Eric has been working at University of Phoenix for a little over 18 months now. It's been awesome. I really don't think I could ever express how great this job has been for us. Discounted schooling. Regular paychecks. And MEDICAL BENEFITS! Man! With all the surgeries we've had in the past six months we could have easily been bankrupt if we had private insurance.
University of Phoenix is going through some "restructuring" right now. Although the company is extremely profitable (grossing over several billions of dollars last year) new restrictions are pushing them to layoff thousands of employees. About 9 months ago they laid off over a thousand employees and shut down 125 campuses over the country. And ever since they have been letting go of a few hundred people per month.
The Idaho campus will be fine. Of that we are pretty sure. And as long as the Idaho campus remains open I think Eric would have a job. He's relied on pretty heavy there, and involved in a bout a bajillion committees. That being said, uncertainty kind of sucks! And when people think there is a possibility there job is on the line, they can go kind of nuts!
When Eric got told from a friend (and former UofP employee) that Simplot was hiring, he applied. Eric interviewed . . . along with six other people, several of which actually worked at the plant already, but in the end Eric was offered the job. Like we really thought that wouldn't happen??? Our entire marriage shows that if Eric interviews for a job, he gets it . . . . at least it's never happened otherwise. What can I say, he's a charmer!
This last Monday, February 25th was his first day on the job. He worked Monday and Tuesday, and now he starts in the shift the guy whose job he took over was in: GRAVEYARDS!!!! YUCK! Good thing is they rotate the work schedules every quarter, so he only works graveyards until April instead of a solid three months, which is nice. Technically this job he took is temporary - basically his job is to shut down the plant in April of 2014 as they are combining three plants into one state of the art facility. Sounds a little nuts to take a job you know has an end date, right? Well he could move to the new plant, and he could get one of a thousand other jobs at Simplot, they are a HUGE company! Plus the pay increase was rather large, so I think we can make it work. They told him Simplot takes care of their own and if he's good (which we know he is) there will always be a spot for him.
When Eric told the kids he was no longer working at University of Phoenix they were pretty bummed. Parker asked Eric what his new job was like. Eric said he was now the plant manager for Simplot and Simplot makes things out of potatoes like french fries and they sell them to placed like McDonalds.
Now Parker's favorite thing to tell people is how his dad works at McDonald's. From collegiate suit-wearing graduate to khaki loving potato eater in one fail swoop. People will think we are nuts. But for the record . . . . it's not McDonald's it is SIMPLOT! :)
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