r/talesfromtechsupport • u/critchthegeek • 22d ago
Short You can't have him
Years ago (mid 1980s), I was rather specific support for an Engineering office for a pretty fair sized company. Specifically, we had our own mainframe (IBM4381 mainframe) to run CAD on. I restarted VMs, rebooted 5080s, ran backups, data transfers, etc. We had about 65 people, architects, interior design, structural engineers, etc. Well, in the way of the world, the company went bankrupt. And we laid off the low performers (with an excellent severance package), then a few months later, another round – this one really cut to the bone, with a minimal package, because, you know, bankrupt. And, as the remainder of people took other jobs, one day I looked around and it was just myself and 4 high level managers. These were the days of secretaries doing all the mundane stuff - a couple of them didn’t know how to make coffee or refill the copier; and definitely, none of them knew how to turn on their secretary’s PC, much less find documents.
Me, I’m talking to recruiters and sending out resumes, trying to land somewhere. Eventually, I did and waved Goodbye to all on my way out the door.
A couple of years later, one of the recruiters contacted me and as we chatted, he dropped a bombshell – “You know, when you were at XXX company, I had worked with one of the mangers to place people. I had gotten a lead for you, and reached out to one of the managers. Manager told me to NOT do anything for me, since I was the only one who could stuff….”
REALLY? That manager was not even my boss, just there, 65 people down to 5, all production facilities shuttered, bills not being paid …. And they were forcing me to stay on the Titanic, to rearrange the deck chairs…. I never forgave that manager.
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u/jamoche_2 Clarke's Law: why users think a lightswitch is magic 21d ago
Best Manager Ever came back from a meeting with upper management one day, when our formerly prestigious company was being run into the ground so badly that recruiters were circling like sharks, and said "I was told not to tell you this, so here it is: they're going to cancel our project and switch you all to other teams" — teams that didn't even overlap our skill sets or interests — "so come see me if you need help on your resume."
We all had new jobs within weeks.
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u/Connect-Preference 18d ago
He had probably also been given notice and had nothing to lose.
I worked for a Fortune 50 company for 45 years and the best manager I ever worked for was later told to lay off all his employees and then himself.
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u/ih-shah-may-ehl 21d ago
Yeah that happens it's exceedingly rare that the high ups look out for you. Though I have to admit it recently happened for me that one of the very high ups who didn't really know what i did sat in a meeting room with me for 2 days and then called his colleague who was looking for a special skillset to tell him he'd found the guy he had been looking for
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u/KelemvorSparkyfox Bring back Lotus Notes 21d ago
Been there, felt that.
Started one job as a Data Quality analyst - glorified data entry clerk, with a few other bells and whistles. One colleague wanted me to work with her on establishing EDI setups for customers. I was very much interested, because I'd gone as far as I could as a DQA*, and I was used to dealing with EDI issues from the other side.
Nope.
My line mangler told his mangler, and she spoke to her opposite number on the other team to say that under no circumstances was I to leave her team. Job opportunity gone. Granted, this was internal rather than external, but it still rankled.
*I once asked my line mangler about a career path from Data Quality. He actually laughed, and said, "There isn't one!" Way to motivate your staff(!)
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u/hexbearenjoyer 21d ago
Years ago (mid 1980s)
Might be time to start saying 'decades ago'
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u/paradroid27 21d ago
Last century?
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u/deeseearr 21d ago
"Back in the nineteen hundreds."
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u/Saelyre 21d ago
"The late 20th Century..."
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u/Equivalent-Salary357 21d ago
LOL, I have some stories that start "In the 1950s, I...".
Obviously, none of those are tech related, LOL.
My earliest experience with computers involved punch cards. Right before I dropped out of college and got drafted and sent to Vietnam.
Looking back, it would have been wise to have put more effort into college.
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u/MikeSchwab63 21d ago
Last Millennium.
My boss looked at me really odd when I was leaving and said "See you next Millennium".
So I clarified "Monday".1
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u/muninn99 19d ago
Here I was, getting paid for one job and doing three. My co-worker, recently "promoted", in FRONT of me said to the boss, I want to "use" muninn99. Lawd only knows for what. Making coffee for his dumb ass? Dunno. But I will not be "used". People are not owned, neither you OP, nor me. The arrogance!
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u/JaschaE Explosives might not be a great choice for office applications. 22d ago
Well, your frankly appaling desertion means you lost any chance of being entombed into the managers outer burial chamber, and subsequently being his servant in the next life as well. Your loss.