Ask HN: What do you do if you get laid off I work in cybersec, but seeing a ton of software engineers, architects, etc getting laid off. What is your plan if you get laid off? im trying to formulate what that might look like for me, but with todays insane job market is a very challenging position to be in. |
Create a clean digital and physical separation between you and the job.
Note that some companies with decent information security will be logging any file downloads you make. My previous employer had no information security so it wasn't an issue.
- Make yourself as valuable as possible at your current job. Solve business problems and raise your profile so your managers and other managers see you as too important to lay off.
- Start making as many new professional friends/contacts as you can. If you do get laid off you want to have plenty of people to call who can give you leads and inside tracks.
- Look into freelancing.
The last time I worked for a company that started laying people off I volunteered to work on some key projects outside of my team, including stuff no one else wanted to do. I kept in touch with people I had worked with at previous jobs, and then people laid off from the current employer because they went out looking for jobs. And I started taking on freelance work.
If I worked in cybersec, I'd probably leverage my skills in bug bounty while I look for another position.
1. Work on myself -- start getting in shape, learn something new, etc..
2. Build things that I have wanted to work on.
3. Apply for new jobs.
4. Apply for jobs completely outside of tech.
(In all honesty, I should probably do all these things anyway, but for some reason, having a job makes much of this too difficult for whatever reason.)
Just remember, now is the time for strength.
Good luck.