I recently saw an ad for a position in CA (read, high-priced living). They wanted a DSP engineer with 10+ years of experience, and MSEE, and familiar with a boatload of protocols, algorithms, etc. What were they offering? $40-50k/year. Now THAT is highway robbery, folks. For that much experience, education, etc. and that area, I wouldn't expect someone to ask much less than $100k/year...someone who's desparate may drop down to $75-80k, but 40-50?!!! @SSHOLES!

 

Tough times during these past couple of years. Left the biotech industry back in 1999 after 6.5 years of experience working with cell culture to work in the IT field for 3 years as a network engineer. Company dissolved and was hired by a previous client who was designing a new sputtering machine for CDRWs. That company got dissolved also and was unemployed for 6 months. Found another job in sales for an industrial pc manufacturer through an old contact from my previous IT position but it sucked. A friend who I knew from my old biotech job asked me to work at this new company. Now I'm back in biotech as a process science associate. Unfortunately, times are hard even for this company. Just had a layoff last November. Luckily, it didn't affect me. I am fortunate and lucky to have 2 skills.

 

It's as simple as supply / demand. Too many unemployed folks out there, they can save money because people need the job.

It sucks because I had plans to purchase a house, possibly get married, then you get word about this stuff.

Worst case, they'll hire me back and give me a 30% pay cut.

 

Supply/demand is one thing, but too many companies are failing to look at employees as a long-term investment. Can't the companies see that by paying an employee a significantly lower salary than they would normally command is against their best interests? When a new job comes available that pays a reasonable amount, the employee is going to jump ship and not look back. Now the company has spent a good deal of money training the employee for their new position only to lose them (and the money spent training them) 3 months later. Why? To save a few dollars in the short run...

 

Ross,

That was a very appropriate exchange with a greedy, bottom feeder. Been there!

I'm a Software Engineer and I was "downsized" (I HATE that word!), along with 236 others, last February 8th from a very well paying job with a renown fault-tolerant server manufacturer.

We were fortunate. Our former employer funded a professionally staffed out placement center. Many of us took advantage of this resource, i.e., resumes, testing, interviewing skills, job fairs, etc.

Some of my peers, with many years of engineering experience, success, and graduate degrees, did extremely well in this transition process. Some of us were lucky enough to land interviews that yielded salary offers close to what a "fresh-out" would consider an insult. The vast majority of this group are still either unemployed or are still looking to find something that will help them sustain the lifestyle that they were living prior to this crash.

From the time of notice, I was always willing to accept whatever was offered. I was very lucky to land a systems programming consulting job with a state agency. Not exactly a fast moving high tech job, but a port in the storm. After expenses, I took a large cut in take home salary, but I am not sitting at home any more still looking for the right opportunity to come along. You should always take what you can get.

One day you are the hunted, the next you are the hunter!

Good Luck All!

 

Great you got a job, the market is still doing not too great so justa about anything is good right about now!!!