PIA MidAmerica’s Post

I also heard and talked to a few close colleagues and friends about the layoffs this past week. It's shocking to see so many skilled, tenured, and qualified individuals let go—people you would never expect to be on the chopping block. Unfortunately, this is the reality of working for large defense contractors, as most large primes follow this method to reduce their overhead or restructure. We must remember that publically traded companies answer to their investors and bottom dollar first, and their senior leadership commonly view their staff as just numbers on contracts, job titles, and pay grades. Also, senior management rarely communicate with those who will be affected before the layoff, and I find it appalling that employees find out by being walked out by security within the same half hour of being notified. I knew one employee with almost three decades of tenure that I'd hire in a heartbeat if I could was just walked out. There was no dignity in his departure, no going away party, or anything for this well-respected Chief Systems Engineer... Everyone just had to watch or hear about their friend and colleague they've worked with for years being walked out the door. If this is how your company approaches things, guess what? We all see and talk about you. We communicate amongst ourselves about how you treat your employees—how you treat us. This is a critical decision factor when recommending and seeking employment or opportunities. You'll be hard-pressed to see those recently affected and their close networks apply/re-apply after being treated like that. As a previous manager within the Large Primes, I always informed my teams that looking for a new opportunity while employed was always better. I will never fault them for leaving my team for a better opportunity that I could not provide. I'd even help them out with training, recommendations, and resume support. If they were moving jobs just to move, I'd try to figure out why they felt the need to look elsewhere. I had a few during a contract transition, and I sat down with every single one to ensure they had backup plans if it didn't go how we thought it would. Fortunately, I was able to keep them and didn't have to worry about it, but my management was nonexistent in assisting me with this and just told me casually that if they didn't see the writing on the walls, then that was their fault... If you are in the position to make this hard decision, just remember that we are all human, including yourself. If you lose your humanity for the sake of money or position, it may not hurt to push back or decide for yourself if that is the type of organization you'd like to work for. I hope everyone affected is able to land on their feet as well as they can! If you need any support, please reach out, and I'll see what I can do. -James https://lnkd.in/gRARksnM #EW #Electronicwarfare #SIGINT #ELINT #COMINT #RADAR #Employment #Layoffs

Careers with Longevity | The world is rapidly evolving and that can mean disruption in your current career pathway. James Gfrerer joined me to discuss how the IT field is advancing to meet current workforce demands and how it's focused on continuous improvement to achieve an improved future state. If you are in the IT field, I encourage you to offer a comment to those who are thinking about training or re-training to break into this lucrative and fulfilling field. VHV | Veterans Helping Veterans

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Wondering where Codesmith can take you? Take a look at a few companies our grads have been hired at in the last month! Codesmith offers career support and guidance throughout your time in the program and beyond. Learn more here: https://hubs.ly/Q02CDtgl0

In the latest episode of "Altar of the Demo Gods," we welcome Larci Robertson, who shares her incredible journey from the Navy to becoming a successful sales engineer. 🎙️ Discover how her background in threat intelligence and government contracting paved the way for a thriving career in tech sales. Tune in to hear about her first Black Hat experience, the transition challenges, and her valuable advice for those looking to break into tech sales. 🚀 #CareerTransition #TechSales #VeteranSuccess

For those of you in my network in the first 6 years of their careers: What do you want to know about agility?

Here’s my portfolio, showcasing the things I have worked on throughout my career so far!

📢 LRL Quote of the Week 📢 This week’s gem comes from none other than Stu McDonald, and it’s one for the football fans: "Never back the early kickoff." ⚽ In the world of recruitment, much like football, it’s all about strategy and timing! Rushing in too early might not always get the best result — whether it’s making a quick hire without all the info or sending out your CV before you’re truly ready. Sometimes, holding off and waiting for the right moment is the key to success! So, while Stu may never back the early kickoff, at LRL we’re always backing the right timing to place you in the perfect role. But hey, after a long week of hard work, we can all agree with Stu’s advice 😆 #QuoteOfTheWeek #RecruitmentWisdom #FootballAndRecruitment #NeverBackTheEarlyKickoff #LRLRecruitment #WeekendVibes

For anyone searching for #wfhjobs typically in the Sales & Customer Service fields, there’s a little unknown reliable job board that not many people know about called Ratracerebellion.com  I’ve seen postings of open roles at Apple, Humana, CVS, Liberty Mutual and others including side hustle/odd jobs. Definitely worth a look 👀  #jobsearch #jobsearchtips #openings #lookingforjob #lookingforwork

One key way NEDs and C Level roles are found are through networks. Current Board Chairs, NEDs and C Level execs recommend potential candidates from their network for these coveted positions. But do the right people know you? Are they aware of your capabilities and expertise? Do they know about your career aspirations and goals? Do you know how to leverage your network to position and attract these opportunities? Not sure how to answer these questions? Click the link below