[Porsche-O-Phile]

In adversity lies opportunity. Never doubt this.

Sounds like your old place was just looking to replace you with someone cheaper. It's the way of things. You see it a lot during recessions like we're in now (lots of times the older guys commanding the higher salaries are cut allowing them to either leave positions vacant or fill them with younger, less experienced (translation: cheaper) people.

The way to make yourself last is to put yourself in a position where your unique skill set is recognized and therefore you can command the higher salary (since nobody can easily replace you). In a lot of "McJobs", the fact that you can be replaced with someone else so readily with little detriment to the company makes you expendable and an easy target for replacement if you're at the high end of the pay scale.

Best of luck in any case. Hope it works out for you.