Has your office / company laid people off or are you expecting layoffs? PART 8

[vengie]

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Getting my first pay cut of my career on Friday, definitely a blow to the ego but kinda to be expected. Ironically also my first O&G job of my career, was hoping it'd be a bit before the next crash but thats how life goes haha

Welcome to Oil and Gas, pay cuts will become very normal to you in no time..........................................

[msommers]

Sad but true. Still praying for single-meat sandwiches.

[black300]

I got the call as well today, only give me 1 weeks notice. I was a contractor for a while, all other contractors got 2 weeks notice. Pile of shit.

[lasimmon]

Y’all should have joined the abandonment game 10 years ago...

[dirtsniffer]

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I've never seen a boom from this side of the desk...
During the last boom I was in the field and wouldn't have known one way or the other! Field compensation is pretty steady for our guys.

Neither, looking forward to trying a double meat sub

[mrsingh]

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If you can switch industries and get a professional position you enjoy, go for it! Even a 20-30% pay cut is not that bad if you think you have stability and upward mobility.
I found that it was very difficult, you may have more success.

I think living in Calgary; this is still the best industry to be working in depending on who you work for. I have worked 17 years, 14 in O&G, and 10 for my current company. I have probably made it out better than most (no pay cuts or anything like that), the roller coaster ride is what frustrates me sometimes. The problem is when I look elsewhere (other provinces) it is more like a 50% pay cut and a huge cost of living increase.

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It sucks, but at the same time it's well known that the economy is going to have booms and busts. If you choose an occupation that is affected by that (as many have done including myself), then on some level you have to expect it and be OK with it. ...

...I've been in O&G for ~15 years now and while I've been fortunate enough to have no gaps in my employment, I have worked for 5 different companies (more if you count name changes/mergers). It's not my dream job and I don't love the uncertainty, but not too many jobs pay as well (in Calgary) or have the same perks, which at the end of the day is what allows me to do the things I really enjoy like travel. I've always told people that to be in O&G you need to be able to stomach change and be able to adapt. I'm a lifer for sure, unless something major and unexpected happens. For me to switch industries into something with similar pay would likely mean a minimum of 4 more years of school + several more years of experience building.

I hear you, and likely would not leave unless I was packaged out, I fully appreciate that it is my choice to be in the industry. The last ten years though make me question it sometimes!

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Unsure how many industries outside of oil and oil adjacent are paying over six figures though. Alot of my friends all in industries that are not oil are making less than 80k

I think it is dependent on what your niche is in the industry, along with your background and training. I have worked in project controls, project management, and construction management, along with some field engineering roles in the past. I have a tech diploma and a science degree in a similar discipline, so when I have looked at jobs elsewhere they are still six figure jobs. Still a large pay cut nonetheless.

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Being in tech is also no fun in Calgary. But being out of O&G for a decade+ definitely a lot less rough than what I see around me from colleagues of the past.

Not really planning on going anywhere, just was a bit bummed when I wrote my post, and questioning why I chose my career path.

[tonytiger55]

A question is. Where would one move to? In some aspects, I still say Calgary is a great place.

I totally get the rollercoaster ride. Its hard to plan your life, family etc when things are so unstable. I think part of it is rolling with the punches. The hits either tougher you up or break you.

Ive take a pay cut myself, retrained and im doing a job just for the stability. I can tell you first hand, many people do not get that and run with the idea of following your passion at all costs.
I do think some aspects of Calgary is a bubble. We do have it pretty good in some aspects. Its highlighted in some ways you have to be really adaptable and do things you may just not want to do. I don't think all Calgarians are willing to do that. But it will pay your mortgage and allow you to order takeout Chicken Chow Mein on a Friday night.

Some people have it a lot worse. Some former clients of mine are new immigrants. Its brutal for them. For myself, I always ask what is one comparing this to?

[pheoxs]

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A question is. Where would one move to? In some aspects, I still say Calgary is a great place.

I totally get the rollercoaster ride. Its hard to plan your life, family etc when things are so unstable. I think part of it is rolling with the punches. The hits either tougher you up or break you.

Ive take a pay cut myself, retrained and im doing a job just for the stability. I can tell you first hand, many people do not get that and run with the idea of following your passion at all costs.
I do think some aspects of Calgary is a bubble. We do have it pretty good in some aspects. Its highlighted in some ways you have to be really adaptable and do things you may just not want to do. I don't think all Calgarians are willing to do that. But it will pay your mortgage and allow you to order takeout Chicken Chow Mein on a Friday night.

Some people have it a lot worse. Some former clients of mine are new immigrants. Its brutal for them. For myself, I always ask what is one comparing this to?

Calgary feels like one of the few places that I can get ahead. You can eventually save and get a house/condo if you want to with most average jobs here. That's not the case in Vancouver or Toronto. It costs so much to live that its very hard to work towards a solid future unless you land one of the high paying tech roles. For the average person it's just getting by and kicking the saving for retirement can down the road.

[Buster]

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following your passion

worst career advice you can get.

[mrsingh]

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A question is. Where would one move to? In some aspects, I still say Calgary is a great place.

I totally get the rollercoaster ride. Its hard to plan your life, family etc when things are so unstable. I think part of it is rolling with the punches. The hits either tougher you up or break you.

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Calgary feels like one of the few places that I can get ahead. You can eventually save and get a house/condo if you want to with most average jobs here. That's not the case in Vancouver or Toronto. It costs so much to live that its very hard to work towards a solid future unless you land one of the high paying tech roles. For the average person it's just getting by and kicking the saving for retirement can down the road.

So I am again more fortunate than most in this regard. I grew up in Vancouver, and my parents still live and own property there already. If I chose to sacrifice living alone, I could build a family home with them (I am brown and the only son), I would be able to surmount the housing challenge. It would also allow me to be with my parents to care for them as they age.

But then career development and independence (would take the wife a lot of convincing) come into play. There is work out there, I have been offered jobs in the $120-140k range in the past. That would allow me to have a a similar mortgage to what I have now, with a larger house and a mortgage helper, I could make it work if I really wanted to.

It would definitely impact the retirement savings and lifestyle though, it really becomes a quality of life question. I have lived in Alberta for 14 years and have grown to love it over that time, and I do actually like the career I have had here and the company I work for.

Nothing serious, just my random thoughts.

[bjstare]

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worst career advice you can get.

Unless your passion is making money and you just sack up and do whatever gets you the most.

It's all about interpretation man.

[msommers]

Sarcasm detector needs calibrating

[you&me]

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Sarcasm detector needs calibrating

I don't think Buster was being sarcastic

[bjstare]

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I don't think Buster was being sarcastic

haha

Following your passion is a surefire road to mediocre earnings for 99.999% of the population. Those who's passions line up with the right personal acumen/intelligence, education, timing, network, and a dozen other things are the ones who make bank. Everyone else follows their passion to a job at Safeway stocking shelves.

[killramos]

I like playing video games. Should I do that for a living?

Following your passion is a fantastic recipe for hating your passion.

[msommers]

Jesus you guys are downers

[ThePenIsMightier]

My entire fucking Kingdom for the clip from Office Space where Michael Bolton says "No, you're working at Initech because that question is bullshit to begin with. If that quiz worked, there would be no janitors, because no one would clean shit up if they had a million dollars!"

[ExtraSlow]

I heard you only end up working at Initech if you are a no-talent ass clown. That was the rumour anyway....

[bjstare]

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Jesus you guys are downers

Joking aside, I don't think living in reality equates to being a downer.

[msommers]

I can certainly appreciate your viewpoint on it and will backtrack a bit by calling you fellow hosers downers -- pessismistic would have been more accurate. Not every passion/hobby/interest is going to translate well into a career. For example, I love photography but more often than not I just enjoy taking pictures for me, not for someone else. So I get where you're coming from.

That said, I strongly feel there is an element of passion that most don't actually follow through on, lose drive/momentum/persistence and that is more often than not the reason(s) 'follow your passion' ends up failing. The Arts in particular as a career is like that, whether it be architecture, photography, modelling, acting, music.... There are years of grinding or a one-in-a-million chance to be successful. Then again, there is a lot of luck involved in any career whether one wants to admit it or not. Please don't interpret that as luck is everything.

If you're passionate about something, have a game-plan on how to realize that idea, be persistent and open to change, my opinion is that the money will come and you can be successful. What is success is so different among us all, and obviously not ever worrying about paying bills is likely a part of that.

---

I've been laid off for 5.5 months now with dwindling optimism and what feels like never-ending soul searching and finding purpose -- I mean Christ I'm turning 35 this year and feel utterly lost. So taking my own advice of 'follow your passion, be persistent and work hard' is challenging because I don't actually know what that is. Like so many things, it's easier said than done.

Cheers.