Lessons for Long-Timers in IT and Life

by Doug Mewmaw

I recently celebrated my 15th anniversary at my company. A mentor of mine celebrated his 26th on the same day. On each anniversary, I always feel like the younger brother of the local football star. People come over and congratulate me, then turn to my peer, incredulously, once they learn of his years of service. We are both long-timers. But a long-timer really could be anyone who has been with their company for eight years or more. If you are a long-timer, listen up. Take some lessons from me.

Like everybody else, my company has experienced many rounds of layoffs. During such times, I have seen a troubling phenomenon. Good associates with many years of seniority have been the ones asked to leave. I've also had peers and friends outside my company who were let go from their own companies. They each had more than 10 years with their companies and were replaced with someone who had less experience and a lower salary. Several months ago, I survived another round of layoffs but was asked to take a major pay cut. I had never had a poor review in my 20-year IT career, yet I was asked to take a pay cut. I was shocked. After a little soul searching, I was able to see the big picture.

In these poor economic times, companies are struggling. Chief information officers are asking management to cut costs. The pressures are so high that directors and managers are forced to slash costs anyway they can. The trend of the late '90s, when "job jumpers" were the first to go, seems not to be true during this recession. Long-timers are becoming an easy target. Why? Because replacing high-salaried associates is a quick fix. Being a long-timer with a solid record, I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. But the past few months really opened my eyes to the realities of corporate America. If you are a long-timer, I challenge you with the following questions.

Do you feel secure in your job? Do you feel management looks at you as experienced or as someone with stale ideas? What would your family say is your number-one priority? Is it work or family?

I thought I scored 100 percent on these simple questions. Then I discovered my score was a big fat zero. When I was told this year that I was essentially being demoted, I kept thinking about the lessons my dad always taught me. "Work hard every day, at every single thing you do," he would say, "take pride in your work," and "if you concentrate on those things, you will see the fruits of success." As a result, I have been dedicated and passionate in every job I've been blessed with. Whether pumping gas at 14 or working at my present job, I've always strived to be the very associate I could be. Not only did I want to be the best team player, but I always wanted the company I worked for to look good and to be proud it had hired me. My dad passed away a year ago, from cancer. I know he would be proud that I've busted my butt for more than 25 years. I'm proud that I wasn't a "nine-to-fiver" and that my dedication always went way beyond the call of duty. In a way, my dad taught me that that's just the way you behave.

So I always felt I needed to give my heart and soul to my company, and I did. During those years of dedication, I missed my daughter's third birthday, as well as many family weekend outings, and I was at work when my dad passed away. Yes, I was at work. I learned some valuable lessons this year. I certainly did not see the forest through the trees. Long-timers, I discovered the following lessons.

Lesson 1: Just like there is no crying in baseball, there is not always loyalty in corporate America. When companies are in "mayday" cost-cutting mode, all bets are off.

Lesson 2: Family has got to be your number-one priority. My daughter still reminds me that I missed her birthday. You know what? I deserve it. That day is never coming back. I know there are lots of you out there nodding your heads in agreement. The problem is that you're reading this article at midnight. Get in bed with your wife now. She deserves it, and so do you. The work will be there tomorrow.

Lesson 3: Explore other job opportunities. When I think about how many headhunters I told, "No, thanks," I could just scream. When I think of the benefits of other jobs, I'm embarrassed that I never took advantage of them. Here is a comparison of two types of associates, the long-timer and the job jumper.

The pros for long-timers include getting more benefits upon achieving higher levels of service (like longer vacations and pensions), gaining respect within the organization as a "go to" person, and being considered a loyal employee.

The cons associated with being a long-timer sometimes include being asked to leave during hard economic times. Long-timers don't get pay increases as often as those who jump from job to job. They don't have a plethora of job experiences, because they have been at only one company. And their ideas are often consider stale.

The pros of being a job jumper include having more job experiences, experiencing different business cultures, getting more pay increases (and often getting sign-on bonuses), and being perceived as bringing fresh ideas to an organization.

Some of the cons of being a job jumper include being viewed as disloyal, so they may risk losing their job during a layoff, and not getting the benefits associated with long years of service.

Looking at the pros and cons, I don't see any reason to stay at a company for a long time. Understand that I'm not saying to job jump dozens or hundreds of times. I simply challenge you be open minded to the thought of exploring other opportunities. The ultimate goal is to still find a solid company. Instead of being at one company, gaining experience at three or four might be the better for your career path.

Lesson 4: Change your mindset to fit into your company's culture. Expect that the culture is going to change. Long-timers will try to hold on to the past because a culture worked well. However, management dictates the culture. I have found that it's better to roll with the punches and to just deal with the new culture changes. Even though the culture may be one that you are not comfortable with, you have no control over it. (Remember, management has the keys to the building.) Instead of fighting the culture, change your mindset to deal with it. If that means you have to be less passionate about your job, and simply come in and work a normal shift, so be it. I'm not saying you should only go through the motions at work and do a lousy job. But if your company is creating an environment where it's hard to be passionate about work, come in and do your job professionally, then go home. The good news is that even a bad culture will change again soon, so be ready for it.

The last few months opened my eyes to the reality of what can happen during hard economic times. While many might say I'm simply mad at my company, I would say this: I'm not mad; I'm disappointed that I was blind to what was going on around me. In retrospect, my wife even saw it coming. (That's why a spouse is called your better half!) Being a 15-year veteran with a solid record, I simply believed that if I adhered to my father's teachings, everything would take care of itself. I now realized I was taught by a man whose generation had loyalty as a core value.

Obviously, in troubled economic times, loyalty is not always a priority. I learned my beliefs were old and out of touch. For the new generations of workers out there, I learned I was Elvis Presley in an Eminem world. That's okay. The lessons I take away from this are worth more than you can imagine. Family is number-one. Don't ever miss a family event for a work task. Companies don't keep track of stats like that, but your family does. Explore other opportunities. Don't close your mind to possible future endeavors. Being employed at several companies over your career can give you many experiences to learn from. I still believe in my dad's work ethic, but now I realize you must change your mindset to fit your company's changing culture. If your work becomes "just a job," you can still be professional in your daily approach.

Maybe someday, when I run an IT organization, I will get the chance to treat people the way my dad taught me. After all, recessions come and go. But in the end, good people may just go.

Doug Mewmaw has worked in IT since 1983 and lives in Illinois. E-mail: golfingdad@comcast.net

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