APRIL 2024 - I GOT LAID OFF AGAIN! wtf dude... + I paid off my car finally :)

Update: This video captures a moment in time where I felt very frustrated and disappointed about the events that occurred in my employment at the time. I have now put this behind me and I have no resentment or grudges with any employer or company. However, I do think capturing this moment and sharing is important for anyone else who is going through similar situations.

The company I worked for got bought out. Right away they brought in there own management team. They wanted me gone. I was highly skilled labor. One morning they asked me to a meeting and offered me 1 year of severance pay with health insurance if I signed a contract to not solicit any customers or current employees. All I said was FY and I'm going to put you out of business. I left. The following Monday I was on the plane. Over the course of 6 weeks i took 5 key members from the company and moved them all to a different state and a new company. It paralyzed my previous employer. In less than 6 months they were no longer in business. Revenge is sweet. I love the fools that make decisions that don't have a clue how to do the work themselves. Be careful with your skilled labor. Treat them like gold. Only you think they can be replaced. There the ones that actually make the company money. Management are a dime a dozen.

The best advice I've ever received from a PR manager - "Never work the job, work the people. Being a hard worker will never get you ahead. But working peoples emotions will win them over. Work smart."

After my second layoff I gave up on engineering. Tossed my degree in the trash and now work as a. Electrician. I make MORE work way way way way way less and have job security. Ill never have to train another H1B replacement or work nights weekends and holidays without pay.

I really appreciate your honesty, all I can say is to take a few days off to relax, let your emotion out. Then come back stronger and dont give up.

You have a lot of maturing to do, and you'll understand more as you grow in your career and gain more experience. I know you didn't ask for anyone's input or opinion, but here's my two cents on your situation. You were let go because the company you worked for couldn't afford you. They offered you a contract position because while they can't afford you right now that doesn't mean they don't want you, it just means there's not enough work to keep you around. This contract position would benefit them and you, since you would get paid whenever work would be available. They were not trying to "scam" you as you put it. You asking to keep the laptop was a bit weird honestly, and it kind of sounded like you were expecting to keep it because of all your hard work. You don't normally get to keep company/work laptops after you get laid off or quit. They are normally given back to the company due to data/privacy reasons, and to give to another employee instead of having to continuously buy laptops. So when you asked if you can keep yours the owner was trying to be nice and im surprised he actually said yes, as long as you return it. This was smart on his end because that means he's giving you an opening to start a conversation when you return the laptop about your interest in the contract position again. I highly highly recommend you tell him you're interested! You mention that as you stayed in your position you had to always learn new things. Well, this is normal. Trust me. In fact this is a good thing. You having to maybe step out of your comfort zone and learning sql and other programming languages as well as contributing to projects that may be out of your scope are all good things. Why? Because you can put it on your resume and use it to hop to be a better job!! At your age you should be soaking in information and raising your hand to volunteer and learn as much as you can. Then you take all your knowledge and FLY AWAY! This is not the point in your career where you want to be complacent, save that for your 40s and 50s haha. Learn, grow and try to develop your leadership skills along with people skills if you can. This will all help you in advancing your career and finding your dream job! I wish you the best of luck,

Always have a plan a, b, c, d, and etc. I was laid off 2023 and two days later I was working in another company as an CDL driver. Then a year later, I was able to find employment as an warehouse manager.

It’s an awesome car dude. Congrats on getting it paid off! That’s a big deal and a lot of people never do it! Focus on the positives and build from there bro!

The advice I can give is never give up. You are very intelligent and well spoken. If you can remain on good terms with your former employer do so and maybe do contract work. In the meantime keep looking for another position. You need to be a shark in this competitive environment. Remember the golden rule. Them who has the gold makes the rules. Good luck.

Couldnt find job post grad despite data science degree in 2020. Did DE Bootcamp 2021. Worked 2022 laid off 2024. Damm this tech career be crazyyy

The contract worker costs companies substantially less than a W2 worker. Benefits are a form of compensation so the idea is that a contract worker gets that in cash on the front-end instead of medical, 401K, on the back-end. So basically they fired you and then rehired you for substantially less, correctly judging that with the current job market that you'll take a pay cut. I personally would take the pay cut while searching for a new job on the sly. You're just not going to win or convince them to convert you to W2 as you've already been a W2 at this company, but bills are bills and any salary is better than no salary whatsoever. The great thing about contract work, though, is that you can quit immediately upon finding your new job...no need for two weeks notice or such silliness.

I'm in the same boat, laid off Q1 of 2024 and it's been a month or so since I've been looking. I was at my previous employer for 2.5 years so it was a relatively long time in IT / CS. Right now the job market is brutal. It sounds like this employer was a red flag from the start if you were the only programmer there. The laptop deal, most companies want their equipment back - they really care more about the data than the equipment... I don't really know what else to say about this one. All I can say that it's rough out there right now and I really don't trust employers either at this point. You do have to work for a company until you can do something on your own but your employer is not your life unless you own the company. Good luck out there.

love your honestly man. Same here, im unemployed rn too. Shit just happens bro.

Mate if you think there is no hope in America, you should try Europe. Trust me. Three years ago, we were at least on par with American workers. Right now, we can't even compete. The purchasing power has gotten diminished over here. Taxation is crazy, and the social services you get for that is nowhere near it's twenty years ago. Average senior engineer in Britain is paying over 50% of tax on direct income, if not more. Software engineers are considering/moving to the US to get paid better.

Be glad you are learning how to take hits like this. I've been laid off several times, they did you a favor! Don't let these jobs be your whole identity. You don't want to be a guy who works in the same place for 20 years and then you lose a job and don't know how to take it. I'm with you bro, this is a blessing. The matrix spit you out, thank them. Go for a walk and let the sun shine on your face.

Yes, that's what they're doing. They want you to be contractor status so that you are responsible for your benefits, taxes, and when there are lay offs, you would not get unemployment. I'm praying for you. I know that you'll get another job very soon. Hang in there!

Gen Xer here. From 1990 I worked for six large organizations, got laid off at four of them, fired at one. Mergers, acquisitions, and despising a couple of my bosses and those related roles were the reasons. Hang in there, today is tough and with AI wiping out many jobs, it's going to get worse before it gets better. But it's always been tough, it was never easy. You and most of us will get through it. Just don't get addicted to drugs or booze, I've seen that take quite a few off the board. Good luck!

Sorry to hear you lost your job bro, ive been unemployed for long periods of time sometimes too (up to 2 years without work) because I kept waiting for specific jobs that I applied to in the government to call me back before accepting jobs that I considered below my skill level. What I learned is that its better to have any job so that you at least have some money coming in (even if its below your skill level) that way you dont have large gaps in your resume and dont lose years of your life where you werent making any money. You could always apply to engineer jobs while working a less skilled job.

if i got laid off, i have no fall back plan and no family or friends that can help me. i'd prob turn to life of crime

I follow your videos from time to time and empathize with your struggle. Speaking of being a software engineer and I saw a couple of videos by youtubers honestduane (video title=May 2024: The tech layoffs have oversaturated the USA tech job market) and MillionaireMorningShow (video title=Show Me the Money, Not Layoffs..." Big Tech Using Perks To Lure Workers Don't Work Anymore). The former speaks to the problem of oversaturation being so bad that even level 7 Principal or level 6 even having to take a step down to Sr Devs just to earn so it's really bad for inexperienced and mid & jr level people looking. The latter video talks about developing an even stronger mindset to support yourself to survive as Big Tech may no longer the dream so have other bags to chase. I hear ya...not everyone is even making 100K even in high cost of living areas. Stand firm with integrity and a healthy internal locust of control, prioritizing your time/energy and faith with hierarchy needs while bag chasin'.