepped out, they lost step. Last I heard, they were trying to resell their service workforce as global footprint managed services for hire. That was the signal of the end I think. Same thing Dictaphone did in the final years...

 

You will find something rewarding!

[Bluesape]

You should have been given a buyout after so many years...

[Tennessee]

Boggs:

Thanks for the kind comments. Really. That means a lot to me. You know that building a business takes time - kind of like all that woodshedding you had to do to learn to play great! I had been building since 2009, but due to my bad marketing, (all gone now), I didn't take off until September 2010.

I took a look at your website, your guitars have some things in common with my guitars. You chamber, I chamber. You essentially have no plastic pickguards, neither do I. So why have you sold nothing last year, and I have sold over a dozen since September 2010? I think price is one big factor. I know a guy just South of me who makes a really mean Tele style. It's very, very good. It matches up very well with Fender's American. He tops out at $750. Mine are currently topping out at $600, and most of what I build is around $450-500. You just have to make a few decisions on what market you want to be in, and right now, without a big name, you will have a hard time pushing builds over $1000. You'll note on my website testomonial page, I've probably got a bigger name playing mine than you do yours. I also donated one to my church to give away at Christmas. LOTS of repair work and sales off that! Send me a personal note through my e-mail on my website and we can e-mail offline on how I got so many builds in such a short time. I did struggle for months doing poor marketing, now I pretty much have sold all the old ones save for three, and everything that gets on the bench is already sold. I am just now making my first one not sold in 6 months, and I only have three to display, should I have to do a show. Everything else is gone. Why the difference? Look at my website, see what you think. I took out a cheap, Intuit website that currently has six pages. My guitars are a little odd, but the shapes are very traditional. I give GREAT value for the money - I would rather make a little less now and get dozens of them out there, rather than try to retire off the first couple dozen. There may be other reasons, but for some reason, I am selling, you are not. And you are in a band where you can display yours, I am not! check out my Tsunami Guitar website. Call or e-mail me off the contact page, we'll share. I always try to help. Maybe we can start our own Premier Builder's Guild!!

[Eric Iverson]

That sucks, but you seem like a guy who isn't a crybaby and, "you can't keep a good man down."

 

I get my current job at 53 or so... it's not everybody who only hires teenagers!