im an engineer and i was let go in 2022
i was at nike for over 10 years, loved the campus, the people, everything, i still love nike
it was definitely stressful since i have a family
after 6-7 months after the layoff, i found a job, its at a start up,
the pay is less, but im 100% remote, theres no political drama and theres no wasted work.
i know its easy for me to say as im not facing what everyone is facing right now but i just want to say,
there is life outside of nike.
the market is sh-t right now, but there is work out there, contract roles, start ups, temporary roles
i wish everyone the best
good luck
10 replies (most recent on top)
@OP as former NIKE staff in the golden ages, even back then if you worked for Nike you had to sell your soul.
And I have previously written in this site that leaving Nike is not end of everything but beginning of all.
A lot of people are worried about leaving Nike thinking you will be disconnected from mother ship. And that is same thing that a lot of people cannot leave cults because they are scared of being excommunicated and cut off.
As a happy former staff, I just want to say that good contacts that you with your customers, peers and competitors in the field will really help you.
There was joke among sales people back then when you leave Nike, you take your last paycheck and all the connection that you made while you were in Nike. That's it.
In my case, I was in sales and one of my account that I used to serve thought very highly of me and recommended me to a sport equipment company that is 1/100th size of Nike.
I got paid more than Nike, got signing and relocating bonus and a company small enough that I talk to CEO anytime I have to talk to him. And we are all human to human level. Not segmented like Nike.
To everyone in here that works for Nike, Nike pay su-ks but it gives you access to anyone that you need to talk.
MAKE CONNECTION AND MAKE YOUR ASSETS.
AND DON'T ACT LIKE MANY PEOPLE IN NIKE THAT ACT LIKE ASSWHOLE WHILE IN NIKE.
@d8 seems worse an nike, people seem generally ok because of the decent severance package, but what if that runs out and you're not employed....not a situation anyone wants to be in, not to mention being on that train and watching the tracks disappear each day
switch if you can, and if the new company shows signs of impeding doom, then switch again, getting in front of it is the best possible move
tiring and exhausting, but skill development and value are the things that gets one through this, and eventually it all works out
what d7 said!
and this constant “threat of layoff at a moments notice” isn’t unique to Nike, it’s everywhere. so you get that job and hold onto it for dear life.
@d4 ya, it su-ks, hope that many more of us can experience what would be considered a normal job compared to nike standards...didn't used to be this way, as you know, I think we are waiting for that to return, or just simply hanging on in despair because the overall market is challenging!
I left Nike 2 years ago after 10 years working there. It was a tough decision and I still come back here to check in, albeit less often than I used to, it’s now gotten a little sad to see that so many are still in the rat race of doubt and fear. There is so much life and peace outside the berm.
@aw export more oil and lng
tax less, bring more jobs into the country, rather than leaving
the economy is stagnant and a mess
can't tell if the job posts are real or for something else
i don't see very many areas in the country actually doing well
our debt keeps growing and growing and it is quite obvious now we cannot pay it back
Agree, the positive and real message is refreshing
Nike does pay well, but the stock benefits are gone, so given that, it suddenly does not, and has not paid as well as we thought
Which makes leaping for another company, even if non publicly traded, a lot more attractive
I would have thought more people would be leaving in droves, but those people have probably already left over the years
I also think leaving nike in some ways is the best thing you can do for your career and oddly makes you more attractive in the future, if you even wish to return
Maybe one day swoosh will find it's footing again, likely a smaller swoosh, but hopefully one that can return to growth, even if it's small steady growth
I think that is the right move, the 50B is too high, drop down to 32B and go for incremental market share improvements, yoy
Hey Bob. Get off your phone. Flip those burgers
That was nice of you to post this.
Obviously the biggest factor is everyones financial situation, if “going somewhere outside Nike where the grass is potentially greener” was possible and a person had the finances to try it, likely more would.
But for some it’s nearly paycheck to paycheck.
Still I applaud your sentiment.