Q&A
Turn those negatives into positives.
Turn Those Negatives Into Positives
I am a divorced 49-year-old manager in the financial services industry. I will be laid off next March since this New-York-based company is moving most of the operation to Charlotte, N.C. I am currently earning $126,500 plus a bonus and have been with this company for 16.5 years. I'll get about 10 months of severance pay.
Any thoughts on how to market myself to New-York-based firms to showcase my time with this firm as a positive, not a negative? I'm also afraid my salary may make me unattractive to potential employers. How much of a pay cut should I consider?
Why would your time with the company be a negative rather than a positive? In a time when there is such a fluid workforce, you have stayed loyal and really contributed to the company.
True, you don't want to be accused of being "stuck in one place with only one way of doing business," so make sure you understand the competitive landscape. Try to really exercise yourself and think of your skills and expertise in terms of flexibility. I would obviously take advantage of all of the outplacement and services that your current company is offering.
I would also not even think about a pay cut until you are forced to do so. My experience is that someone who has worked for a company for 16 years is probably being paid under the market, because you didn't move around for larger increases but stayed in one place.
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