Dayshift Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 (edited) Hung out last night with a group of guys I knew from high school some 35 years ago. We talked about old times, families, politics & jobs. I was asked would you apply for a job at Ford if you could do it over? I told them FORD has been good to me; I make good money, have a safe work environment, decent benefits, 401K & pension plan and some degree of job security. No one else in the group, without a college degree, was nearly as content and satisfied with their current job as I am. 30 year employees and skill traders, do you regret choosing to work for Ford so many years ago? How about you salary employees, do you regret your choice of employers. How about you tier 2's, it's not too late to rethink your career choice and go back to school? Would you do it all over again if you could? Edited March 1, 2016 by Dayshift Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swine77 Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theoldwizard Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Salaried retired. I left with the Great Exodus, Feb 2008 (25-30% of the US salaried work force left). Looking back, it was a great ride ! Very non-typical of most engineers working out of the metro Detroit area. Engineering currently housed in a lot fewer building now compared to then. The good times out weighed the bad time, by a lot. The 2 best things that happened to me were moving to Electronics Division shortly after it was formed and moving back to "the mothership" (admittedly on someone else's coat tails) as ElD was about to be turned in to Visteon (that hurt a lot of people). I would say my only complaint was a complete lack of career guidance, combined with a middle level management philosophy that "an engineer, is an engineer, is an engineer" and "any engineer can do any engineering job equally as well". Far from the truth. Some of the Jacque Nasser philosophy of "if you aren't moving around in the company, then you are dead wood" still existed when I left. Some people are happy and good at doing one type of engineering. If they are very good at it, they should be rewarded, Talking to current long term engineers, this no longer happens. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RougeWelder Posted March 1, 2016 Share Posted March 1, 2016 Salaried retired. I left with the Great Exodus, Feb 2008 (25-30% of the US salaried work force left) I would say my only complaint was a complete lack of career guidance, combined with a middle level management philosophy that "an engineer, is an engineer, is an engineer" and "any engineer can do any engineering job equally as well". Far from the truth. Some of the Jacque Nasser philosophy of "if you aren't moving around in the company, then you are dead wood" still existed when I left. Some people are happy and good at doing one type of engineering. If they are very good at it, they should be rewarded, Talking to current long term engineers, this no longer happens. Yeah, I hear ya. They do the same with skilled trades. The philosophy that "a tradesman is a tradesman" and any tradesman can do another tradesman's job equally well. Tradespeople get trained to do a specific job well while adhering to stringent safety guidelines for their job. Then they want to throw you to work in another trades job and expect the same good job and safe work practices that they harp on in the conference room safety meetings. On the job, those exact safety practices of which they speak, are circumvented because of the lack of manpower of the proper trade for the job. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hee haw Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 The big change I seen in 35 years was the number of people wanting to work for Ford. When I hired in the mid 70s they could not get people, even asking hourly to talk to family and friends to apply. Hate to guess how many people made it to their first break and never came back. The few lean years were helped by SUB, but the good years sure made up for it. Read a book in the late 70s that said the average seniority in the plants was 5 years, got to be over 20 now. Feel sorry for the young people starting out now, can't start at 18 years old and have full pay in 6 months. My plant is shut down and being torn down, was lucky to get out with a buy out and full pension that pays as much as most jobs available today. If I could start over on the same terms we had then I would do it in a heart beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastmanstanding Posted March 2, 2016 Share Posted March 2, 2016 Worked with computers in early 70's but was looking for a job when I ended up at Ford........... Just couldn't get back into computers so I felt this would hold me over. When General Dynamics got the M1A1 tank bid I had a chance to get back into it but at that point had a short time left on the apprenticeship ( I know, Decker, I told you I wasn't on Trades, but I am) so I stuck it out. The door closed on me so here I am, still doing a little side computer work and doing a little work for Ford. Hoping to get one of those Skilled Trade buy-outs and be gone May 1st........... Been all over in Ford............ In southeast Michigan, with my seniority, times were tough in the 70's and 80's.... bumped from building to building. Rouge Welder.......... if you are older, there is a chance I know ya....... went through that place many moons ago...... Would have liked to have gotten back into computers when I had the chance but blew it, this has been paying the bills.............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedingtones Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 You are lucky to have a job that you love and that compensates you well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Long forker DTP FINAL Posted March 3, 2016 Share Posted March 3, 2016 Yes best job I've ever had. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caustic Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 I'm a newer hire and I don't regret it. I was salaried in logistics making 44k a year and paying 80 bucks a week towards my insurance while working 65+ hours a week and taking phone calls in the little time I had outside the office. I make more money, have better insurance, do not have upper management breathing down my neck. The only things my last job had over working at Ford was the 401k. Same match as Ford but I had about 40 different options of where to put my money. I liked having more options and I feel the one here at Ford is very very limited. Overall I haven't thought about looking back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ute Posted March 5, 2016 Share Posted March 5, 2016 Hourly , retired, 31 years service started when I was 18 Absolutely do it again ..amazing guys and gals to work with , gave me a great life !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rt2525 Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 Finally, a topic worth a reply. After 32 years at OTP and now OAC I would have to say yes, it has been worth it. My only regret would be not sticking to welding right out of High School. Could have avoided 20 years on the line and made 40% more money with a lot less wear and tear on the body. And the people I've met and worked with along the way, Fantastic! Still looking forward to leaving right after we sign the next contract !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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