As some of you may know I work as a tech weenie for a very large Bavarian governmental organization, its a third party thing on an open tender that is up for review every six years.
It has now run its course and was up for renewal. We didnt get it.
I am 65, so that is another two and a half years before I can officially retire, handover of operations is in November meaning I will be at loose ends for a year and a half.
I am so sick and tired of job hunting in a ever barren turf and I am not holding my breath for something new.
I have been dealing with my career ending for quite some time now and wanted my working life to end on a high note, not like this, really not like this.
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That does suck. I hope something comes along for you.
So do I as I was acrually planning on working a few years longer.
Can you get a job with the company that won?
Very much doubt it. They are a “young and dynamic” kind of deal, not really the place to welcome pld farts like myself
I worked for companies that did major government bids
We lied through our teeth we had enough resources to do the job but if we won it was a huge scramble to get resources in place in time.
Nobody has a number of people sitting around waiting for the next contract.
Sell them on the idea you could train younger people and eventually fade away.
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Contacts and long term relationships are much more important than tech skills.
Where things are, who-is-who, and how are things done, in such large organizations is definitely worth a serious amount of money – these young guns might think that they know better (or that AI knows better), and that all can be replaced by “check out this link, where everything is explained”…, but they will realize VERY soon how things really work…
even if your pitch might not ‘go through’ now, they will call you in 3 - 6 months. I will bet you our dinner in Prague to it 
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Just a little update,
Nobody will probably lose their jobs, we will probably be assigned to other projects, probaby in a similar role.
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That sounds positive 
After a stressful 2025 due to his sudden retirement then the death of his father, OH eventually went back into his old job as a contractor at the beginning of November. He’s gone down to 75%, working 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off. Suits us as it means we can fit holidays and short trips in, he also has another unpaid project he’s working on that might lead to a share in the company it’s for. However he thinks his former employers just want him back to get what they can out of him in the next year which I suppose is fair enough.
We did laugh in December though, his boss asked if he could attend the company Christmas party in Zurich and the high ups there said no as he was no longer an employee, it was all a bit petty 
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The nerves that some have!
OK. Now I have to watch that.
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For a film with Jonah Hill, it was not as bad as I thought!
Yesterday it was confirmed that there will be job losses as projects that could mop up technicians are thin on the ground at the moment.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, next week I am in a butt sniffing meeting with another project, so we will see.
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Will knee pads be provided?
BYO I’m afraid.
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I don’t fully get it. You’re 65 which is the official retirement age in Switzerland, ok for Germany it’s 67. Do you have a nest egg to cover the gap? More importantly, what is your retirement plan? If you are excited about what comes next then everything becomes more fun. This channel can give you some inspiration:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0dRjLpXi4C8oti0Y9riUmg
67 and four months, I did however plan on working longer because: A, Pensions are low, (48% ) and B, I have no idea what to do with myself.
Basically were I to lose my job I can claim unemployment meaning I would lose those last two years paying into the system and that mans a reduction on pension.
But apart from that; it just isnt the way I wanted to end my working life.
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No consolation, but it rarely is for anyone. When I got “called down to HR” my only thought was “Why so soon?” I was expecting another 5 or 6 months. But I was happy to go, and I had a drop dead file on the corner of my desk which helped my negotiations for my package.
But it was time and I haven’t ever regretted leaving when I did.
Ending your working life is a rebirth!
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That’s the part you need to figure out which is why I shared the YT channel above.
It wants me to sign up and become a member.
I appreciate what you are trying to do but these youtube cookie-cutter solitions forget that people are different, similar sites give their suggestions to people who have enough money to retire and who want to retire, so I would expect this to be no different.