The Community
General Category => Matters of Life and The Universe => Topic started by: Vyn on August 18, 2025, 07:18:04 PM
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After years of loyal service at my employer, they decided their leadership team needs to consist of young, energetic people who can relate to tomorrow's demographic.
And they showed me the door. Because an overweight, grey-haired antiquarian like myself does not fit their image of, "young and energetic".
I, of course, have a great ageism case, but they offered me a year's salary to sign a document indicating I wouldn't do that. I like being able to pay bills more than I like suing anyone.
Wish me luck I just need a decent gig for a handful of years then I'm jettisoning to independently wealthy man of high society. Er. Retiring. lol
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Year of salary is good. Current job market is ROUGH.
I'm looking around, as well, and there's not a lotta love. My best bet is with a CISO I met a few years back who is now CIO of a rural hospital system, who has budget to build out his remote security team. I like that.
My wife has started a franchise. That was back in March. I cashed in a significant chunk of my retirement account and, being over 55 or 50 or whatever the number is that I'm over, there was no tax on it if I started a business with it. We do need to keep an accountant that specializes in ROBS funded businesses, which this one is, and endure the start-up period, which we're just about to turn the corner on. My salary right now is basically covering the cash burn of the first 6-12 months we expected before it starts to break even and turn profitable.
The franchise itself came about because of my last job search that went long. Talked with a guy who had a franchise helping people match up with franchises. (Which I myself am interested in doing, just need to have my wife's thing take off, then I can hop on over.) People over 50something that got cut at work are their prime market because they can deliver on helping us find something that we're right for. I worked with the guy, talked things through, said I'd like to work with my wife on a franchise, and the ones he suggested really resonated with us. We went with Assisted Living Locators, which helps place people in assisted living/memory care facilities. Basically, she met every dang community operator in our part of Dallas County, networked like it was goin' out of style, and we're now seeing some action coming out of that. We only get paid by the facilities, always no cost to the families seeking help. Great energy, great company, really works with what we want to be doing.
I know the guy that runs our massage therapy place that we go to. He's about my age, used to be in IT, then got too old to hire. He opened up the shop and never looked back. He loves the work and all the hassles that go with it.
While loads of small businesses fail in the first few years, the success rate with franchises is much higher. They basically have the rinse and repeat action down pat, and can teach it to the franchise owners. Going with a franchise broker who has X slots of some action that he's trying to move by EOM is a mistake. Those guys don't care as long as they get the money. The person I worked with was someone who wanted to find where I'd be successful and helped us find something that, well, we're just about to be successful with. The plan is paying off, even if I'm still working and my wife is the one that got the franchise.
It's worth a conversation, for sure.
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So sorry to hear about your job vyn
That really makes me mad 😠
I hope you can find a better solution for you and yours
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Sorry to hear that bud...
But glad you got a good severance package!
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Thanks for the encouraging words guys, I appreciate it!
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Also, sorry to hear your news, Vyn.
If it were me - 6 month holiday and then start looking for a new job! ;)
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Also, sorry to hear your news, Vyn.
If it were me - 6 month holiday and then start looking for a new job! ;)
Job market is... what's the word... "stagnant" in the USA right now. Not a lot of people leaving, not a lot of roles getting created, so there's not a lot of opportunity. It may well be 6 months of looking or more. Took me 4 and a half months in my search, and I'm in cybersecurity, a supposedly "hot" career. I might have found a role sooner if I was willing to take a deeper pay cut, so there's that, as well. Most folks going to a new job are getting lower pay in the process. I'm looking again because my current role is... what's the word... "toxic"... and I'm willing to have a deep pay cut to get out of where I'm at right now if it means getting into something that's much better-run.
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It is no surprise that the job market is more favorable to younger people. Wish you guys some job hunting luck.
@Vyn: Sense you are so close to 65, that package sounds like a pretty good deal.
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It is no surprise that the job market is more favorable to younger people. Wish you guys some job hunting luck.
@Vyn: Sense you are so close to 65, that package sounds like a pretty good deal.
Thanks!
Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the going-away present.