Post-Job-Acceptance E-mail / Bad Economy

[HD555]

I accepted a position with a major defense company (not Lockheed Martin or BAE) into their engineering leadership development program before this economy went down the drain.

As anyone would be, in any field, I'm a little nervous as to whether or not they'll cancel my job offer or something... should I be worried? Should I send my main HR recruiter to confirm i'll have a job cause i'd hate to not apply elsewhere and not have a job after graduation.

What do u think? I'm a ECE and physics double major/senior in college.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Defense is surely something that will continue to be a strong market. Just the other day I heard a story where gun sales are at an all time high. Contact HR if it will help you sleep at night. Otherwise concentrate on those studies in the meantime!

 

[Locrian]

I'd be willing to wager a bet that defense is safe. . . for now. I doubt you'll see any cuts for years.

Easy for me to place the bet through, since I'm not in that area.

 

[Hippo]

Boeing to slash 800 jobs at Kansas facility
By DANIEL LOVERING
The Associated Press November 19, 2008, 5:39PM ET

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D94I9D8O0.htm

 

[Fearless]

Is there a written agreement on the table that you have signed? If not, then they can do whatever they feel like. ALWAYS SIGN THE CONTRACT.

 

[Andy Resnick]

I accepted a position with a major defense company (not Lockheed Martin or BAE) into their engineering leadership development program before this economy went down the drain.

As anyone would be, in any field, I'm a little nervous as to whether or not they'll cancel my job offer or something... should I be worried? Should I send my main HR recruiter to confirm i'll have a job cause i'd hate to not apply elsewhere and not have a job after graduation.

What do u think? I'm a ECE and physics double major/senior in college.

Like Fearless said- have you a signed contract in hand? If so, what does it say regarding terms of employment? If you do not have a signed contract in hand, why not?

 

[Pollywoggy]

I accepted a position with a major defense company (not Lockheed Martin or BAE) into their engineering leadership development program before this economy went down the drain.

As anyone would be, in any field, I'm a little nervous as to whether or not they'll cancel my job offer or something... should I be worried? Should I send my main HR recruiter to confirm i'll have a job cause i'd hate to not apply elsewhere and not have a job after graduation.

What do u think? I'm a ECE and physics double major/senior in college.

ECE as in Early Childhood Education?

 

[HD555]

Is there a written agreement on the table that you have signed? If not, then they can do whatever they feel like. ALWAYS SIGN THE CONTRACT.

Like Fearless said- have you a signed contract in hand? If so, what does it say regarding terms of employment? If you do not have a signed contract in hand, why not?

Good point to check. I checked the offer letter I signed... it doesn't specifically say anything about me 100% going to them after I graduate... I mean, it's an offer letter with a salary figure/bonus/relo... what more should I be looking for? You wouldn't necessarily call this a 'contract' I think...?

 

[Pollywoggy]

Good point to check. I checked the offer letter I signed... it doesn't specifically say anything about me 100% going to them after I graduate... I mean, it's an offer letter with a salary figure/bonus/relo... what more should I be looking for? You wouldn't necessarily call this a 'contract' I think...?

An offer is not a contract. A contract specifies that employment is for some minimum term and that if the employee's job is terminated before the expiration of the term and the employee was not at fault, the employee will receive an agreed upon compensation. I don't know whether engineers ever get this type of job protection but it is common for certain occupations such as those in public administration.

 

[Andy Resnick]

Good point to check. I checked the offer letter I signed... it doesn't specifically say anything about me 100% going to them after I graduate... I mean, it's an offer letter with a salary figure/bonus/relo... what more should I be looking for? You wouldn't necessarily call this a 'contract' I think...?

From what you described, I'd call it a contract. Especially if there is text along the lines of "if you sign this and return it, we will pay you $x per year." Is there a start date written somewhere?

 

[Pollywoggy]

From what you described, I'd call it a contract. Especially if there is text along the lines of "if you sign this and return it, we will pay you $x per year." Is there a start date written somewhere?

It is only a contract if it details some minimum term of employment or the conditions under which the employment might be terminated without cause. If it just says "this is how much we will pay you while you work here at this job" or words to that effect, they could terminate employment for any reason or no reason at all so long is it is not a reason that would be considered unfair discrimination.

 

[Andy Resnick]

I have never worked anywhere- from my junior-high-school paper route through my current academic appointment, where my employment has been guaranteed for some minimum length of time. Every place I have worked could terminate employement at any time- just as I was free to quit at any time. I've not held a job where collective barganing occurred, so it may be different under those circumstances.

 

[Pollywoggy]

I have never worked anywhere- from my junior-high-school paper route through my current academic appointment, where my employment has been guaranteed for some minimum length of time. Every place I have worked could terminate employement at any time- just as I was free to quit at any time. I've not held a job where collective barganing occurred, so it may be different under those circumstances.

I don't know how common such contracts are in the private sector but for some occupations in the public sector, nobody would take a job in a distant location without one, especially if it is not easy to find a new job. I know of one case in which a public employee was in jail and could therefore not go to work. He was eventually fired by the city council but it still cost the city some $20,000 to part with him and it would have cost more to fire him had the firing not been for cause (for his not showing up for work). For some such public employees, early termination can mean having to pay them almost the entire amount they would have been paid during the time remaining on their employment contract.

 

[chingkui]

Congratulation on getting a job in such a tough time. I have friends in business/IT that have big trouble in landing a job now. The defense industry remains as one of the rare few relatively safe industries. Does it mean there is no danger at all? Of course not, as long as you are in the private sector, there will always be risk. I remember in an offer letter I got (also from a defense/aerospace company), it specifically mentioned that either party can terminate the employment at anytime. But IMHO, the risk of the bad economy affecting the industry is not high at all. Rather, pay attention to the spending habit of the new administration, which is highly expected to trim defense spending. As for 2009, I would bet it is still a good place to be.