Cheryl's Life

Capital One

I've been thinking about the company I worked for prior to my current employer PwC http://www.pwc.com/ . I worked for Capital One for about 7 years before being laid off. Being hired turned into a great opportunity for me. I learned a lot, made a good salary and gained close friendships with many of my co-workers.

When I applied at Cap1, I was working at GTE Federal Credit Union and had been for about 5 years. I was miserable in my job and felt very underpaid and at times exploited. A lot of the employees at GTE were leaving the credit union to work for Cap1 . The pay Cap1 was offering could not be beat. At the time, I had never heard of Cap1 and thought it was just a company too good too be true. They were new to the Tampa Bay area and were doing a lot of hiring for a call center they were opening. I waited about 8 months before applying. I thought they would end up laying everyone off much sooner rather than later. One day, I heard about a job fair they were having that evening. I decided to go just to see what they had to say and maybe drop off a resume. When I got there I was screened, tested and scheduled for an interview. It all happened so fast. I was hired within weeks.

I worked in the call center for 2 years. I hated every day of it. I had to take calls from the most rude, combative and insensitive people for 8 hours a day. I was not allowed to do anything else. I was instructed to stick to a script regardless of the verbal abuse from the customers. I developed an ulcer in my stomach from stress. Finally, the opportunity for an accounting position came in their Human Resources department. Getting that promotion was one of my proudest moments. Working in HR was like working for a completely different company. I worked in HR for the next 5 years. I loved it.

Eventually, things changed. Outsourcing became the new norm. I was laid off along with many others. The hardest thing for me to accept was leaving the company. After being laid off, I was depressed. I had a very hard time adjusting to life after Cap1. I still feel a lump in my throat sometimes when I think about it. I don't know why my attachment to the company is so strong.
Now I'm working for PwC doing similar work. I do not feel the same connection or attachment. I guess it's understandable since I've only been with the company for about 2 years. Working there has really been one big disappointment after another. I really do love my co-workers though.

posted by CherylRenee @ 7:39 PM