Riffed, downsized, circumsized, rightsized, restructured, etc. Call it whatever you want. It's a bad way to be these days.

Just got notice my company is moving on and doing so without me. What a s*##@ time of year to be without a job. We were the victim of a highly publicized acquisition and the victims are all falling by the wayside from the company that was acquired. Tough on the old ego after you spent so much time closing business ($90MM in 6 months) and giving up your personal life to travel all over the country to support the demands of the business.

Well so much for crying. It's making my cigar wet. It's going to put a cramp on my bidding and buying habits, but I will have plenty of time to smoke what's in the humi.

Anyone out there in the same boat these days? How's the job market? Anyone hiring strong sales talent?

What would you vote to smoke on such notice? My best choices are Ashton, ISOM Cohiba, Hemingway Short Story, HdM Ex 1066. Sorry no X's or Garycliffe's in there anywhere.

Cheers

KV

550025

not your fault. netween nafta and china, you are screwed. try falling, or tripping, and breaking something. workers comp, that's the ticket.

from what i understand there is no job market.

don't let the shock strangle your initiative. "nothing happens until somebody sells something"

perfect opportunity to start a new life. start your own little business selling what you know about. be a mfg rep on commission only. if you can sell, you are never out of work.

just keep stroking until you are ahead of the wake.

talk to me in a couple of years and tell me how lucky you are that the job folded and the chance it forced you to take and succed.

Soon to be. one on one meetings coming up to ask if you want to relocate to another part of the country.

Keep you chin up, smoke your best.

Rick's got it right. Allways work out there for a good salesman. My old man did it for 35+ years. Fact is if your good, you can sell anything! Keep a posative outlook and something will turn up. Nows a good time to enjoy those smokes. If you start to get low on supply before you get another gig, let me know and I will send ya some stock.

-Spiny

Thanks for the spirit lifter.

RM and Spiney, your on the money. If you can make a contribution to someones bottom line, there is always work. If not I'll start something new. I've had my own golf biz for 30+ years. It's always been word of mouth and small potatos but paid the golf and cigar habit. Maybe it's time to dust off the tools and do something really fun.

I'm feeling better already.

KV

BTW, I've gone with the Ramon y Ramon.

KV

If your in the chicago area we are hiring for three people in the insurance/investment sales market. [email protected]

550025

there he goes.

My lawn needs raking.

I'd smoke my bosses ass!

There you go again E-Chick,talking dirty. X

echick too bad Clinton isn't your boss, you would have it made for life.

But get a government job, no matter how imcompetent you are it is nearly impossible to get fired. I've owned my own business for 11 years now, and each year has gotten better, and when things turn slow you have to find new ways to create business.

I don't know, by the sounds of your post it sounds like you would have an impressive resume, and be pretty hirable.

It's cliche, I know. But...so true. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Hope you will be ok for the holidays.

Amen Aberdeen...I'm in the Teamsters union and work for a government defense contractor. I'm actually at work now while your tax dollars let me surf cigarbid.com for hours at a time. I've been here 18yrs. and surprised I haven't developed bed sores yet from sitting on my ass so much. The only thing bad about this job is the computer firewall which makes it difficult to access porn sites. I guess that's something to think about come contract time.

550025: Dude, keep your spirits up...bad time of the year but someone told me years ago that from something bad, something good will come. I've been in your situation before (actually, even worst), and now after several years, I'm in better shape than ever before. Be positive, enjoy your smokes, and good things will come.

BTW, if your run out of smokes, I'll send you more...just don't give up!

Ed

550025 --- I'm in the same boat (where's an oar?)

With the 'high tech situation' out here in CA the way it is, the company I worked for went bankrupt a month ago, and I now standing in the unemploment line. It was my dream job (I really loved it), and I thought I was going to retire there ... but nothing in life is forever.

It's amazing how the tides can turn. Up until about 2 years ago, the comapany I worked for was grossing 50 million a year (I had ownership of a 2.5 million dollar a year account) ... and it all went down the tubes.

The first few weeks were pretty tough ... with the adjustment and all. I felt lost not having a place to go to every morning, and I miss the structure and brain stimulation.

Pretty sad state of affairs for many of us out there right now ... but I just look at it as an opportunity to find something even better, or to go back to school and learn something I will really be happy with pursuing.

Right now ... I'm starting to really enjoy the time I have available to me, to get all the things done I didn't have the time to do before!

...We will all remember sept 11 2001. The company I worked for went on contingency plans. Approx one month later I was married. Returned from the honeymoon, and the next day was let loose. Great way to start a new life. Spent plenty of time smokin'. With all the free time since the job market crumbled, I spent quality time working on filling my humidor with great value cigars. They were not Monitcristo #2 Habana, but they were affordable, well made, and after some good aging they have become a pleasure to smoke. Six months after the riff, I was rehired and all my peers were fired.

The moral of the story is all good things come from good smokes.

I work for the major airline. You can imagine.

Right there with you, I work for a major Hotel company.

eleltea --- would that by any chance be United?

My brother works for United, and just got back from a week long Union conference in San Diego ...

... he's very depressed about what he heard, but won't talk about it yet. It doesn't sound promising ...