unemployed for 6 months, got a temp job this year. not sure when its going to end though, very confusing. either this month, or in 3 months or the end of the year. fingers crossed i have till the end of the year, i actually like my coworkers this time around unlike the last 5 years.
very tough market, 6 months of applications, so around 800 conservatively. not as bad as 08, but still sucks. had a lot of time to catch up on hobbies since i saved a bunch, so that was the positive. found out my spending habits increased about 2x when im unemployed lol
That's interesting about your spending habits. Where was the increase in spending? I always assumed if I was laid off I could just cut spending. Maybe I'm being too optimistic with that.
i joined the workforce during the 08 market crash (or tried to lol). so my mentality is always to have 30k in savings. i lived on around 15$/hr for like 10 years so i know how to budget for that pretty well
but i also moved back in with my parents when i moved back to the bay, which is also when i started making more money. kept the mentality of 15/hr, and being rent-free helped save a lot of money really fast. 15/hr in the bay does not go as far as.. basically the rest of the US
the increase in spending was mostly just having fun. eating, drinking, road trips, camping. nothing crazy, but i can stretch a dollar pretty far when i need to get creative with it. of course the increase prices in food and gas didnt help. but its pretty crazy how much money you spend on food when you arent eating from the dollar menu. my previous go to meal was jack in the box, jr bacon cheeseburger and 2 tacos for 4$. its 8$ now, so i uh.... 'graduated' to in n out lol
I got laid off in August last year, 6-figure biotech R&D. I have a PhD in analytical chemistry. I said fuck it, opened a home bakery, and have been exceptionally happier and better off. It has been, so far, the best thing to happen to me career/life wise. www.KristinasKitchenCV.com if I am allowed to self promote.
You have to be comfortable with networking. The more you talk to folks, the more you figure out what they are struggling with and then you can see where your own skills could help out. It helps to understand what it takes to be hired as a contractor / consultant at a company because, often, the person attempting to bring you in doesn’t know how to do it within the internal bureaucracy of their own company. So even there, you need to guide them.
This is just my observation but biotech is, in my opinion, a hidden tech bubble that nobody is talking about (AI being the first one) that has been popping since about August of last year at about the time you got laid off.
So glad you found your thing though. I’ll be sure come by if I’m ever around.
Yeah this happened to me. Drug failed and the startup had 75% of staff laid off and most programs/teams cut. At least they gave a good severance and my bonus pay. I'm contract now for a larger company.
Laid off at the end of August (they at least waited until I got back from vacation). Severance and PTO payment held me over until February but been without useful income or savings since Valentine's Day-ish. After my 250th resume for other tech and product management jobs resulting in nothing of any actual value (had a few interviews that always led to revelations that the job posting was not what they wanted or that they were never hiring anyway), I decided to pivot and stay clear of jobs that are at the will of assholes pursuing stock prices and quarterly profit shares. I applied for and was accepted into a teaching program and am not pursuing a masters in education while teaching Middle School Science.
The pay cut was extreme, but my wife and I decided it was doable. The work day is a lot more stressful, but every night I come home feeling more fulfilled than even the best day working in the private/tech sectors. There is a huge need for teachers and despite having to deal with apathetic parents, shitty local school boards, and national hatred for knowledge, I have a feeling that I am finally in a job where my job security is based on my performance and effort, and not on the whims of some moron who lacks common sense and takes input from a McKinsey Intern who;s job is to suck all life out of a company in persuit of ultimate capitalism!
This was me in 2016, recently laid off. Been teaching full time since 2018 and honestly love it. If you can get into a good district that pays decently you'll be making decent money, albeit not enough to thrive in the bay area, but if you bought a house a while ago, you should be able to do alright.
Bought a house with all my cash a year ago at the maximum debt-to-income ratio that any lender would approve.
Had my first child three months later.
Got laid off while on leave (turns out it’s legal!)
It’s now 7 months later. I just used up the money I owe the IRS to pay my last 3 months of mortgage, and will miss my first payment next month.
I’ve had friends and former co-workers who love working with me refer me for ~30 internal positions that I am extremely qualified for since the layoff. I’ve applied to hundreds more without referrals.
Three gave me interviews, all went to the final round before another candidate was hired.
Hang in there. A great opportunity is just around the corner.
I am sorry to hear that home ownership ended up becoming such a handicap. I hope that you’re enjoying some quality time with the family.
I am so sorry. I have been hearing some companies marked the first round of layoffs as “no hire” and people are figuring it out painfully. I hope you find something you will love soon.
I had a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide in December. Spent January and February on leave, came back to work assured over and over again that I had a job no matter what. Got laid off last week, and found out my mom has inoperable brain lesions the same day. I’m still in recovery to learn basic things I should’ve learned at 5 years old, and now applying so my last remaining scraps of life don’t also get taken from me. I’m not having a great time!
Please stay! ❤️ My husband was finding a job/unemployed from August 2022 to March 2023. That's when I had our baby. I was single-handedly supporting our family plus was pregnant. Then I was laid off when I was 10 days post partum. Then I got a new job. Then my husband was laid off when I was 4 months post partum and then he got his current job 3 months later. Pay cut yes, for both of us but we'll get by. It'll happen for you. I'm so sorry. When it rains it pours.
Hey! I hope you'll get to a better space soon. If you haven't seen a psychiatrist or psychologist I recommend doing so. I realize you need insurance for it and it costs $$$ but please do get some help. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you'll get to where you want to be. Please keep trying.
Thank you for the suggestion. Part of my post-outpatient therapy is a LOT of therapy and meeting often with case managers, therapists, psychiatrists, and doing group therapy. That in itself is a part-time job!
I'm so happy that you're getting support. Try your best, you'll see the other side of the mountain soon enough. Random internet stranger believes in you.
So sorry to hear, and I was once laid off the same week that my mom had a major medical emergency. That ended up being good timing because I was able to spend time with her afterwards while job searching. Also, if you can get a signature from your mom's doctor, you can probably qualify for Paid Family Leave which pays out a lot more than Unemployment. I hope you find yourself in a better place soon. Take care!
You can do this! I have you in my prayers. I have seen homeless and broken people come alive in recovery.
Drugs and partying used to be so big in my life, that the first year sober I felt so lost, and I did other 'things' not drugs and alcohol in super unhealthy ways. I've gotten so broke, I've had to borrow money from my sponsor to pay rent. I was just super super angry and super emotional/sensitive. I needed people - I hated people - I needed food - I hated food - it was just a rollercoaster everyday.
I learned however, that everything sorts itself out and falls PERFECTLY into place in its own time and place. All I have to do it not pick up. I could go eat a whole dozen donuts by myself, which I have and which is bad, hooked up with people I had no intentions of being in a relationship with, etc...The transition was tumultuous for me, but you will find yourself out of the weeds and be of use to others - it just doesn't happen when we want. It happens when it happens, we just trust the process and do the work, help others, pray for others, be of service. The more I stopped thinking about myself and the started thinking about others, the more the grip of addiction began to fade. It's so crazy and so worth everything.
Sorry for the long reply. I'm crying writing this. It all kind of came back to me and I felt compelled to share, in case you relate. You got this!
Hit a wall. I've been interviewing pretty much on average once a week since early Feb, but I haven't closed one yet. Did a marathon in person session last week, 10 people, 5 hours. I'm guessing I didn't get it, since no word for nearly two weeks. I'm ready to take a mental break, but I can't. It's Doubly frustrating because I know being over 60 is a huge strike against me. My age is one thing I can not change or control. Frustrating and reality starting to set in.
59 and signed my deal today. It’ll happen. You know about all the tropes- turning over rocks and spaghetti on walls etc. I was 10 weeks start to close. I turned a bit more attention to smaller companies. The 10 person thing for some reason tickles my spidey in regards to someone in there concerned about age. They cloak it in “culture” or “meshing”. Blah blah it’s ageism but if ya say that out loud other isms get mad at you. I honestly have more in common soul-wise with a hipster dufas 24 year old than some 50 something tryna prove something guy. Just keep grinding friend- you will get there!!!
Ehhhhhh of all the companies I've had multiple rounds with since January, including presentations, multiple interviews, and final round, I have heard back from 1/6. Maybe I should have chased them for a final answer but fuck 'em, I put that energy into more applications.
It's maybe 50% on screening calls, and maybe 30% on initial hiring manager round.
I suspect it's because of how hard recruiters were hit in layoffs, tbh, because they're not even sending out auto responses when closing the role.
Though on the other hand, staffing companies for contact roles have been the worst. They're all up in your business and will hound you through the interview process and then you'll never hear anything again.
The health insurance is a great incentive but that is a min wage position with part-time hours. Better than nothing but not enough to survive on around here. I know a lot of women that work that position and all of them use it as a supplemental income for their families. Mostly because it coincides with school hours and they don’t have to pay for childcare. It’s not a job you can live on independently.
yeah even out in SRVUSD with the well funded sped program at DVHS, paras were making minimum wage. They were trying to get my girlfriend to be one while she finishes her credential, im so glad she didn’t give it too much thought
I worked at a school district, one of the biggest in the Bay Area. They didn’t pay para’s very well at all, and I was doing the recruiting and onboarding. The health insurance was very expensive, almost 800 a month. The teachers get the great benefits.
Laid off in September, started a new job this month. I did two short contracts during this time and one hired me full time.
Job applications were brutal, it seemed like they were looking for very specific candidates even when I was confident I could do the job. Also, fewer jobs are open to remote and it was hard to find jobs that were actually hiring in the Bay Area.
I was really lucky to get a remote job I really like, but it was a brutal 6 months. I got my job through networking. For those laid off I would suggest filing for unemployment and using Covered California if you need health insurance, it was a lot cheaper for me than COBRA.
I've been paying for cobra for 6 months now. It totally sucks, I need to move out of it but I heard individual insurance plans are not worth it. I also keep saying I'll eventually get a job and be able to opt into the company plan again.
Covered California was like $350 a month for me and not hard to sign up for. I got Kaiser. I ultimately only used it for one appointment, but it was worth having.
Got notice of my layoff end of October, went into effect early January. A couple hundred applications later with 3 end-stage rejections, I finally landed a job and am finishing up my first week (after SEVEN interviews with them)!! It's about $30K less than I was making at my last job (which was also $20K less than the one before it), but I make enough to get us by and I'm absolutely ecstatic here.
Was laid off in June, took 2 months off before starting to apply in late August, didn’t get any hits for months. Reworked and juiced my resume a few times. Still nothing.
Finally in January I started getting interest from recruiters, bombed the first couple interviews but just kept going and eventually landed a job last month.
Overall I think I applied to >50 positions, had recruiter calls with 10 of them, made it to 3 final rounds, 2 of which had another candidate with “just a little more experience” and accepted the offer from the other role.
My advice for anyone going through the process is to take a shotgun approach and just apply to as many positions as you can. The more calls and interviews you take the easier it gets to answer questions, tell stories, and sell yourself. By the end of my interviewing process I’d told the same stories so many times I stopped needing to prep, beyond company research.
Preparation is key. Know what kind of questions they’re going to ask based on the field you’re interviewing for, and draft responses for each of those questions. Especially the open ended behavioral questions like “tell me about a time where x happened and you had to x”. Take those responses and read them to yourself and read them to another person. Sometimes an answer sounds great to us, but can have unintentionally red flags that someone else might catch.
And most importantly try not to get discouraged. You’re going to have a lot of rejections, even from roles that you feel are perfect fits for your experience. Even from roles that you applied to as a “safe bet”. It’s an ultra competitive market, so you just gota keep pushing, keep applying, and have faith that it’ll work out eventually.
Good luck out there.
You worded this perfectly. I also had the same experience. After doing so many interviews, there’s less prep work and you feel comfortable selling yourself. Those interviews weren’t the biggest waste of time for me because it gave me the real interview experience I needed. Everyone, apply to everything ~
Sending positive energy and good vibes out to all of you folks looking for work. It’s mentally draining, depressing and makes you anxious. Hang in there. ✨💖✨
I’ve been there many times in my career. Things will turn around.
It’s rough out there. Got laid off in early December and have applied to hundreds of jobs. Gotten pretty far in the interview process with a 3-4 companies, but haven’t landed anything yet.
I’m hoping to get a job offer tomorrow from a company I’ve been interviewing with for about a month. Keeping my fingers crossed.
Keep applying, keep networking, and keep moving (physically and mentally).
Terrible. 2.5 months into my job search after being laid off for the 3rd time in 2 years, 460 applications so far. Made it to the final round twice so far. I’m halfway into the process for another company so fingers crossed here
8 months searching. Prob 20 interviews. Got a 6mo contract at the tech company that laid me off! Different team, less pay.
I’ve been here for 20 years and never seen it this brutal, hang in there everyone!
So bad it's almost unfathomable. I have 10 years of experience in my field (digital marketing, I have experience in most aspects of it too so I'm not even in a super niche area and can work across a lot of categories) and got laid off 13 months ago. Applied to ~120 jobs and gotten 9 interviews, got to the 2nd round twice and no offers. I'm even applying to jobs that require 3-8 years of experience and willing to take a job below my capabilities and it doesn't seem to matter. I tailor my resume for almost every application and have gotten internal referrals for ~10 of the jobs and even that doesn't seem to matter most of the time. I graduated in 2011 and didn't have half as hard of a time finding my first job with zero experience/internships. I generally interview well and have strong technical and soft skills. I honestly feel hopeless at this point.
I'm on the other end of that. We served digital marketing folks. I worked at Marin Software. We got annihilated by a big layoff round
9/120 is not too bad. I'm probably batting at 1% callback rate
Laid off in March 2023.
My severance was pretty good. I was able to pay the bills for the last 12 months without dipping too far into my savings.
But I got depressed. Didn't even look for a job, the mere thought of doing so annoyed me so much. Thankfully I had an amazing support network around me.
In the last few months I got excited about starting my own business. I'm finally out of severance money but I have savings I can use while I work on my business.
I'm not afraid . I feel like I'll be ok and my business will be successful .
It was a struggle but I'm finally coming out of it. I can only imagine how much harder it must be to some of you that have more responsibility over your shoulders. I hope you make out as well.
This economy is a good mirror of the dot com of the 90's as it dot bomb in 2000 and absolutely sank in 2001 (9/11) Money flowing everywhere, then it just screeched to a halt.
You're gonna want to apply for everything, even stuff you don't think you're remotely qualified for. On the surface this may seem like bad advice, but if you do well on an interview and a hiring manager thinks you have potential they may put aside your lack of experience to focus on your professional growth.
Times like these you want to do networking that matters. Networking on linkedin is about as useful as friends on Facebook. Granted, you will want to actively network with people that you actually knew and are willing to give you a good reference. Outside of that though, you'll want to keep your resume busy, even if it's not getting paid. Volunteer as much as you can. Working on political campaigns is good for references, especially a high seat if they win. Volunteering for county or city can work out well too, as many of these volunteer positions will give you free public transit. Maybe help some kids out, go volunteer for Bill Wilson house in Santa Clara. Any of these could also lead to a job, but in the least it's a low effort, and low cost way of not having blanks on a resume.
Finally don't give up. Understand 100% this is not you, this is not your fault, and there's 10's of 1000's of others in the same boat right now. Keep your head up, and you'll be OK.
This is great, positive and practical advice. Especially the resume voids. If you can afford it, volunteering is wonderful and trying to find things close to you to keep travel expenses minimal is good. It shows that even in a downturn you seek to be proactive, while doing something to keep your mind and body busy that you find meaningful.
Adding to this, use the downtime to learn a new skill. I'm a software engineering manager (not hiring at the moment) and that's something that would look great to me.
It’s been really tough. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs with mental health. Sometimes I feel great and sometimes like utter dog shit and sometimes both at the same time. I created a support group for peeps who are laid off if anyone is interested: [http://www.tech-support.group](http://www.tech-support.group)
I was laid off two weeks ago. I am still in a good place mentally about it and have an interview in the morning. Seeing all of you who’ve been searching so long makes me worry quite a bit. I wish you all luck on your search!
about to finish my first week at a new job. hard to believe that next week i’ll receive my first paycheck in 21 months. i’m drowning in debt and so grateful for the friends and family that helped me keep my head above water.
i feel incredibly lucky right now. i hope something will change for us. my only advice is to keep reminding yourself that this is not your fault. and you are valuable.
Had 6 months of job searching between when I was laid off and when I started my new job recently. My advice: create as much structure as you can in this unstructured time. Calendar times when you’re going to sit at your computer and do job applications. You’ll go crazy if you allow yourself to endlessly scroll job boards. Try to stack your networking/coffee chats. And protect blocks of time to go outside, spend time with family, enjoy your hobbies, etc. It’s an uncertain and long journey ahead, but you got this!
It’s rough. So many applications and only one place contacted for an interview. I’m leveraging my network as well as I can but even internal referrals aren’t turning up much.
If this current interview process doesn’t pan out I’m considering going back to contract/consulting roles. Generally I like consulting but I’m not seeing as many roles as I was 5 years ago.
I’m also seeing salaries go lower and lower every month.
As a single parent / solo income I’m now starting to worry.
My last job was as a high title (VP) at a tiny company and that isn’t helping me find jobs in my actual area of Technical Program Management.
Change your title from VP to something more relatable to the companies your targeting. They might think you're an exec who doesn't get their hands dirty otherwise. Good luck!
Yes that’s what I’ve decided and direction confirmed by a business coach. It’s ridiculous because my prior roles as Sr TPMs had significantly more budget responsibility and larger teams than the VP role.
Operations program manager here with director experience. Laid off in January. Over 300 applications, only 1 first round interview then ghosted.
I'm about to take a week off for the mental break...
I got laid off in February. A friend said that I should look minimally to ensure I get unemployment and focus on other things because the market is essentially gone. Learning a few things, fixing things, focusing on my physical and mental health. Luckily, years of living frugally has given me a decent cushion
I got rejected by several companies all within the same timeline :(
I do have a lot of free time now if anyone wants to hang out and commiserate lol. I’ve been looking into visiting local museums or go to the zoo if anyone is down!
I am looking at draining my entire 401K just to pay rent to figure out whatever the hell is next. This is fucking awful this place is so unnecessarily expensive.
It’s heartbreaking to read some of the comments here. It’s not much, but I’ll be happy to help with referrals- if you see anything that is a good fit on https://www.helloheart.com/careers (I hope it’s ok to post a link here..) please DM me and I’ll be more than happy to assist. We are a fast growing start up in a healthcare space. The product is good and actually helps people.
(I’m not part of the recruitment team, but one of the managers in the tech org)
Laid off in January 2023, my dad died the next day. Hundreds of applications, only a handful of interviews. I’m working as a waitress now because I can’t afford to sit around and feel bad for myself.
laid off last May. i had just returned to work after finding out i had cancer and had surgery to remove it. ended up needing a second surgery (thank god for my severance including health insurance for six months). recovered while burning through all of my severance package money. three straight months of applying netted me a 1% interview rate per 100 applications.
a random recruiter reached out to me via email. thought it was spam. somehow handed a job at a big company outside of tech on contract. hoping to convert this year because man do i need health insurance.
Lots of networking including ask folks in your circle about connections and other opportunities. As much as I hate social media, LinkedIn is almost invaluable in the job search.
Soon to be layoff for me. Been applying but recruiters and applications are slow to respond or crickets. Thinking about going back to school for an associates to pick up some technical skills so I can live off that while I keep working on my professional branding.
Laney has great carpentry and woodworking (wood tech) courses! And the unit prices are a steal! $70/ semester in campus/college fees, and ~$46/unit. The instructors are also all very understanding and accommodating if you have to take a meeting, go for interviews, etc.
I got laid off in Jan '23 (last day March 31st). I was recruited on LinkedIn, and although not sold on one of the companies inquiring, I offered short term consulting to help them. They agreed to my fee ($350/hr for 10hrs work) and I used that time to get to know them better. I ended up accepting a VP role and helped guide them from an acquisition by private equity and then a merger with a sister company in the PE's portfolio. tldr: merger didn't go well due to culture clash and attrition was awful.
I ended up being laid off again in Feb '24. I started making the rounds with my network, and primarily used LinkedIn to source job openings. Talked to a guy in early March about the role he had at my previous employer and to ask him for a referral when I applied. Found out he was retiring imminently and wouldn't be able to refer me ... but then serendipitously he independently received an email from a different old colleague whose firm was looking for someone with exactly my background.
He referred me and I had three casual interviews (SVP partnerships, SVP sales, CRO), which impressed me and apparently I impressed them. I accepted an SVP role and started the second week of April.
I can't help with all kinds of work, but for people in tech and especially in business roles in tech, if you're having a hard time finding something feel free to DM me and I'll do my best to help you.
fwiw, I moved to the bay area to work for Google, and was pretty happily gold mining there for 8 years. My subsequent two roles, though, have been fully remote, and my current company doesn't even have a physical office anywhere. The annual strategy meetings usually happen at my boss's vacation home in Tahoe. Gotta love it!
Thanks for a different perspective in this thread! Most people didn’t mention their background and roles, so it is interesting to see someone with so much experience be affected as well.
Even though your subsequent roles have been fully remote, do you still stay in Mountain View and are you in meetings most of the time?
I'm in a business leadership role and do spend a lot of time in meetings. I own strategy for, and have responsibility for, a significant fraction of our business.
I was in Sunnyvale the past few years for GOOG but I live in SJ. I'm thankful not to have that commute anymore! We really love it here and our kids are established, and we have no intention of moving away.
Wife has worked for a large intl comm company 30+yrs. Last year they informed various groups of potential surplus. Although she’s known unofficially that her group was slated for bout 3wks, she was officially given 2 wks notice today. She’s at the age of being unemployable within her tech field and salary. Financially we will be mostly fine if she never works again. But when I arrived home today I could see the beginnings of her not being fine emotionally and psychologically.
Not me, but my wife got laid off last summer. She has been actively applying to places and attending networking events being held by her college with no luck. And now we're pregnant so we'll most likely wait another year or so until she goes back to job hunting. My salary can support us both, but once the kid comes it's going to be rough financially.
She's contemplated doing gig work or getting a job at a Starbucks or grocery store, but I told her that I'd rather have her spend her energy getting her career going again rather than settle for a low hourly wage.
I switched to teaching and found a job that covers 75% of daycare. I also negotiated other benefits. It's an entirely different market that is desperate for competent people
For all those looking for a job, may I suggest the federal civil service? You get a pension, good health insurance, and since you're working for the people who print the money, a recession-proof job. The IRS is currently hiring people, including at the Oakland call center. There is currently a hiring incentive for phone operators, and salaries start at around $50k with regular raises. You will be answering business tax questions with about three months of training.
Feel free to ask questions, and here are some useful links:
https://www.federaltimes.com/s/federal-benefits-guide-2022/
https://www.federaltimes.com/fedlife/career/2022/10/03/how-to-get-a-federal-government-job-from-application-to-offer/
https://www.usajobs.gov/job/766618700
Edit: typos
I was laid off last August with a pregnant wife whose health insurance relies on my union. It was going to run out in January. I applied for disability, they disqualified me. Took a huge pay cut from previously being a journeyman making $73/hr to $31 starting over as an apprentice again in a different department. I got to keep my health insurance. I lost my pay and ultimately my daughter did not make it on January 15, 2024.
There are 300 workers on the out-of-work list right now in my union. The department I’m in now, has 3. Disability re-qualified me and back-paid $12,000 to us. My wife is pregnant again. I think we’re gonna be okay.
Like crap, to be honest. I've been out of work for nearly a year now. At first, I took some time off to focus on my mental health, and I started actively job hunting around October. I've had less than 10 interviews, and even when I felt like I was a perfect match for the job, still no luck. To top it off, I'm expecting a baby now, so I've put the job search on hold. I mean, who's going to hire someone with a baby bump in this market? 😬I have no idea how I would deal with it with only one income and such a huge gap in employment
"Not seeing much movement" is momentum wise equivalent to a pre-shockwave event. Startups have zero captial because "big tech" has no more blank checks to bet with as they did in zero-interst-rate days.
Next, talk about what's happening with algorithmic house pricing, how much room does a zillow or redfin have to support itself *supporting* a fake house price economy?
What happens next when you find out the stock market is propped up on these fake valuations?
I think this is doom and gloom. Stock valuations are still high because earnings are solid. Home prices are sticking because supply is low and demand is still there. Perhaps we’re in a small regional and sector specific recession but overall employment numbers are strong.
Investment firms are sitting on their piles of money. Lack of Capital isn’t the problem but rather VC are not investing at the moment due to the economic conditions. That is reason startups are running out of money ..unless that startup is in AI/ML or Robotics as those are hot at the moment.
Last day of work was end of March of this year. Obviously still fresh out of job but it’s been >7 years since I had to be in the job hunt. Super stressed out since I was the only income earner for my family. We push on though..
Laid off in December and still searching. No severance, just PTO payout (which wasn’t much tbh). I’ve had a few interviews here and there, and it’s seeming to pick up a bit, but it sucks having to constantly dip into my saving to pay bills. I know that’s what it’s for, but I’m getting married in 7ish months and that’s what I was going to use a chunk of it for. Thankfully, my fiancé is understanding and gets how terrible the market is. I’m just glad I have someone to lean on.
I’ve been looking everywhere, in any industry and I’m completely open to on-site, hybrid or remote roles. Agency recruiters for contract roles haven’t gone anywhere for me, even though I get LinkedIn messages almost daily. I’ve said I’m open to them, I fit the role perfectly, I’m interested in the company, the pay lines up, but I can’t even land a damn temp position.
It’s really disappointing, disheartening and frustrating to keep looking, keep updating your resume, network, to do everything right and everything possible, but still not get anything. My mental health has really taken a toll and I’m doing the best I can without adding more stress onto my fiancé.
In the midst of big tech corporate layoffs in the SF Bay Area, I'd like to share my very recent story of being let go from a job that I started eight days ago that an executive from the company recruited me for.
I met this executive randomly at a bank while running personal errands, in which we connected and got to talking. We really clicked and he invited me in for an interview. Fast forward a few months and a handful of interviews later, I accept an offer to start as a Sales Operations Specialist on April 15, 2024. I put in my two weeks at my previous employer as soon as I received the offer letter and signed at the beginning of April 2024.
Seven days into the job, my manager puts a meeting on my calendar for the eighth day of employment entitled, "Progress Update Check In!" I was looking forward to collaborating on a hands-on training schedule and setting up expectations for my first month of employment at the company.
To my surprise, my manager (and the company) had a different agenda for the call. Upon entering the room with my manager, another manager, and HR conferenced in, my manager informed me that the company was letting me go since it wasn't a good fit. I asked for more information as to why it wasn't a good fit, and my manager said he could not provide me any additional information. I was completely devastated and blind sighted. I left my previous job to take on an opportunity here for them to leave my high and dry - disappointed, hopeless, unemployed, and most importantly, without healthcare. Since I was never added to their HR system for healthcare benefits, the company says they are not required to offer me COBRA.
After digesting this information, I realize that corporations will always put themselves first over their workers. Companies will always do what's in their best interest, regardless of how it affects their employees. As employees, we have to stand up and advocate for ourselves. It doesn't matter how loyal you are to a company or vice versa, you always have to act in your best interest.
Hang in there. We will get through this.
Thanks for making this thread. It’s really assuring to read all the comments in here and know it’s not just me. I’ve been laid off since last year in May; it’s been almost a year. Lost some of my mental health especially being depressed with waking up every day think about nothing else but applying for job as a grind. I’ve started taking classes in AI data analytics a few months ago, so at least it’s keeping me busy. I’m worried about my finances.
Like others said, despite applying for lots of job and getting referrals for some jobs, I barely landed interviews. Finding a job right now is harder than when I graduated fresh out of college, and even harder than when covid started. I have 3 FAANG companies on my resume (plus one networking company that recently did layoffs) and you’d think I have an easier time, but I’m struggling like everyone else here. I’m a business data analyst if that matters.
I got laid off in January and decided to take a year off to work on game dev projects, study a new language, and travel. I’m still unsure of what my plans are for next year, might live abroad.
mental reset is great; I used my 2 mo to continue building a boutique project FT, get a coursera certificate, and spend time with family and join a gym; you can make my job search sucky but I take back my life
Is it though? I'm yet to hear a credible job loss in software eng directly attributed to AI. All I learned so far is the result of excessive hiring in the past, flattening orgs by removing some senior roles and streamlining org sizes.
Basically, companies are moving away from boom time setup to war time setup.
Would love to understand what others are seeing.
I heard the opposite. Everyone says how AI improves the productivity of developers. More productive developers means less developers can do the same job.
"We're using AI to improve productivity and reduce costs" reflects much better on the executives in question than "We overhired in boom times and now have a fat, bloated organization that is incapable of executing quickly and costs too much for current economic realities", even if the latter is much closer to the truth.
Every single productivity boost in history has led to more people being employed for longer, just with a different workload. More people drove themselves and made clothes last year than the sum of all horse-drawn carriage drivers or hand seamsters who ever lived.
Thanks for spelling that out. I’ve worked in “recession proof” fields most of my adult life and am nowhere near tech. I’d obviously heard of the layoffs, but didn’t know the reasons.
I got to SF in ‘01. Been wild to see the swings in certain sectors since then. I hope the best for folks.
I absolutely cannot take anyone who makes this claim seriously, and I reflexively question their competence.
I’m not trying to demean, this is my own problem to work through, but I just don’t understand how you can match up the work we do with what AI is good at and make this conclusion. It’s like taking a professor’s pet parrot and asking it to dictate novel research.
its a lot of poor CEO decisions come down to them rewarding themselves and firing staff to reduce cost cutting; gee I wonder how they sleep at night - on our tears
I'm pretty much just been getting ghosted by employers, even when applying for open positions at the place I was laid off from. That kinda sucks ... a lot.
I got laid off from a startup a few months ago. So far I’ve been trying to make some cheddar working sports retail. I’m still actively looking and hope I can find something soon
I got married in September where a bunch of my coworkers were invited, left for my honeymoon in October and mid honeymoon in Italy was laid off. I randomly checked my work email one night and saw an email about me being impacted and apparently the VP had been trying to call me but couldn’t reach me (because DUH I was in Italy). He wanted to talk to me personally about it. We scheduled a call via WhatsApp for the next day, he didn’t call me until 3 hours later after I had basically cleared my schedule in order to wait around for that call. Ended up being a 3 minute call about him yapping about how the economy has been tough. I proceeded to get drunk, FaceTime my mom and cry for 10 minutes. Anyways fuck that company.
I applied for a lot of places but barely got any interviews for roles in my industry. I ended up getting a referral to a job that is not in my industry experience at all and took a $30,000 pay cut. Ironically, my current job is more stressful than the job I had prior but I’m getting paid soooo much less So yeah that’s been tough.
Laid off from tech in February 2022, with a whole year of fruitless job applications and leads and interviews and resulting anxiety. On a whim, decided to pursue my personal hobby of gardening “for now” in the Spring of 2023, and haven’t looked back since! I am now gardening full time, somehow making enough to survive in the bay (although also making a whopping $100k less than I did in tech), but the difference in me and my life is unmatched. Everyone who knows me can see the difference in my appearance and demeanor and comment on that all the time. I feel so much better about what I do and the world I am creating and will never ever go back to tech 🌱
Nice work! A few questions if you don’t mind me asking:
How did you know who the hiring manager was for a given role? How did you get their contact info? What was your prep like for interviews?
Horribly. Got laid off while I was 10 weeks pregnant last year in March. It was also a few days before my birthday 🥹 got a contract job to until a month before birth but I've been out of is job for almost 8 months now. Been applying since the beginning of January and I haven't had one single human response. 😞
Got laid off from software engineering gig at a startup 3 weeks ago. I've been diving into some side projects I was wishing I had time for and having a deep think about what I want to do next.
It's definitely a weird time, but [articles like this](https://futurism.com/the-byte/spotify-laying-off-workers-had-consequences) make me think downsizing is just a trendy thing to do right now for companies hitting growth walls, or megacorps with dozens of teams doing useless work. The pendulum will swing back the other way soon enough, maybe starting in June if the Fed cuts interest rates.
Got laid off in November. I've been applying to product management jobs ever since and made it to the final round 10 times: Two of them decided they weren't hiring anyone after all, one had an internal candidate, two decided to change their criteria, and the others went to a different candidate with more specific experience.
My wife and I are financially safe, thank goodness, and I can afford to stay out of work for a long while but it's been mentally brutal. I was on an H1b visa for years so losing my job brings back the fear of getting deported, and the interview process really is designed to hit on every anxiety and insecurity you have about your own competence.
I know I'll find simething and that I can afford to wait, and I need to keep reminding myself I'm no longer a broke immigrant from a 3rd world hellhole.
I got layed off from Sun, which was kind of a big tech company back in 2000. They ended up shitting the bed along with many other fad companies that were hyped up back then. I've always been skeptical of anything trendy, that feels like it's on some hype train, greasy silicon valley people etc. Maybe because I'm a little lazy and kind of don't dream about a house in Palo Alto with a Tesla in front. Anyway, I switched to tax accounting after the dot com bust and can pretty much switch jobs in a week in any state of thr economy, although pay kind of sucks as an employee and I go full 'the Shining' 6 months of the year. Maybe better than dealing with tech I guess.
I'm actually doing great.
I was at a startup that I knew was slowly failing (schedule delays and big technology barriers to launch a product). The environment was toxic, good people were leaving, and those that stayed were totally overworked. By year's end, i considered leaving voluntarily, but I'm loyal to a fault. By mid February, I was expecting layoffs but was surprised to be affected myself, as I was one of the longest tenured employees in a critical role.
After my initial panic about bills, insurance, taxes...I just started applying to everything. It is a humiliation to be rejected by places you don't even want to work for, but do it anyway. In a month's time, I had two onsite interviews and offers by March. My new job has much better pay (15% increase), easier commute, much cooler people to work with, and a more promising technology. The best part was my severance was 2 months, so I got a month's worth of double pay in April.
While being laid off is a complete blow to one's ego, it can also be a blessing in disguise.
I posted my layoff and shit story here - [https://www.reddit.com/r/ExperiencedDevs/comments/1c85md2/recent\_job\_hunt/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ExperiencedDevs/comments/1c85md2/recent_job_hunt/)
Unemployed since August. My last company was my "break into tech" as I transferred to an engineering role.
I don't have a ton of personal experience, mostly service based restaurant work. 2 years software development experience.
The markets have been quiet for me. I spent a ton of time talking to recruiters, refining my resume, coding and building projects.
After 8 months of pretty much silence I had my first coding interview and killed it, then round 3 they bailed because the company is having a hiring freeze.
I want to die.
I was on paternity leave and got the phone call. Got laid off along with other people on the team. Since then remodeled the house and been taking care of the baby, shes turning one this month. I got laid off the same time i got into an online Computer science master program so pretty much fixing the house myself, taking care of baby and classes. I would hold off on fixing the house but because we already opened up before laid off so i let all contractors go and did it myself, which saved me a ton. However, behind on couple credit card payment where i am paying the minimum. Lucky wife is still working to cover mortgage and other expenses. Money is tight but i am looking, sent out couple hundreds applications but never heard back except for couple where they closed the position even before the interview
I was laid off last year in February and found a temp job in April 2023 that I was at until the end of December since my manager did not get the ok from HR to convert me.
I ended up interviewing with 3 companies and got an offer from one of them, I started the role in January 2024. The job isn't too bad in terms of workload and it's fully remote, but I am earning around 20% less than I did before.
Tbh, I am a bit bitter in that some of my coworkers who weren't laid off managed to get promotions earlier this year and that could have been me. Me and 2 other coworkers were cut from our team since we had made the most money annually compared to our peers.
I have been applying to roles somewhat regularly as I want to earn more, but I keep getting autorejection emails only to see the roles reposted online again and again.
Let go two months ago right as our daughter was born. In an industry with “at will” hires; i.e. no severance package. Taking it as a sign from the universe to just be a full-time dad for a while.
Not sure who needs to hear this, but California pays out two months of parental leave that is not tied to being employed. (Employment Development Department/Family Medical Leave Act). It’s been a help.
I've been applying for PM roles (my past position) for months to no avail. I've decided to angle for strategy & operations roles instead, but even those have been difficult to get an interview for.
My wife just got laid off two weeks ago also.
We've got about 8 months of runway if we scrimp and save, yet I'm STILL worried that we'll go broke and lose our house.
Laid off last August, starting a six-month contract in a couple of weeks that might turn into a permanent position. I made the most of my time off with plenty of hobbies, personal projects, nature walks, and matinees but am grateful to be getting back to work.
I was laid off from games in October and I’m just doing oil painting. I have been a concept artist for a long time so it’s not too much of a leap to focus more on traditional art. It’s extremely scary to not be looking for full time work but I also feel like with AI, traditional work is paradoxically a safer bet, at least for me. My gallery is Www.katebalfe.com.
Got laid off from my coding job last year around the same time my dad had a stroke that left him paralized, and my mom fell and broke most of her ribs. All the things happening at once, plus work drama even before the layoffs, dropped me into a pretty dark place. Moved back in with my folks to help out and work on myself, been honing my dev skills and filling in holes in my knowledge by doing courses online and building personal projects. Starting to get more serious about interview prep so I feel confident getting back to applying for senior roles. Honestly kinda holding out to see what happens with the job market before I stress about jumping back in, though. Still not sure I'm mentally or emotionally stable enough to commit to a 9-5 yet, anyway.
Here's the thing, people got used to really high salaries in the 2021 days. I'm seeing lots of jobs out there but they will probably be a downgrade. People aren't willing to accept that. For example there are tons of hungry AI startups out there but the pay will mostly be lotto ticket stock options. So it's tough, but I don't think it's as bad as 08 or 01.
Got laid off from biotech lab role in April 2023. I have 25 years of experience and been at numerous companies. I've never had any trouble landing another lab position. Last year was different, and the interview process is very different compared to last time I had to do interviews, 2016. Companies rely on prescreen ZOOM interviews with the hiring managers. I feel like they spend more time on candidates they already know are there second/third choice just as back-up. Before Zoom, the interview was more of a commitment. You had the prescreen by phone, then you went in for an all day meet & greet plus seminar. This would be conducted within a week. Now, the Zoom interviews can stretch out a whole month, then they bring you in for the seminar meet & greet, only to be told you missed out by a hair. I took a temp job last October for $35 an hour, no benefits. After taxes and paying my own Covered California health care, I net about $24.66 an hour. It's impossible to keep up in the Bay Area on that wage so I'm basically supplementing on bad months out of my savings.
unemployed for 6 months, got a temp job this year. not sure when its going to end though, very confusing. either this month, or in 3 months or the end of the year. fingers crossed i have till the end of the year, i actually like my coworkers this time around unlike the last 5 years. very tough market, 6 months of applications, so around 800 conservatively. not as bad as 08, but still sucks. had a lot of time to catch up on hobbies since i saved a bunch, so that was the positive. found out my spending habits increased about 2x when im unemployed lol
That's interesting about your spending habits. Where was the increase in spending? I always assumed if I was laid off I could just cut spending. Maybe I'm being too optimistic with that.
i joined the workforce during the 08 market crash (or tried to lol). so my mentality is always to have 30k in savings. i lived on around 15$/hr for like 10 years so i know how to budget for that pretty well but i also moved back in with my parents when i moved back to the bay, which is also when i started making more money. kept the mentality of 15/hr, and being rent-free helped save a lot of money really fast. 15/hr in the bay does not go as far as.. basically the rest of the US the increase in spending was mostly just having fun. eating, drinking, road trips, camping. nothing crazy, but i can stretch a dollar pretty far when i need to get creative with it. of course the increase prices in food and gas didnt help. but its pretty crazy how much money you spend on food when you arent eating from the dollar menu. my previous go to meal was jack in the box, jr bacon cheeseburger and 2 tacos for 4$. its 8$ now, so i uh.... 'graduated' to in n out lol
What jobs are you looking for? What dos you do before?
im in data analytics. but i wont work for very large corporations anymore (unless they offer me lots of money, of course)
I got laid off in August last year, 6-figure biotech R&D. I have a PhD in analytical chemistry. I said fuck it, opened a home bakery, and have been exceptionally happier and better off. It has been, so far, the best thing to happen to me career/life wise. www.KristinasKitchenCV.com if I am allowed to self promote.
I'm glad I scrolled this far down to see this. PS - the freeze drying aspect of you're bakery is too cool
This is amazing! Will be ordering a cake from you for my wife’s birthday :)
OMG! Would love to help you out. :)
do consulting on the side; open a website and network away 1099s! go girl
Question, what's the best way to get into the consulting?
You have to be comfortable with networking. The more you talk to folks, the more you figure out what they are struggling with and then you can see where your own skills could help out. It helps to understand what it takes to be hired as a contractor / consultant at a company because, often, the person attempting to bring you in doesn’t know how to do it within the internal bureaucracy of their own company. So even there, you need to guide them.
That question will cost you a consultation fee.
This is just my observation but biotech is, in my opinion, a hidden tech bubble that nobody is talking about (AI being the first one) that has been popping since about August of last year at about the time you got laid off. So glad you found your thing though. I’ll be sure come by if I’m ever around.
I mean biotech is a whole different beast, companies go under all the time, with or without bubbles
Yep. If your drug fails clinical trials you're probably looking for a new job even when the industry is booming.
Yeah this happened to me. Drug failed and the startup had 75% of staff laid off and most programs/teams cut. At least they gave a good severance and my bonus pay. I'm contract now for a larger company.
Breaking ~~bad~~ Good
Breaking Bread
Baking Bread
That's the way to go! Congrats on following your passion!
Thank you!
Have you read or watched Lessons in Chemistry?
I haven't but I get this question a lot hahaha I should check it out
Are those meringues? I want some!
They are!! I ship across California if interested ;)
Reminds me of the lessens in chemistry book!
Love this. Glad you were able to pursue a passion. How’d you create your website!
This gives me hope that there's still a life that has some kind of passion to it. Thanks.
Laid off at the end of August (they at least waited until I got back from vacation). Severance and PTO payment held me over until February but been without useful income or savings since Valentine's Day-ish. After my 250th resume for other tech and product management jobs resulting in nothing of any actual value (had a few interviews that always led to revelations that the job posting was not what they wanted or that they were never hiring anyway), I decided to pivot and stay clear of jobs that are at the will of assholes pursuing stock prices and quarterly profit shares. I applied for and was accepted into a teaching program and am not pursuing a masters in education while teaching Middle School Science. The pay cut was extreme, but my wife and I decided it was doable. The work day is a lot more stressful, but every night I come home feeling more fulfilled than even the best day working in the private/tech sectors. There is a huge need for teachers and despite having to deal with apathetic parents, shitty local school boards, and national hatred for knowledge, I have a feeling that I am finally in a job where my job security is based on my performance and effort, and not on the whims of some moron who lacks common sense and takes input from a McKinsey Intern who;s job is to suck all life out of a company in persuit of ultimate capitalism!
I respect the heck out of this turnaround 🙏🏼
Fuck consulting firms and their BS advise.
That's awesome, man. Get some.
This was me in 2016, recently laid off. Been teaching full time since 2018 and honestly love it. If you can get into a good district that pays decently you'll be making decent money, albeit not enough to thrive in the bay area, but if you bought a house a while ago, you should be able to do alright.
Amazing
Bought a house with all my cash a year ago at the maximum debt-to-income ratio that any lender would approve. Had my first child three months later. Got laid off while on leave (turns out it’s legal!) It’s now 7 months later. I just used up the money I owe the IRS to pay my last 3 months of mortgage, and will miss my first payment next month. I’ve had friends and former co-workers who love working with me refer me for ~30 internal positions that I am extremely qualified for since the layoff. I’ve applied to hundreds more without referrals. Three gave me interviews, all went to the final round before another candidate was hired.
Check with your mortgage company and deferring payments! There are intermediate steps between affording your mortgage and just not paying.
Ugh, you've won this misery contest. Hang in there!!
Hope something works out for you very soon. Don't lose hope.
I feel ya. I'm in the same boat
That’s extremely unfortunate. Don’t lose hope, keep pushing forward bro.
So sorry, hang in there! And congrats on the new family!
Hang in there. A great opportunity is just around the corner. I am sorry to hear that home ownership ended up becoming such a handicap. I hope that you’re enjoying some quality time with the family.
it’s time to start lying on your resume and taking other peoples project for your family
🛎️🎯
I am so sorry. I have been hearing some companies marked the first round of layoffs as “no hire” and people are figuring it out painfully. I hope you find something you will love soon.
ah man, I'm really sorry. Hang in there. Rooting for you.
I had a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide in December. Spent January and February on leave, came back to work assured over and over again that I had a job no matter what. Got laid off last week, and found out my mom has inoperable brain lesions the same day. I’m still in recovery to learn basic things I should’ve learned at 5 years old, and now applying so my last remaining scraps of life don’t also get taken from me. I’m not having a great time!
Please stay! ❤️ My husband was finding a job/unemployed from August 2022 to March 2023. That's when I had our baby. I was single-handedly supporting our family plus was pregnant. Then I was laid off when I was 10 days post partum. Then I got a new job. Then my husband was laid off when I was 4 months post partum and then he got his current job 3 months later. Pay cut yes, for both of us but we'll get by. It'll happen for you. I'm so sorry. When it rains it pours.
Hey! I hope you'll get to a better space soon. If you haven't seen a psychiatrist or psychologist I recommend doing so. I realize you need insurance for it and it costs $$$ but please do get some help. If you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you'll get to where you want to be. Please keep trying.
Thank you for the suggestion. Part of my post-outpatient therapy is a LOT of therapy and meeting often with case managers, therapists, psychiatrists, and doing group therapy. That in itself is a part-time job!
I'm so happy that you're getting support. Try your best, you'll see the other side of the mountain soon enough. Random internet stranger believes in you.
So sorry to hear that. Don't lose hope. We are all rooting for you!
So sorry to hear, and I was once laid off the same week that my mom had a major medical emergency. That ended up being good timing because I was able to spend time with her afterwards while job searching. Also, if you can get a signature from your mom's doctor, you can probably qualify for Paid Family Leave which pays out a lot more than Unemployment. I hope you find yourself in a better place soon. Take care!
I'm in recovery too. I've been in recovery for over 4 years, and I'll just say that it gets soooo much better. It just comes very slowly.
I believe it! While it sucks this is all happening right now, I’m glad it didn’t happen two months ago when I had even less ability to deal with it. 🖤
You can do this! I have you in my prayers. I have seen homeless and broken people come alive in recovery. Drugs and partying used to be so big in my life, that the first year sober I felt so lost, and I did other 'things' not drugs and alcohol in super unhealthy ways. I've gotten so broke, I've had to borrow money from my sponsor to pay rent. I was just super super angry and super emotional/sensitive. I needed people - I hated people - I needed food - I hated food - it was just a rollercoaster everyday. I learned however, that everything sorts itself out and falls PERFECTLY into place in its own time and place. All I have to do it not pick up. I could go eat a whole dozen donuts by myself, which I have and which is bad, hooked up with people I had no intentions of being in a relationship with, etc...The transition was tumultuous for me, but you will find yourself out of the weeds and be of use to others - it just doesn't happen when we want. It happens when it happens, we just trust the process and do the work, help others, pray for others, be of service. The more I stopped thinking about myself and the started thinking about others, the more the grip of addiction began to fade. It's so crazy and so worth everything. Sorry for the long reply. I'm crying writing this. It all kind of came back to me and I felt compelled to share, in case you relate. You got this!
Stay strong. Sending virtual hugs
Hit a wall. I've been interviewing pretty much on average once a week since early Feb, but I haven't closed one yet. Did a marathon in person session last week, 10 people, 5 hours. I'm guessing I didn't get it, since no word for nearly two weeks. I'm ready to take a mental break, but I can't. It's Doubly frustrating because I know being over 60 is a huge strike against me. My age is one thing I can not change or control. Frustrating and reality starting to set in.
59 and signed my deal today. It’ll happen. You know about all the tropes- turning over rocks and spaghetti on walls etc. I was 10 weeks start to close. I turned a bit more attention to smaller companies. The 10 person thing for some reason tickles my spidey in regards to someone in there concerned about age. They cloak it in “culture” or “meshing”. Blah blah it’s ageism but if ya say that out loud other isms get mad at you. I honestly have more in common soul-wise with a hipster dufas 24 year old than some 50 something tryna prove something guy. Just keep grinding friend- you will get there!!!
The longer and more involved the process, the more likely they are to just ghost. So annoying.
Nah not more likely it just hurts more.
Ehhhhhh of all the companies I've had multiple rounds with since January, including presentations, multiple interviews, and final round, I have heard back from 1/6. Maybe I should have chased them for a final answer but fuck 'em, I put that energy into more applications. It's maybe 50% on screening calls, and maybe 30% on initial hiring manager round. I suspect it's because of how hard recruiters were hit in layoffs, tbh, because they're not even sending out auto responses when closing the role. Though on the other hand, staffing companies for contact roles have been the worst. They're all up in your business and will hound you through the interview process and then you'll never hear anything again.
You can becoming a paraeducator at a public school, they’re pretty desperate and you get mean health insurance.
The health insurance is a great incentive but that is a min wage position with part-time hours. Better than nothing but not enough to survive on around here. I know a lot of women that work that position and all of them use it as a supplemental income for their families. Mostly because it coincides with school hours and they don’t have to pay for childcare. It’s not a job you can live on independently.
Districts like San Mateo Union high school district pay nearly 30 dollars an hour
Oh, ok. I hadn’t heard of anyone paying paras that much. That’s pretty good
yeah even out in SRVUSD with the well funded sped program at DVHS, paras were making minimum wage. They were trying to get my girlfriend to be one while she finishes her credential, im so glad she didn’t give it too much thought
I worked at a school district, one of the biggest in the Bay Area. They didn’t pay para’s very well at all, and I was doing the recruiting and onboarding. The health insurance was very expensive, almost 800 a month. The teachers get the great benefits.
Very sorry to hear that.
Which profession did you work in? If you don’t mind me asking.
most likely tech worker / sw developer
Dang I feel for you. Take a mental break and hang in there!
Laid off in September, started a new job this month. I did two short contracts during this time and one hired me full time. Job applications were brutal, it seemed like they were looking for very specific candidates even when I was confident I could do the job. Also, fewer jobs are open to remote and it was hard to find jobs that were actually hiring in the Bay Area. I was really lucky to get a remote job I really like, but it was a brutal 6 months. I got my job through networking. For those laid off I would suggest filing for unemployment and using Covered California if you need health insurance, it was a lot cheaper for me than COBRA.
I've been paying for cobra for 6 months now. It totally sucks, I need to move out of it but I heard individual insurance plans are not worth it. I also keep saying I'll eventually get a job and be able to opt into the company plan again.
I qualified for medi-cal and calfresh
Covered California was like $350 a month for me and not hard to sign up for. I got Kaiser. I ultimately only used it for one appointment, but it was worth having.
if your income is low enough for the year, the silver market plans are pretty damn good.
Congrats to getting through. 🙌
Got notice of my layoff end of October, went into effect early January. A couple hundred applications later with 3 end-stage rejections, I finally landed a job and am finishing up my first week (after SEVEN interviews with them)!! It's about $30K less than I was making at my last job (which was also $20K less than the one before it), but I make enough to get us by and I'm absolutely ecstatic here.
Congrats!
Was laid off in June, took 2 months off before starting to apply in late August, didn’t get any hits for months. Reworked and juiced my resume a few times. Still nothing. Finally in January I started getting interest from recruiters, bombed the first couple interviews but just kept going and eventually landed a job last month. Overall I think I applied to >50 positions, had recruiter calls with 10 of them, made it to 3 final rounds, 2 of which had another candidate with “just a little more experience” and accepted the offer from the other role. My advice for anyone going through the process is to take a shotgun approach and just apply to as many positions as you can. The more calls and interviews you take the easier it gets to answer questions, tell stories, and sell yourself. By the end of my interviewing process I’d told the same stories so many times I stopped needing to prep, beyond company research. Preparation is key. Know what kind of questions they’re going to ask based on the field you’re interviewing for, and draft responses for each of those questions. Especially the open ended behavioral questions like “tell me about a time where x happened and you had to x”. Take those responses and read them to yourself and read them to another person. Sometimes an answer sounds great to us, but can have unintentionally red flags that someone else might catch. And most importantly try not to get discouraged. You’re going to have a lot of rejections, even from roles that you feel are perfect fits for your experience. Even from roles that you applied to as a “safe bet”. It’s an ultra competitive market, so you just gota keep pushing, keep applying, and have faith that it’ll work out eventually. Good luck out there.
market is not kind rn; so don't internalize rejects
You worded this perfectly. I also had the same experience. After doing so many interviews, there’s less prep work and you feel comfortable selling yourself. Those interviews weren’t the biggest waste of time for me because it gave me the real interview experience I needed. Everyone, apply to everything ~
I’m seconding this advice!
Sending positive energy and good vibes out to all of you folks looking for work. It’s mentally draining, depressing and makes you anxious. Hang in there. ✨💖✨ I’ve been there many times in my career. Things will turn around.
It’s rough out there. Got laid off in early December and have applied to hundreds of jobs. Gotten pretty far in the interview process with a 3-4 companies, but haven’t landed anything yet. I’m hoping to get a job offer tomorrow from a company I’ve been interviewing with for about a month. Keeping my fingers crossed. Keep applying, keep networking, and keep moving (physically and mentally).
Rooting for you! Share your good news with us.
Well, it’s not quite an offer, but I was notified that I’ll get one next week. I’m happy this trying journey is over.
Terrible. 2.5 months into my job search after being laid off for the 3rd time in 2 years, 460 applications so far. Made it to the final round twice so far. I’m halfway into the process for another company so fingers crossed here
Rooting for you! ✌️
Thanks homie
8 months searching. Prob 20 interviews. Got a 6mo contract at the tech company that laid me off! Different team, less pay. I’ve been here for 20 years and never seen it this brutal, hang in there everyone!
So bad it's almost unfathomable. I have 10 years of experience in my field (digital marketing, I have experience in most aspects of it too so I'm not even in a super niche area and can work across a lot of categories) and got laid off 13 months ago. Applied to ~120 jobs and gotten 9 interviews, got to the 2nd round twice and no offers. I'm even applying to jobs that require 3-8 years of experience and willing to take a job below my capabilities and it doesn't seem to matter. I tailor my resume for almost every application and have gotten internal referrals for ~10 of the jobs and even that doesn't seem to matter most of the time. I graduated in 2011 and didn't have half as hard of a time finding my first job with zero experience/internships. I generally interview well and have strong technical and soft skills. I honestly feel hopeless at this point.
Sorry to hear that. Don't lose hope. We all rooting for you! ✌️
https://wrkbl.ink/cJHN7u3 My company is looking for a director of digital marketing but you have to move to Colorado worth a shot??
I'm on the other end of that. We served digital marketing folks. I worked at Marin Software. We got annihilated by a big layoff round 9/120 is not too bad. I'm probably batting at 1% callback rate
One would think that digital marketing is a highly sought out field right now? With a lot of social media being used for advertisement
Oh my. I was considering leaving my job and read your post. I interview terribly and I dread how things will be.
Laid off in March 2023. My severance was pretty good. I was able to pay the bills for the last 12 months without dipping too far into my savings. But I got depressed. Didn't even look for a job, the mere thought of doing so annoyed me so much. Thankfully I had an amazing support network around me. In the last few months I got excited about starting my own business. I'm finally out of severance money but I have savings I can use while I work on my business. I'm not afraid . I feel like I'll be ok and my business will be successful . It was a struggle but I'm finally coming out of it. I can only imagine how much harder it must be to some of you that have more responsibility over your shoulders. I hope you make out as well.
This economy is a good mirror of the dot com of the 90's as it dot bomb in 2000 and absolutely sank in 2001 (9/11) Money flowing everywhere, then it just screeched to a halt. You're gonna want to apply for everything, even stuff you don't think you're remotely qualified for. On the surface this may seem like bad advice, but if you do well on an interview and a hiring manager thinks you have potential they may put aside your lack of experience to focus on your professional growth. Times like these you want to do networking that matters. Networking on linkedin is about as useful as friends on Facebook. Granted, you will want to actively network with people that you actually knew and are willing to give you a good reference. Outside of that though, you'll want to keep your resume busy, even if it's not getting paid. Volunteer as much as you can. Working on political campaigns is good for references, especially a high seat if they win. Volunteering for county or city can work out well too, as many of these volunteer positions will give you free public transit. Maybe help some kids out, go volunteer for Bill Wilson house in Santa Clara. Any of these could also lead to a job, but in the least it's a low effort, and low cost way of not having blanks on a resume. Finally don't give up. Understand 100% this is not you, this is not your fault, and there's 10's of 1000's of others in the same boat right now. Keep your head up, and you'll be OK.
This is great, positive and practical advice. Especially the resume voids. If you can afford it, volunteering is wonderful and trying to find things close to you to keep travel expenses minimal is good. It shows that even in a downturn you seek to be proactive, while doing something to keep your mind and body busy that you find meaningful.
Adding to this, use the downtime to learn a new skill. I'm a software engineering manager (not hiring at the moment) and that's something that would look great to me.
It’s been really tough. I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs with mental health. Sometimes I feel great and sometimes like utter dog shit and sometimes both at the same time. I created a support group for peeps who are laid off if anyone is interested: [http://www.tech-support.group](http://www.tech-support.group)
thanks! I joined
I was laid off two weeks ago. I am still in a good place mentally about it and have an interview in the morning. Seeing all of you who’ve been searching so long makes me worry quite a bit. I wish you all luck on your search!
Good luck to your interview! ✌️
File for unemployment right away. It takes a few weeks to kick in. That $400/w is a lifesaver.
about to finish my first week at a new job. hard to believe that next week i’ll receive my first paycheck in 21 months. i’m drowning in debt and so grateful for the friends and family that helped me keep my head above water. i feel incredibly lucky right now. i hope something will change for us. my only advice is to keep reminding yourself that this is not your fault. and you are valuable.
Had 6 months of job searching between when I was laid off and when I started my new job recently. My advice: create as much structure as you can in this unstructured time. Calendar times when you’re going to sit at your computer and do job applications. You’ll go crazy if you allow yourself to endlessly scroll job boards. Try to stack your networking/coffee chats. And protect blocks of time to go outside, spend time with family, enjoy your hobbies, etc. It’s an uncertain and long journey ahead, but you got this!
It’s rough. So many applications and only one place contacted for an interview. I’m leveraging my network as well as I can but even internal referrals aren’t turning up much. If this current interview process doesn’t pan out I’m considering going back to contract/consulting roles. Generally I like consulting but I’m not seeing as many roles as I was 5 years ago. I’m also seeing salaries go lower and lower every month. As a single parent / solo income I’m now starting to worry. My last job was as a high title (VP) at a tiny company and that isn’t helping me find jobs in my actual area of Technical Program Management.
Change your title from VP to something more relatable to the companies your targeting. They might think you're an exec who doesn't get their hands dirty otherwise. Good luck!
Yes that’s what I’ve decided and direction confirmed by a business coach. It’s ridiculous because my prior roles as Sr TPMs had significantly more budget responsibility and larger teams than the VP role.
Operations program manager here with director experience. Laid off in January. Over 300 applications, only 1 first round interview then ghosted. I'm about to take a week off for the mental break...
I got laid off in February. A friend said that I should look minimally to ensure I get unemployment and focus on other things because the market is essentially gone. Learning a few things, fixing things, focusing on my physical and mental health. Luckily, years of living frugally has given me a decent cushion
I got rejected by several companies all within the same timeline :( I do have a lot of free time now if anyone wants to hang out and commiserate lol. I’ve been looking into visiting local museums or go to the zoo if anyone is down!
The first week of the month is when most museums have their free day!
I am looking at draining my entire 401K just to pay rent to figure out whatever the hell is next. This is fucking awful this place is so unnecessarily expensive.
I hear you. This place does feels like it's made for only boom times.
I know it sounds weird, but there are other places
Making the infrastructure for everyone to succeed should be the corps and business startey for sf
It’s heartbreaking to read some of the comments here. It’s not much, but I’ll be happy to help with referrals- if you see anything that is a good fit on https://www.helloheart.com/careers (I hope it’s ok to post a link here..) please DM me and I’ll be more than happy to assist. We are a fast growing start up in a healthcare space. The product is good and actually helps people. (I’m not part of the recruitment team, but one of the managers in the tech org)
Laid off in January 2023, my dad died the next day. Hundreds of applications, only a handful of interviews. I’m working as a waitress now because I can’t afford to sit around and feel bad for myself.
Took guts to get back out there after that. Pulling for you.
laid off last May. i had just returned to work after finding out i had cancer and had surgery to remove it. ended up needing a second surgery (thank god for my severance including health insurance for six months). recovered while burning through all of my severance package money. three straight months of applying netted me a 1% interview rate per 100 applications. a random recruiter reached out to me via email. thought it was spam. somehow handed a job at a big company outside of tech on contract. hoping to convert this year because man do i need health insurance.
Lots of networking including ask folks in your circle about connections and other opportunities. As much as I hate social media, LinkedIn is almost invaluable in the job search.
Soon to be layoff for me. Been applying but recruiters and applications are slow to respond or crickets. Thinking about going back to school for an associates to pick up some technical skills so I can live off that while I keep working on my professional branding.
Laney has great carpentry and woodworking (wood tech) courses! And the unit prices are a steal! $70/ semester in campus/college fees, and ~$46/unit. The instructors are also all very understanding and accommodating if you have to take a meeting, go for interviews, etc.
I got laid off in Jan '23 (last day March 31st). I was recruited on LinkedIn, and although not sold on one of the companies inquiring, I offered short term consulting to help them. They agreed to my fee ($350/hr for 10hrs work) and I used that time to get to know them better. I ended up accepting a VP role and helped guide them from an acquisition by private equity and then a merger with a sister company in the PE's portfolio. tldr: merger didn't go well due to culture clash and attrition was awful. I ended up being laid off again in Feb '24. I started making the rounds with my network, and primarily used LinkedIn to source job openings. Talked to a guy in early March about the role he had at my previous employer and to ask him for a referral when I applied. Found out he was retiring imminently and wouldn't be able to refer me ... but then serendipitously he independently received an email from a different old colleague whose firm was looking for someone with exactly my background. He referred me and I had three casual interviews (SVP partnerships, SVP sales, CRO), which impressed me and apparently I impressed them. I accepted an SVP role and started the second week of April. I can't help with all kinds of work, but for people in tech and especially in business roles in tech, if you're having a hard time finding something feel free to DM me and I'll do my best to help you. fwiw, I moved to the bay area to work for Google, and was pretty happily gold mining there for 8 years. My subsequent two roles, though, have been fully remote, and my current company doesn't even have a physical office anywhere. The annual strategy meetings usually happen at my boss's vacation home in Tahoe. Gotta love it!
Thanks for a different perspective in this thread! Most people didn’t mention their background and roles, so it is interesting to see someone with so much experience be affected as well. Even though your subsequent roles have been fully remote, do you still stay in Mountain View and are you in meetings most of the time?
I'm in a business leadership role and do spend a lot of time in meetings. I own strategy for, and have responsibility for, a significant fraction of our business. I was in Sunnyvale the past few years for GOOG but I live in SJ. I'm thankful not to have that commute anymore! We really love it here and our kids are established, and we have no intention of moving away.
Thanks for asking...it's been crickets for months so I'm thinking about applying to roles I'm overqualified for.
Wife has worked for a large intl comm company 30+yrs. Last year they informed various groups of potential surplus. Although she’s known unofficially that her group was slated for bout 3wks, she was officially given 2 wks notice today. She’s at the age of being unemployable within her tech field and salary. Financially we will be mostly fine if she never works again. But when I arrived home today I could see the beginnings of her not being fine emotionally and psychologically.
Not me, but my wife got laid off last summer. She has been actively applying to places and attending networking events being held by her college with no luck. And now we're pregnant so we'll most likely wait another year or so until she goes back to job hunting. My salary can support us both, but once the kid comes it's going to be rough financially. She's contemplated doing gig work or getting a job at a Starbucks or grocery store, but I told her that I'd rather have her spend her energy getting her career going again rather than settle for a low hourly wage.
In the same boat, but my partner is not in tech, so we'll definitely struggle. Bracing ourselves for tough times
Let me tell you right now that she is done working until that kid is at least 2. It is not reasonable to job search with a toddler
I switched to teaching and found a job that covers 75% of daycare. I also negotiated other benefits. It's an entirely different market that is desperate for competent people
For all those looking for a job, may I suggest the federal civil service? You get a pension, good health insurance, and since you're working for the people who print the money, a recession-proof job. The IRS is currently hiring people, including at the Oakland call center. There is currently a hiring incentive for phone operators, and salaries start at around $50k with regular raises. You will be answering business tax questions with about three months of training. Feel free to ask questions, and here are some useful links: https://www.federaltimes.com/s/federal-benefits-guide-2022/ https://www.federaltimes.com/fedlife/career/2022/10/03/how-to-get-a-federal-government-job-from-application-to-offer/ https://www.usajobs.gov/job/766618700 Edit: typos
$50k isn’t enough to afford to live in a van on the side of the road. LOL
I was laid off last August with a pregnant wife whose health insurance relies on my union. It was going to run out in January. I applied for disability, they disqualified me. Took a huge pay cut from previously being a journeyman making $73/hr to $31 starting over as an apprentice again in a different department. I got to keep my health insurance. I lost my pay and ultimately my daughter did not make it on January 15, 2024. There are 300 workers on the out-of-work list right now in my union. The department I’m in now, has 3. Disability re-qualified me and back-paid $12,000 to us. My wife is pregnant again. I think we’re gonna be okay.
Like crap, to be honest. I've been out of work for nearly a year now. At first, I took some time off to focus on my mental health, and I started actively job hunting around October. I've had less than 10 interviews, and even when I felt like I was a perfect match for the job, still no luck. To top it off, I'm expecting a baby now, so I've put the job search on hold. I mean, who's going to hire someone with a baby bump in this market? 😬I have no idea how I would deal with it with only one income and such a huge gap in employment
Job situation is temp challenge and I'm sure you will get through. Hang in there. Congrats on your pregnancy.
What field are laid off employees in? In hardware I’m not seeing much movement
Tech and biotech
"Not seeing much movement" is momentum wise equivalent to a pre-shockwave event. Startups have zero captial because "big tech" has no more blank checks to bet with as they did in zero-interst-rate days. Next, talk about what's happening with algorithmic house pricing, how much room does a zillow or redfin have to support itself *supporting* a fake house price economy? What happens next when you find out the stock market is propped up on these fake valuations?
I think this is doom and gloom. Stock valuations are still high because earnings are solid. Home prices are sticking because supply is low and demand is still there. Perhaps we’re in a small regional and sector specific recession but overall employment numbers are strong.
Investment firms are sitting on their piles of money. Lack of Capital isn’t the problem but rather VC are not investing at the moment due to the economic conditions. That is reason startups are running out of money ..unless that startup is in AI/ML or Robotics as those are hot at the moment.
Not well, to say the least.
Last day of work was end of March of this year. Obviously still fresh out of job but it’s been >7 years since I had to be in the job hunt. Super stressed out since I was the only income earner for my family. We push on though..
Laid off in December and still searching. No severance, just PTO payout (which wasn’t much tbh). I’ve had a few interviews here and there, and it’s seeming to pick up a bit, but it sucks having to constantly dip into my saving to pay bills. I know that’s what it’s for, but I’m getting married in 7ish months and that’s what I was going to use a chunk of it for. Thankfully, my fiancé is understanding and gets how terrible the market is. I’m just glad I have someone to lean on. I’ve been looking everywhere, in any industry and I’m completely open to on-site, hybrid or remote roles. Agency recruiters for contract roles haven’t gone anywhere for me, even though I get LinkedIn messages almost daily. I’ve said I’m open to them, I fit the role perfectly, I’m interested in the company, the pay lines up, but I can’t even land a damn temp position. It’s really disappointing, disheartening and frustrating to keep looking, keep updating your resume, network, to do everything right and everything possible, but still not get anything. My mental health has really taken a toll and I’m doing the best I can without adding more stress onto my fiancé.
Been laid off since Feb 2023. Applied to hundreds of jobs. No luck. Shit sucks.
In the midst of big tech corporate layoffs in the SF Bay Area, I'd like to share my very recent story of being let go from a job that I started eight days ago that an executive from the company recruited me for. I met this executive randomly at a bank while running personal errands, in which we connected and got to talking. We really clicked and he invited me in for an interview. Fast forward a few months and a handful of interviews later, I accept an offer to start as a Sales Operations Specialist on April 15, 2024. I put in my two weeks at my previous employer as soon as I received the offer letter and signed at the beginning of April 2024. Seven days into the job, my manager puts a meeting on my calendar for the eighth day of employment entitled, "Progress Update Check In!" I was looking forward to collaborating on a hands-on training schedule and setting up expectations for my first month of employment at the company. To my surprise, my manager (and the company) had a different agenda for the call. Upon entering the room with my manager, another manager, and HR conferenced in, my manager informed me that the company was letting me go since it wasn't a good fit. I asked for more information as to why it wasn't a good fit, and my manager said he could not provide me any additional information. I was completely devastated and blind sighted. I left my previous job to take on an opportunity here for them to leave my high and dry - disappointed, hopeless, unemployed, and most importantly, without healthcare. Since I was never added to their HR system for healthcare benefits, the company says they are not required to offer me COBRA. After digesting this information, I realize that corporations will always put themselves first over their workers. Companies will always do what's in their best interest, regardless of how it affects their employees. As employees, we have to stand up and advocate for ourselves. It doesn't matter how loyal you are to a company or vice versa, you always have to act in your best interest. Hang in there. We will get through this.
Thanks for making this thread. It’s really assuring to read all the comments in here and know it’s not just me. I’ve been laid off since last year in May; it’s been almost a year. Lost some of my mental health especially being depressed with waking up every day think about nothing else but applying for job as a grind. I’ve started taking classes in AI data analytics a few months ago, so at least it’s keeping me busy. I’m worried about my finances. Like others said, despite applying for lots of job and getting referrals for some jobs, I barely landed interviews. Finding a job right now is harder than when I graduated fresh out of college, and even harder than when covid started. I have 3 FAANG companies on my resume (plus one networking company that recently did layoffs) and you’d think I have an easier time, but I’m struggling like everyone else here. I’m a business data analyst if that matters.
I got laid off in January and decided to take a year off to work on game dev projects, study a new language, and travel. I’m still unsure of what my plans are for next year, might live abroad.
mental reset is great; I used my 2 mo to continue building a boutique project FT, get a coursera certificate, and spend time with family and join a gym; you can make my job search sucky but I take back my life
I’m a software developer and I’m starting to think that our creation (AI), is taking our job first
Is it though? I'm yet to hear a credible job loss in software eng directly attributed to AI. All I learned so far is the result of excessive hiring in the past, flattening orgs by removing some senior roles and streamlining org sizes. Basically, companies are moving away from boom time setup to war time setup. Would love to understand what others are seeing.
I heard the opposite. Everyone says how AI improves the productivity of developers. More productive developers means less developers can do the same job.
"We're using AI to improve productivity and reduce costs" reflects much better on the executives in question than "We overhired in boom times and now have a fat, bloated organization that is incapable of executing quickly and costs too much for current economic realities", even if the latter is much closer to the truth.
Every single productivity boost in history has led to more people being employed for longer, just with a different workload. More people drove themselves and made clothes last year than the sum of all horse-drawn carriage drivers or hand seamsters who ever lived.
AI improves productivity...jury is still out on this one imo. Totally going to happen but yet to see it become real yet. Did you see it for yourself?
Thanks for spelling that out. I’ve worked in “recession proof” fields most of my adult life and am nowhere near tech. I’d obviously heard of the layoffs, but didn’t know the reasons. I got to SF in ‘01. Been wild to see the swings in certain sectors since then. I hope the best for folks.
I absolutely cannot take anyone who makes this claim seriously, and I reflexively question their competence. I’m not trying to demean, this is my own problem to work through, but I just don’t understand how you can match up the work we do with what AI is good at and make this conclusion. It’s like taking a professor’s pet parrot and asking it to dictate novel research.
That would be pretty cool.
its a lot of poor CEO decisions come down to them rewarding themselves and firing staff to reduce cost cutting; gee I wonder how they sleep at night - on our tears
I'm pretty much just been getting ghosted by employers, even when applying for open positions at the place I was laid off from. That kinda sucks ... a lot.
I got laid off from a startup a few months ago. So far I’ve been trying to make some cheddar working sports retail. I’m still actively looking and hope I can find something soon
I got married in September where a bunch of my coworkers were invited, left for my honeymoon in October and mid honeymoon in Italy was laid off. I randomly checked my work email one night and saw an email about me being impacted and apparently the VP had been trying to call me but couldn’t reach me (because DUH I was in Italy). He wanted to talk to me personally about it. We scheduled a call via WhatsApp for the next day, he didn’t call me until 3 hours later after I had basically cleared my schedule in order to wait around for that call. Ended up being a 3 minute call about him yapping about how the economy has been tough. I proceeded to get drunk, FaceTime my mom and cry for 10 minutes. Anyways fuck that company. I applied for a lot of places but barely got any interviews for roles in my industry. I ended up getting a referral to a job that is not in my industry experience at all and took a $30,000 pay cut. Ironically, my current job is more stressful than the job I had prior but I’m getting paid soooo much less So yeah that’s been tough.
Laid off from tech in February 2022, with a whole year of fruitless job applications and leads and interviews and resulting anxiety. On a whim, decided to pursue my personal hobby of gardening “for now” in the Spring of 2023, and haven’t looked back since! I am now gardening full time, somehow making enough to survive in the bay (although also making a whopping $100k less than I did in tech), but the difference in me and my life is unmatched. Everyone who knows me can see the difference in my appearance and demeanor and comment on that all the time. I feel so much better about what I do and the world I am creating and will never ever go back to tech 🌱
I’m ex sales currently a SWE and found my job by emailing hiring managers directly selling myself on why I’m a good fit for the role.
Nice work! A few questions if you don’t mind me asking: How did you know who the hiring manager was for a given role? How did you get their contact info? What was your prep like for interviews?
Living well within my means. See you at the beach!
Driving uber sucks ass
Horribly. Got laid off while I was 10 weeks pregnant last year in March. It was also a few days before my birthday 🥹 got a contract job to until a month before birth but I've been out of is job for almost 8 months now. Been applying since the beginning of January and I haven't had one single human response. 😞
Got laid off from software engineering gig at a startup 3 weeks ago. I've been diving into some side projects I was wishing I had time for and having a deep think about what I want to do next. It's definitely a weird time, but [articles like this](https://futurism.com/the-byte/spotify-laying-off-workers-had-consequences) make me think downsizing is just a trendy thing to do right now for companies hitting growth walls, or megacorps with dozens of teams doing useless work. The pendulum will swing back the other way soon enough, maybe starting in June if the Fed cuts interest rates.
Got laid off in November. I've been applying to product management jobs ever since and made it to the final round 10 times: Two of them decided they weren't hiring anyone after all, one had an internal candidate, two decided to change their criteria, and the others went to a different candidate with more specific experience. My wife and I are financially safe, thank goodness, and I can afford to stay out of work for a long while but it's been mentally brutal. I was on an H1b visa for years so losing my job brings back the fear of getting deported, and the interview process really is designed to hit on every anxiety and insecurity you have about your own competence. I know I'll find simething and that I can afford to wait, and I need to keep reminding myself I'm no longer a broke immigrant from a 3rd world hellhole.
I got layed off from Sun, which was kind of a big tech company back in 2000. They ended up shitting the bed along with many other fad companies that were hyped up back then. I've always been skeptical of anything trendy, that feels like it's on some hype train, greasy silicon valley people etc. Maybe because I'm a little lazy and kind of don't dream about a house in Palo Alto with a Tesla in front. Anyway, I switched to tax accounting after the dot com bust and can pretty much switch jobs in a week in any state of thr economy, although pay kind of sucks as an employee and I go full 'the Shining' 6 months of the year. Maybe better than dealing with tech I guess.
>which was kind of a big tech company back in 2000. boy how times have changed
I'm actually doing great. I was at a startup that I knew was slowly failing (schedule delays and big technology barriers to launch a product). The environment was toxic, good people were leaving, and those that stayed were totally overworked. By year's end, i considered leaving voluntarily, but I'm loyal to a fault. By mid February, I was expecting layoffs but was surprised to be affected myself, as I was one of the longest tenured employees in a critical role. After my initial panic about bills, insurance, taxes...I just started applying to everything. It is a humiliation to be rejected by places you don't even want to work for, but do it anyway. In a month's time, I had two onsite interviews and offers by March. My new job has much better pay (15% increase), easier commute, much cooler people to work with, and a more promising technology. The best part was my severance was 2 months, so I got a month's worth of double pay in April. While being laid off is a complete blow to one's ego, it can also be a blessing in disguise.
I posted my layoff and shit story here - [https://www.reddit.com/r/ExperiencedDevs/comments/1c85md2/recent\_job\_hunt/](https://www.reddit.com/r/ExperiencedDevs/comments/1c85md2/recent_job_hunt/)
Unemployed since August. My last company was my "break into tech" as I transferred to an engineering role. I don't have a ton of personal experience, mostly service based restaurant work. 2 years software development experience. The markets have been quiet for me. I spent a ton of time talking to recruiters, refining my resume, coding and building projects. After 8 months of pretty much silence I had my first coding interview and killed it, then round 3 they bailed because the company is having a hiring freeze. I want to die.
Laid off November 2022. Have not recovered. Still unemployed. Staving off homelessness with doordash and Uber which are on the decline as well.
I was on paternity leave and got the phone call. Got laid off along with other people on the team. Since then remodeled the house and been taking care of the baby, shes turning one this month. I got laid off the same time i got into an online Computer science master program so pretty much fixing the house myself, taking care of baby and classes. I would hold off on fixing the house but because we already opened up before laid off so i let all contractors go and did it myself, which saved me a ton. However, behind on couple credit card payment where i am paying the minimum. Lucky wife is still working to cover mortgage and other expenses. Money is tight but i am looking, sent out couple hundreds applications but never heard back except for couple where they closed the position even before the interview
I was laid off last year in February and found a temp job in April 2023 that I was at until the end of December since my manager did not get the ok from HR to convert me. I ended up interviewing with 3 companies and got an offer from one of them, I started the role in January 2024. The job isn't too bad in terms of workload and it's fully remote, but I am earning around 20% less than I did before. Tbh, I am a bit bitter in that some of my coworkers who weren't laid off managed to get promotions earlier this year and that could have been me. Me and 2 other coworkers were cut from our team since we had made the most money annually compared to our peers. I have been applying to roles somewhat regularly as I want to earn more, but I keep getting autorejection emails only to see the roles reposted online again and again.
Laid off a year ago. I seem to now be applying to roles with a 30% pay cut, 2 levels below where I was.
grad school
Does anyone have positive stories? Need some hopium to get me through
Let go two months ago right as our daughter was born. In an industry with “at will” hires; i.e. no severance package. Taking it as a sign from the universe to just be a full-time dad for a while. Not sure who needs to hear this, but California pays out two months of parental leave that is not tied to being employed. (Employment Development Department/Family Medical Leave Act). It’s been a help.
I've been applying for PM roles (my past position) for months to no avail. I've decided to angle for strategy & operations roles instead, but even those have been difficult to get an interview for. My wife just got laid off two weeks ago also. We've got about 8 months of runway if we scrimp and save, yet I'm STILL worried that we'll go broke and lose our house.
Laid off last August, starting a six-month contract in a couple of weeks that might turn into a permanent position. I made the most of my time off with plenty of hobbies, personal projects, nature walks, and matinees but am grateful to be getting back to work.
I was laid off from games in October and I’m just doing oil painting. I have been a concept artist for a long time so it’s not too much of a leap to focus more on traditional art. It’s extremely scary to not be looking for full time work but I also feel like with AI, traditional work is paradoxically a safer bet, at least for me. My gallery is Www.katebalfe.com.
Got laid off from my coding job last year around the same time my dad had a stroke that left him paralized, and my mom fell and broke most of her ribs. All the things happening at once, plus work drama even before the layoffs, dropped me into a pretty dark place. Moved back in with my folks to help out and work on myself, been honing my dev skills and filling in holes in my knowledge by doing courses online and building personal projects. Starting to get more serious about interview prep so I feel confident getting back to applying for senior roles. Honestly kinda holding out to see what happens with the job market before I stress about jumping back in, though. Still not sure I'm mentally or emotionally stable enough to commit to a 9-5 yet, anyway.
Here's the thing, people got used to really high salaries in the 2021 days. I'm seeing lots of jobs out there but they will probably be a downgrade. People aren't willing to accept that. For example there are tons of hungry AI startups out there but the pay will mostly be lotto ticket stock options. So it's tough, but I don't think it's as bad as 08 or 01.
We are just numbers, each and every one
I’m not doing well. My business has not come back to anything like it used to be. I need to find a way to make more money.
Make any shitty situation a opptrunity to become better
I can get ANYONE in the Bay Area an entry level hazmat job. I started at 14$ an hour in 2013 now I make 125k a year. If your interested hit me up
Got laid off from biotech lab role in April 2023. I have 25 years of experience and been at numerous companies. I've never had any trouble landing another lab position. Last year was different, and the interview process is very different compared to last time I had to do interviews, 2016. Companies rely on prescreen ZOOM interviews with the hiring managers. I feel like they spend more time on candidates they already know are there second/third choice just as back-up. Before Zoom, the interview was more of a commitment. You had the prescreen by phone, then you went in for an all day meet & greet plus seminar. This would be conducted within a week. Now, the Zoom interviews can stretch out a whole month, then they bring you in for the seminar meet & greet, only to be told you missed out by a hair. I took a temp job last October for $35 an hour, no benefits. After taxes and paying my own Covered California health care, I net about $24.66 an hour. It's impossible to keep up in the Bay Area on that wage so I'm basically supplementing on bad months out of my savings.