Life after my tech layoff

Most people who are unemployed don't have the financial resources to survive beyond a few months so the anxiety of not having a regular salary is very stressful.

I can relate as I spent a year after my layoff to myself - lost some weight, read a few books, spent time with my mom. I enjoyed walking/cycling in my city and just exploring and watching the nature or people and going to various events. Also had time to work on my little pet projects (programming related, mostly mobile apps or home automation). Life without work is great. Unfortunately my savings are almost depleted now and I have to find a job. The pressure is getting bigger and bigger, people around me think it's weird. And the biggest downside is explaining this gap to recruiters and HRs. I hate to do it because it feels like I committed some kind of a crime by not working, lol. Received a lot of rejections because of it.

I can so relate to the anxiety. I quit a job last year after I got so anxious that I couldn’t sleep anymore. After I quit I felt this huge wave of relief! 😅

Sorry to hear this happened to you. Also sorry to hear you felt anxiety every day. Happy to hear that you are feeling better.

I've worked in HR for several years, and the general mindset around resume gaps has relaxed significantly. Having FAANG on your resume is a boost, and taking a "career break" for whatever reason (.i.e. layoff, to care for a child or parent, etc), isn't perceived negatively the way it used to be. Some companies may not even ask about the gap, although I recommend being honest if prompted. Good luck with whatever path you take!

I feel like the corporate world is just getting unmanageable. I’ve been in for almost 20 years and the first 10 weren’t really that stressful…work kinda stayed at work, but as of late I can relate to constant stress and anxiety about having a corporate job.

I was laid off my job in Q1 of 2024 and have been applying so far actively for 1-2 months after taking a month off to recharge. I do not have a family to support but the job market is still brutal. My ending title was a software test analyst / systems analyst at a mid size company that I was at for about 2 1/2 years. The interest rates simply rose too quickly and the company as a result went through a restructure (I was at a financial institution). Right now I'm not in a rush to get back into the job market although I am applying every single week and keeping my skills fresh. I know it's a bad job market and will take some time to recover anyways. I use the "I was caught in a restructure, and I'm using my downtime to reset and prepare myself for the next job," line. Most employers are sympathetic particularly if you were not FIRED - which is different than a LAYOFF. As long as you are on good terms with your previous employer, I don't think most companies care how you left or even check for references at this point... They mostly care about if you did something illegal at your last place.

In all honesty, I have less anxiety after giving my life over to Christ, I'm in the software dev field myself :)))

the loneliness aspect is so real, thank you for sharing this! even 8 months later, it's still relatable

Thank you.

Can definitely relate to this Anna, I am in between jobs as well as a writer (creatively) that is, and I need a break. I have constant anxiety as well.

Throughout my 27+ years working in Tech, I've been laid off at least 4 times. Layoff is just a temporary break, you will get a better job later.

Great video...

very genuine 💟

I strongly dislike when I meet someone and ask me what I do.

Great video Ana! I´ve been in a very similar situation- quitting my job, deciding to take on less hours at work to be able to concentrate on my passions and starting a YT channel 😊 The money anxiety, loneliness, disconnect from people...I felt that so much!

This is the exact sentiment expressed by most people within the FIRE movement that retire early. I'm planning on retiring at 35 and this seems like a common feeling after retirement.

Hi! I gaduated last summer and I was not able to find a job right away in the tech field as a UI or UX designer. After getting dozens of negatives responses and seeing crazy numbers of applicants, I decided to restart working on a business of my own I founded back in 2016 and a YouTube channel related to it. I feel really good about my choice for now so I think you're on a good path. Your life is yours and keep doing what's best for you.

I happened on this video after 8 months and just wanted to know how things are now. Our company just went through a small layoff of about 2% of the workforce and I was graciously spared. This situation is just so common in the tech field.

The advice I received from career consultants is to state “career break” for the gap and focus on discussing what you’ve been doing that helps make you a better person/ worker. I don’t see anything wrong with taking a break due to burnout/ exhaustion.