Take the buyout and leave UPS, then what?
I'm writing on behalf of my 26 yo son who has worked at UPS since graduating from high school. As a driver, he makes over $100k and the benefits are great, but they are downsizing and will soon be offering very attractive buyouts ($150k). He's comfortable at UPS and is afraid to take the buyout because he doesn't have a degree. His work ethic is amazing and he's great with people. What advice can I give him, besides "take the buyout and find something new"? Keeping in mind that another job will likely pay less. thanks!
Jobadvisor
That is a massive crossroads for a 26-year-old. On one hand, he’s sitting on a "golden handcuff" situation: high pay and great benefits that are hard to walk away from. On the other, a $150,000 windfall at his age, combined with his work ethic, is a life-changing foundation.
The fear of not having a degree is valid, but in today’s market—especially for someone with eight years of proven reliability at a company like UPS—it’s less of a barrier than he might think.
Here is some grounded advice to help him weigh the "then what?"
1. The Financial Reality Check
Before he jumps, he needs to look at the math. $150k is roughly 1.5 years of his current salary, but after taxes, it will be significantly less.
The "Bridge" Fund: He should calculate his "burn rate" (monthly expenses). If he can live on $4k a month, that buyout could theoretically fund him for 2-3 years while he retrains or starts a business.
The Benefit Gap: UPS healthcare is legendary. He needs to price out what an individual plan costs so he isn't blindsided by the "hidden" cost of leaving.
2. Leverage His "UPS Pedigree"
A 26-year-old who has lasted eight years at UPS is a hiring manager’s dream. It proves he can handle grueling physical labor, strict deadlines, and high-pressure logistics. He isn't just a "driver"; he is a logistics and operations specialist.
Career Pivot Ideas:
Trade Schools: With that buyout, he could pay cash for a premier trade certification (Electrician, HVAC, Elevator Mechanic). These often pay $80k–$120k once licensed and offer the same "active" lifestyle he’s used to.
Public Safety/Civil Service: Fire departments and police forces value the discipline UPS instills. Many of these roles offer the high-tier benefits and pensions he’d be leaving behind.
Sales/Account Management: If he’s "great with people," he could pivot to industrial or medical device sales. Companies love hiring former "boots on the ground" workers because they actually understand how the product gets to the customer.
3. The "Hybrid" Option: Education without the Debt
If the lack of a degree is his biggest fear, the buyout solves the biggest hurdle: time and money. * He could use a portion of the money to finish an accelerated Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or Business.
With his 8 years of experience + a degree, he wouldn't be looking at entry-level jobs; he’d be looking at management roles.
4. Entrepreneurship
At 26, $150k is enough to buy a small franchise or start a service-based business (landscaping, pressure washing, specialized hauling). If he has the UPS work ethic, he already knows how to outwork 90% of his future competitors.
Questions for him to consider:
"Do I still like the work?" If he’s burned out, the buyout is an escape hatch. If he loves it, he might regret leaving a "sure thing" during a downsizing phase.
"What is the risk of staying?" If UPS is downsizing, seniority matters. Is he at risk of being laid off later without the $150k check?
A note on the "Degree Fear": Remind him that most people get degrees to prove they can show up and work hard for four years. He has already proven he can do that for eight years in one of the toughest environments out there. Experience is the new degree.
Employer terminated me 3 days after I put in my 2-week notice. What do I tell future employers?
So my last employer fired me just a few days after I put in my 2-week notice. It was a professional letter of resignation and I ended on good terms with the company. I’m currently in the application process of a government job, and they’re asking a ton of questions about my previous employment. One of the questions was why do I have a termination on my job history. How do I explain this situation to the government job recruiters professionally? I reached out to my previous employer to see if they would explain the situation, but they ghosted me.
Edit to add some clarification to a few misunderstandings that I’ve seen in the comments: I’m currently on my third round of interviews for the government position. I’ve already completed things like background check, drug test, physical tests, and polygraphs. The recruiter has done her background investigation on me, and she sees that I was marked as “terminated” from my last job. I have my next round of interviews with her this week and she said she wants to discuss my reason for termination. That is why I was looking for some guidance on the proper verbiage to navigate this discussion with her.
No I didn’t quit my job without a back up plan. I quit so I could complete my full-time internship that is required to get my Master’s. Now that I’ve graduated, I’m looking for my dream job! Thank you to everyone who has given me helpful feedback!
Jobadvisor
First off, congratulations on making it to the third round—polygraphs and background checks are no joke, so you are clearly a strong candidate!
It is very common for companies to "accept a resignation immediately" for security or IT reasons, but it is frustrating when they use the word "terminated" in their system, as it carries a negative stigma. In the eyes of a government investigator, "terminated" can mean anything from "fired for theft" to "let go early because they didn't want to pay out notice."
Since you have a polygraph and a deep background check involved, radical transparency is your best friend. Here is how to handle that discussion with your recruiter.
The Professional Explanation
When she asks about the "termination," don't be defensive. Frame it as a technicality regarding your resignation.
Suggested Verbiage:
"I submitted my formal two-week resignation on [Date] because I needed to transition to my full-time Master’s internship. I intended to work through my notice period, but the company’s policy or preference was to accelerate my departure and conclude my employment three days later. While their internal records may list this as a 'termination,' it was a direct result of my resignation, and I left on professional terms to pursue my degree."
Why This Works:
It clarifies the timeline: You initiated the separation (the resignation), not them.
It provides a "Why": You weren't leaving for no reason; you were leaving for an internship required for your Master's (which shows ambition and a plan).
It addresses the "Terminated" label: You acknowledge the label without letting it define your performance.
Supporting Evidence
Since the government recruiter is doing a deep dive, having a "paper trail" is incredibly helpful. If you still have access to these, bring them to the interview (or offer to email them):
A copy of your dated resignation letter: This proves you initiated the end of the relationship.
Final Paystubs: If they paid you out for the full two weeks even though you left early, that is a huge sign it wasn't a "for-cause" firing.
Internship Proof: Documentation showing when your Master's internship began. This validates your timeline.
A Note on the "Ghosting"
Don't worry too much about your old employer ghosting you. Many HR departments have a strict "neutral reference" policy where they only confirm dates of employment and "eligible/ineligible for re-hire." If your recruiter asks why they haven't responded, you can simply say:
"I reached out to them for clarification on their internal coding, but I haven't received a response. I suspect it may be a standard corporate policy regarding former employee inquiries."
The "Polygraph" Factor
Since you’ve already done or are doing polygraphs, the most important thing is that your story never changes. If you told the polygraph examiner you resigned, and you tell the recruiter you resigned, you are fine. The "termination" label is just a clerical detail that happens often when companies don't have a "resignation accepted early" button in their HR software.
How do people work full time then go home to kids?
I'll never understand how people actually want to have kids when they work a full time job. To me, that makes no sense at all, especially with the way jobs are paying and rent prices skyrocketing. Why should I have kids? What's the incentive to do so? To me, it just seems like less time I have to myself when I'm not working and less money in my pocket. I currently work 8:30 AM - 6 PM five days a week and I'm in office four of those days. I don't get home until 7 PM every day and the thought of having to father children when I get home drives me up the wall. I'm never having kids.
Jobadvisor
I hear you loud and clear. Honestly, looking at your schedule—getting home at 7 PM after a nearly 11-hour day—the idea of clocking into a "second shift" of parenting sounds less like a life choice and more like a marathon with no finish line.
The math of modern life often doesn't add up. When you factor in the "time tax" of a commute and the "inflation tax" on rent, the traditional family model can feel like a relic from a time when one income could actually buy a house and a sense of peace.
To answer your question of how people do it and why they bother, here is the breakdown of the reality versus the "incentive."
How do they actually do it?
The short answer? Systems, sacrifice, and survival mode. * The Support Net: Most people working those hours without losing their minds have a village—grandparents nearby, a partner who works different hours, or high-cost childcare/after-school programs.
The Routine: Life becomes a precision operation. Dinner is prepped on Sundays, bath time is a tactical maneuver, and "me time" is often sacrificed entirely until the kids are asleep.
The Transition: Some people use that commute time to "decompress" so they aren't bringing office stress into the house, though with a 7 PM arrival, that window is dangerously slim.
What is the "Incentive"?
For people who choose it, the incentive isn't financial or logical—it’s emotional. It’s a completely different "currency."
Biological/Instinctual Drive: For many, there’s a deep-seated desire to pass on a legacy or experience the unique bond of raising a human.
The "Micro-Moments": They find the stress worth it for the 20 minutes of reading a bedtime story or seeing a kid learn something new.
Future Investment: Some view it as building a lifelong community. You’re pouring effort in now to have a family unit that exists long after your career ends.
The Case for "Child-Free"
You aren't "wrong" or "broken" for feeling this way. In fact, you’re being incredibly realistic.
Financial Freedom: You keep your earnings. You aren't paying for braces, college funds, or the "extra bedroom" tax.
Time Autonomy: When you get home at 7 PM, your time is yours. You can decompress, pursue hobbies, or just stare at a wall in silence—a luxury parents literally dream about.
Lower Stress: You aren't managing someone else's emotional outbursts or schedule on top of your own.
The Reality Check: Having kids because you feel like you "should" is a recipe for resentment. If the "incentives" listed above sound like more work than they're worth, then choosing not to have them is actually the most responsible move you can make.
Anyone else experiencing absolutely feral hiring behaviour lately.. because what the actual hell?
I’m genuinely trying to understand what is going on with the job market right now, because the last two weeks have felt like some kind of social experiment where candidates are expected to be perfect adults and employers are just.. not?
For context: I have \~10 years of experience in my field. I’m not entry level, not wildly overreaching, not spray-and-praying for roles I’m unqualified for. I show up prepared, on time, polite, professional, flexible. I do the whole song and dance.
In the last two hiring interactions:
1 - I booked a screening call, followed up politely, showed up on time.. and then found out the morning of that the recruiter had been fired. No handoff. No notice. Just an auto-reply saying “this person no longer works here”
2 - Another recruiter emailed me, invited me to book a call, I booked it a week in advance through their calendar, sent a confirmation email, got no response.. then showed up to the call anyway and they just didn’t show. No cancellation. No apology. Nada
Meanwhile I’m sitting there thinking: am I supposed to be calm, agreeable, excellent, flexible, enthusiastic, available, and also just absorb this like it’s normal?
I know companies are in flux. I know layoffs and churn are real. But at what point do we acknowledge that candidates are being asked to carry 100% of the professionalism while employers carry.. their lunch? Is this everyone’s experience right now? Is ghosting just standard process?
Jobadvisor
It is not just you—the "feral" energy of the 2026 hiring market is a documented phenomenon. You are essentially living through the fallout of a "low-hire, low-fire" economy combined with an over-reliance on broken automation.
What you’re feeling is a widening "Professionalism Gap." Candidates are being held to 2010 standards of etiquette (suit up, show up, be grateful) while companies are operating with the stability of a group chat.
Here is the "why" behind the specific chaos you’re seeing:
1. The "Ghost Recruiter" Cycle
Your first experience (the fired recruiter) is becoming shockingly common. In 2026, HR and Talent Acquisition departments are often the first to be hit by "lean" restructuring.
The Reality: When a recruiter is laid off or leaves, their "pipeline" (you) often disappears into a black hole because companies have automated the hiring but not the handoff.
The Result: You aren’t being rejected; you’re being "orphaned" by a system that doesn't have a human assigned to check the auto-replies.
2. The Feedback Loop of Ghosting
Data from 2025 and early 2026 shows that ghosting has reached a critical mass.
80% of hiring managers admit to ghosting candidates at some point in the process.
Because employers are ghosting, candidates have started "career catfishing" (accepting roles and not showing up).
This has created a toxic cycle: Employers don't invest in the "human" part of the interaction because they assume the candidate might vanish, and candidates disengage because they assume the employer is unprofessional.
3. "Volume vs. Signal" Paranoia
Because AI tools now allow candidates to apply to 500 jobs with one click, recruiters are drowning in thousands of applications.
The "Lunch" Carry: Many hiring teams have checked out emotionally. They treat candidates like data points rather than people because they are overwhelmed by the "noise" of the market.
The Paradox: They want a "perfect" candidate to justify the cost of hiring in a shaky economy, but their internal processes are too chaotic to actually land one.
How to protect your sanity (and your time)
Since you have 10 years of experience, you have more leverage than an entry-level applicant, but you have to change the "dance" to stop wasting energy:
The "24-Hour" Rule: If a recruiter misses a scheduled call without a 15-minute heads-up, archive them. Don't chase. A company that can't manage a calendar will be a nightmare to work for.
Verify the "Human": Before booking a call through an automated link, send a manual email: "Looking forward to this. Just confirming you'll be the one on the other end of the line?" It forces a human beat in an automated process.
The "Vibe Check" Interview: Remember that you are interviewing their systems. If they can't handle a screening call, their payroll, onboarding, and management are likely just as "feral."
The Bitter Truth: You are being asked to carry 100% of the professionalism because, in a buyer's market, the "buyer" (the employer) feels they don't have to try. It’s an exhausting social experiment, and you’re right to be annoyed.