DealBreaker's Guide To Getting Laid Off: A Modest Resignation Notice

So you're a first year and just got laid off, excuse me, finished your course load early. Not much left to do but pack up your shit and mosey on out of there, right? Wrong, you unimaginative fucks. First, you need to gather the e-mail address every single client, colleague, superior, family member, frat brother, and journalist you've ever encountered or thought about encountering in the last decade. Second, you need to fill out the form letter that follows (not that you aren't all special in your own way, but minimal variation is necessary, and I'm not paid enough to work on a case per case basis. If you'd like something one of a kind, it's going to cost extra).


Anyway, the letter. It serves multiple functions: first, it violates your employer in the most gruesome fashion in front of clients and other interested parties. Second, you "leverage" your experience to make yourself sound better than you are (if your three months on Wall Street have taught you anything, it should be that leverage offers handy short-term gains. Dick Fuld knows what we're talkin' about here). And third, it will amuse us, which is this only solace I take from this hellish Siberia of financial journalism. Please, when you send said letter, I implore you, stick us on the BCC (unless you've got a pair bigger than Oyster Boy's, in which case, feel free to add us as your legal adviser at the bottom).

To: All parties CC:ed

Importance: high as FUCK

Subject: mayday

To whom it most definitely concerns,

[Name of firm] is going to tell you I was "let go" today, as part of a right-sizing effort. But it is a bold-faced lie. I am leaving of my own accord because THIS SHIP IS SINKING. I suggest you do the same. Here is the shit, feel free, nay, encouraged, to disseminate widely: Our balance sheet is completely made up. Our CFO, [fill in name here], selects random bar code numbers in place of the true horror story that will soon engulf this cesspool and consign it to the scrap heap of corporate history. In truth, [insert CEO here] has been a straw man for years [or months when warranted] and I have been propping this place up like Atlas.


Exhausted from swimming against an endless tide of ineptitude (not to mention a constant barrage of same-sex harassment by [insert name of CEO here]), I have decided to move on. To those of you shocked by these revelations, fear not! I offer a port in the storm: I am starting up a hedge fund the strategy of which cannot be disclosed over email because of its sheer fucking awesomeness. If you act quickly, I will trim my fees for the first $2bn in AUM with an 8-year lockup.

At the very least, for the love of God, pull your money and cease all relationships with the shithouse known as [insert name of firm here]. I have it on good authority that Bernanke himself has it in for this dump, and there will be no bailout should one be necessary. And I assure, it will be.


All the best,
[Your name here]

Comments

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 5:08PM

if only outlook permitted 'high as fuck' as an importance setting

Posted by NSD, Jun 18, 2008 5:14PM

high as fuck - is that how Jimmy C used to tag his emails?

Posted by mrpink, Jun 18, 2008 5:15PM

Hilarious.

I didn't know they had same-sex harassment outside of Ping Jiang's group. I GOTTA work at this firm someday!

-mrp

Posted by HAM05, Jun 18, 2008 5:22PM

bess the only dissapointing thing about this letter is that it doesnt go far enough - its naughty but not dirty - i demand dirty at the minimum, filthy if possible.

love,
its a fucking egret

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 5:23PM

You left out the best part of a good "outta here" note to clients, prospects and friends:

"......and my boss was losing all the money I was printing!!! "

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 5:30PM

@5:23. wrong. this kid is telling everyone the company's a bunch of crooks, not him. jesus. get it right.

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 5:40PM

@5:30...Or should I say "Mr. Cayne"?......have you ever tried to comprehend English when you weren't stoned?

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 5:46PM

After reading and rereading the GS stories, I finally concluded that GS was laying off analysts after the first year and not letting them go into the second year.

Has it gotten so bad that even GS would lay an analyst off after 2 - 3 months? How do they make their vaunted 360 review in that amount of time?

But I better double-check this afternoon's comments. God knows what has happened.

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 5:51PM

Subject: mayday

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 6:25PM

Hahahaahahah 360 reviews

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 7:04PM

360-degree reviews ... how exactly is that different from a circl@ j@rk?

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 7:34PM

A circle jerk has an element of pleasure involved.

Posted by guest, Jun 18, 2008 11:17PM

hahahaha

Posted by guest, Jun 19, 2008 12:52AM

I could use most of this, even if I DO make it through this round of layoffs tomorrow.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/367544_wamu19.html

Posted by guest, Jun 19, 2008 5:14AM

360-degree reviews ahahahahahaha

As an ex-employee of GS who participated in a number of 360s, I can say that it doesn't matter what the fuck is written, they are selectively edited to provide exactly the review "expected". Oh, and remember that what you write in a 360 is indirectly reflected back on you. No senior GS manager will trust an overtly disloyal underling who cans his direct manager, no matter how well deserved. But don't go too far in the other direction; flowery praise makes you sound like an ass licking fag and, while there are certainly plenty of VPs and MDs who like nothing better than a tongue deep in their ass, keep it out of the 360.

Posted by guest, Jun 19, 2008 7:51AM

too bad they don't let you go back to your desk and send emails after they fire you.

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