i got laid off... (as a software engineer) | Full Layoff Story

[@KevinInPhoenix]

I spent a 45 year career in IT, worked for 8 different companies, went through many reorganizations, and faced two layoffs. Stay strong, believe in yourself, and take some time to "smell the roses" along the way. IT has never been an easy road but there are many personal and financial rewards along the way. Save 10-15% of your income for your future.

[@ginothedev]

That's a really impressive career, thank you for the comment, advice and perspective. I really appreciate it!

[@Y0ungC0der-h6r]

I hope to get this much EX in the future. I am still getting started. I finish school courses this year with a BS in SWE. wish me luck!

[@rockpadstudios]

I was terminated in the early 2000's and I was out of work for almost 8 months. It was right after a divorce which drained my savings. I was months away from living in my car. It was scary and I understand how it feels. That was the best thing that happened because I started getting serious about saving. Make each day, 8 hours of it looking for another job, practicing interview questions, and watching job related video's.

[@alphaomega1351]

None of that was useful in any way. You simply got lucky just like everyone else who lands a decent job. 😳

[@rockpadstudios]

@@alphaomega1351 Right so practicing writing code on a white board every morning, studying job related video's, writing code to keep myself sharp, practicing interview question responses didn't land me a job only luck did. Got it. We have jobs because we were lucky not because we have skills the world needs to make money. I didn't realize that. I've been working way to hard to keep my skills relevant. I just landed the perfect job (much higher pay) and I'm 63 years old. But that was all luck. Got it.

[@broadestsmiler]

@@alphaomega1351 The commenter gave actionable advice for getting another job (apply constantly, practice interview questions, job-related media consumption) and ensuring you do not run out of cash in the meantime (get serious about saving)! The knowledge is there, you just have to look for it.

[@ginothedev]

Thanks for sharing that mate I really appreciate it. Keeping our skills sharp is really all we can do, and if you have to make a full-time job out of that, it ends up being worth it. Also congrats on landing that perfect job, seems like it was well-deserved!

[@lewisburton1852]

Imagen all of these laid off super talented devs just getting together to build something great! Even, if they had to get mundane work outside of tech while building their side projects. Big corps exist because of you guys YOU guys are the talent.

[@ginothedev]

I feel like some devs are starting to do that. I'm personally building my own software now, but it would be cool to link up with some other devs in the future. Sometimes more cooks in the kitchen makes things harder though hahaha

[@lewisburton1852]

@@ginothedev yeah, wouldn’t even have to be too many just get together by skillset. Manager- business oriented Full stack dev UI/UX I have so many ideas lol just saying… I’m a small business owner have frontend dev skills as well.

[@TechnoMageCreator]

I have a project I started couple years ago with real life applications. I can't afford to hire but I am looking for a partner that has software development experience and has time, skill and will to invest in something. It's a project in the automatic carwash industry for technical and other services. If you're interested let me know and we can get in contact.

[@FainTMako]

@@ginothedev Whats your skillset?

[@tecsmith_info]

Been going through this myself, but I'm now developing my own software and looking to start a new business. These companies don't deserve us!

[@ginothedev]

I’m sorry you had to go through that too, it sounds like we have a similar mindset though, best of luck to you!

[@tecsmith_info]

@@ginothedev Cheers, and likewise! If there is anything you'd like to collaborate on, let me know!

[@RkForeverSlayer]

I’ve been ignoring this video on my feed because I knew I would get triggered. I felt every word of this video.

[@ginothedev]

Yeahhhh definitely a triggering subject. I appreciate you watching it though and being able to relate.

[@devsquaredTV]

I got laid off in mid august. it really blows. Then i found your devlog series and was really inspired to make my own thing and vlog about it.

[@MilMike]

at my company about 50 out of 300 people were laid off in 2024. Even people that were middle in a critical project and only them knew the project by core.. they even didn't have the time to say good bye (instant blocked accounts). I recommend connecting with important people outside of the job. At least to say a good bye or ask them about something important. Because so many coworkers were laid off, and I basically needed to do their job now, I also started to apply for a new job. After 5 months I finally got an offer.

[@ginothedev]

Yeah I agree about connecting with folks from previous jobs. I have a lot of folks on Linkedin who were really supportive after layoffs, willing to talk, offer referrals etc. Thanks a bunch for watching, and congrats on landing an offer!

[@randyriley7560]

Thanks for sharing your story. Some good reminders there, especially regarding self worth. I am applying and getting turned down for Junior roles, despite having over 2 years professional full-stack experience. The emails contain wording such as "We encourage you to apply again, once you gain the necessary skills!". If that doesn't make you want to reevaluate your life, I don't know what will. Glad you found something quickly! The constant grind trying to get back in before you have to start from square 1 financially can really start to wear you down.

[@ginothedev]

Thanks a bunch for watching. I'm sorry that the search is tough for you too. Those rejection emails are cold, but I actually hate getting ghosted by companies even more. Wishing you all the best mate!

[@randyriley7560]

@@ginothedev Thanks man! Keeping my head up! I promised myself I'd never get caught off guard like this again. No way.

[@voip4life]

Thanks for sharing brother!

[@ginothedev]

Thank you for watching!

[@grimm_gen]

I got laid off 2 weeks ago, it's hard man!

[@ginothedev]

I’m sorry to hear that mate, hang in there it really is tough. Getting to the other side is definitely possible though! Wishing you the best

[@ianbrown2847]

I got laid off on exactly the same day you did... Crazy. I am still unemployed. I can relate to the mental state you went through and that feeling of self worth. The job hunting and interview process is insane.

[@ginothedev]

That’s a crazy coincidence, not the good kind though. I’m sorry you’re still going through it mate I can only imagine how tough it is. Wishing you nothing but the best, you got this!

[@JOHNSMITH-ve3rq]

Somehow super depressing. Got to be a better way. Huge waste of human capital here.

[@ginothedev]

Got to be a better way for sure

[@jackieboy1593]

The better way is to be over employed and have multiple remote jobs. You are super unlikely to get laid off from all your jobs at the same time, and you can have multiple income streams.

[@glutenfree7057]

@@jackieboy1593 You shouldn’t have to be over employed to be in a decent position though…and in my opinion, that just steals jobs away from others. I think there needs to be a change in labor laws so that it isn’t as easy for companies to lay off employees at least without a specific time period so that employees can search for more work, and companies should not overly outsource their work to cheaper employees in other countries

[@maxcady360]

I was let go at the last day of September. When you get a zoom invite that seems odd and the human resources person is there on the call too, you know it's not gonna be good. Actually had a 15k run to cool my head off. 😅 They were at least kind enough to give me two extra months of pay. Hope I can find work by christmas. Last time it took me 9 months to find a job, here's hoping it won't take as long.

[@ginothedev]

Hey mate thanks a bunch for sharing, that zoom invite just fills me with dread. I'm glad you were given some severance, and wishing you the best in your search, you got this!

[@MongoLolz]

23+ years as a software engineer. It had it's good times, but pretty much everything after the 15th year was miserable. I've since walked away from the field, although I still enjoy watching videos about it and keeping up with latest frameworks for personal projects. I own two businesses now; landscaping and dog grooming. I wish I had done it years ago. Money is good, set my own schedule, and never have to set foot into another office again.

[@ginothedev]

That’s an impressive career, thank you for sharing! I’m glad that you’ve found a path outside of engineering, and nice to know that there are other options as well

[@Mr725jun]

Honestly crazy, I went through something very similar the past four months. Thank you for sharing your story and experiences. This really connected w me.

[@ginothedev]

My pleasure, thank you a ton for watching. I'm sorry you had to go through that as well, but it's really nice knowing I'm not alone in this boat.

[@philp9545]

Thx for sharing your ordeal and advice. They’re right on. Our startup CEO was suppose to update us on our next round of funding but told us it fell thur and we’re all laid off and out of funds. No package, no severance, nada. Same can happen at large companies too. The best advice is to keep a balanced schedule and exercise to maintain your health. The mental part is more challenging with the worries and uncertainties. Take a break or vacation if it’s affordable because it can help open your exposure to other opportunities. The best book I read that was insightful was “Who moved my cheese?”

[@ginothedev]

Thank so much for watching! I'm really sorry to hear about your recent experience, this happened to a friend of mine in 2023, and I could tell how difficult it was. Wishing you all the best, and I really appreciate your perspective. I'll have to check out that book!

[@DaltonOleary13]

Was laid off at the beginning of the month. Just mentally exhausting and feel the same way you described. Instantly started applying too, thankfully have landed multiple interviews this week and a couple more 3rd round interviews to boot.

[@ginothedev]

Thanks for sharing mate, glad to hear you’re bouncing back so quickly. Wishing you luck in your upcoming interviews!

[@sydguitar99]

It's kind of annoying how just preparing for the interviews takes so much of your time that you don't have the energy to work on projects or do any self care, and then you have to prep for technical interviews

[@ginothedev]

Yeah that was the most frustrating part. Every ounce of my energy went to looking/preparing for jobs.

[@danacarmen2699]

Being laid off is very traumatic, people don't understand that. Also be prepared to get through a few layoffs during your life.

[@ginothedev]

Yeah it definitely was, but at least now I have my guard up if/when it does happen again

[@duckonthemoon]

It sounds like you found your new position on LinkedIn, is that correct? I've started avoiding LI due to seeing the thousands of other applicants for most jobs I apply to. Instead, I've started focusing on Handshake, Wellfound, and Y-combinator. (although it is likely no better) You also mention in your video that you were trying to be one of the first applicants to new jobs as they are posted. Do you think this matters? btw I am 13 months out from a dev layoff.

[@bcmspeed6917]

Thank you for the tip about staging application times through out the work day

[@ginothedev]

Of course! I definitely think it made a difference being one of the first applying to newly posted roles.

[@jMichaels878]

Got laid off as well a month ago now. It sucks- endless applications and so far ghosted by every single one. Haven't gotten even a single response at all. I have 3 years YoE. I thought it would be easier this time around, since last time I was out of school and had no hands-on experience, but it's been much worse somehow.

[@QmdVJ4KrCjUk888]

I feel you bro. I have 8 YOE and just feel like it is much difficult to get a job these days than when i was like 2-3 YOE. The market has changed completely. What i can say is don't put all your eggs in one basket. Good luck!

[@Brenary]

Well thats because experience means nothing if companies are not hiring.Majority of companies in every field are just not hiring plus there is an abundance of people looking for work so competition is fierce and companies know that

[@ginothedev]

I'm really sorry to hear about your layoff mate, thank you for sharing. Yeah this is the third time that I've had to go through applying (one out of school, one because i wanted something new, and one from layoffs). And each time the job market has been different. At some point I really do believe it does become a numbers game, I am wishing you the best you got this!

[@Cat-vs7rc]

The reason they tell people "its not performance based" is because they don't want them to argue or debate.

[@Brenary]

Or maybe they don’t want to tell you that they need you to leave because they need to make shareholders happy

[@ginothedev]

^

[@LaCarteRouge]

i'm impressed from the number of interviews you landed. your resume must be cracked. I'm a swe approaching 2 yoe and I've been casually looking for jobs. my problem is that i don't really have database or cloud experience (i mainly work on desktop apps at my job) so i'm wondering if you'd suggest i make some projects with those in-demand technologies, or just focus leetcode.

[@ginothedev]

'Your resume must be cracked' is now my favorite comment of all time lmao. If you want to transition into a full-stack or backend role I'd definitely recommend getting some experience with database/cloud technologies. Doesn't have to be anything too complex, just creating a CRUD backend connected to some database and then learning how to host those in some cloud provider would be a great start. For reference my main technologies for the above are java/javascript for backend language, spring boot and express respectively for the framework, postgres for the database, and AWS for cloud.

[@dvojkan]

The same situation was in my company. First mail saying that would be another mail for "lucky ones" who are going to be made redundant. And 21 minutes after the first mail I've got a second mail as well. Very bad experience.

[@ginothedev]

Yeah I don't know why they do it that way, just prolonging the anxiety, seems pretty messed up to me.

[@chrishyde952]

I took that break that you didnt, but it was poisoned by the dread of being unemployed

[@ginothedev]

I think that’s why I was scared to take a break this time

[@gecko-ko362]

You think AI is a factor for these lay offs? And for the people trying to get into this field, is there a chance they can get an opportunity to have a job?

[@emjennett]

AI def speeds up the bug fixing/feature development process. but on the other hand, a critical part of software development requires the human brain to make context-specific choices that are essential to every project. I believe it’ll take a longgg time until AI will be able to replace that

[@ginothedev]

For my situation, AI wasn't a factor for these layoffs. It was purely a financial play since that is a public company that wanted to appease investors. Like @emjennett said, I think it's going to be a very long time until AI even has the possibility to replace engineers.

[@theointechs]

Nice bounceback 🦾

[@ginothedev]

Thanks dawg 😤

[@patrickchan2503]

relatable, thanks for sharing. I didn't keep a note of my applications as I couldn't be bothered, and it was depressing, yes. Also, yes one only needs 1 job offer 🙂relieved! You worked very hard in your employment break. I actually ended up taking an unplanned gap year which was a mix of studies and travel. If I hadn't got a job by the end of the year, I honestly might have given up. Also summer holiday is a slow period so I was waiting for replies. Thankfully, I had that 1 offer. My question is how did you spend the time between your job offer and start date? All the best.

[@ginothedev]

I'm glad your strategy worked out, I think a nice balance of studies and travel sounds like a good way to stay refreshed and motivated, congrats on the offer! For me, I only had about 1.5 weeks between signing my offer, and my start date, so I kinda just did nothing for that time. Relaxed as much as possible, tried to detach from the stress of the last 3 months, and get in a good head space to start the new job.

[@TheFuture36520]

Imagine what if when someone had launched a tech start up like a google app to generate sustainable income for a duration. I'm trying to get into the field of IT.

[@arcanernz]

I think your advice is looking back given you got a job. If its been a year plus and still without a job I’m sure your advice would be to grind hard at the beginning and forgo everything else.

[@ginothedev]

Yes that's true, I can only speak to the experience that I had.

[@kfliden]

First thought, sorry man, that sucks, thanks for sharing the experience and good luck in the job search! Second though, this is what it looks like if Shia LaBeouf got laid off from a tech job.

[@ginothedev]

💀 hahaha that’s hilarious, second person who has commented that 😂😂

[@mmmmmmmmmm710]

I think most layoffs in the U.S is due to the fact that software dev positions can be outsourced by these companies to other cheaper countries such as India or Asia for half of what U.S devs make. It's always about the bottomline for the greedy bastards. 😢

[@ginothedev]

This was very relevant at my previous company.

[@mmmmmmmmmm710]

@@ginothedev What's your gameplan now for your career? Is the job market for devs in the U.S on a decline due to say Ai and outsourcing to cheap countries?

[@ginothedev]

It's definitely down compared to 2020-2022, which is when I had previously applied, but still was able to find a job this time around too. My gameplan is to keep chugging along, trying to get to senior in the next year or so, and will figure things out from there.

[@TheFuture36520]

Damn this hits home hard.......

[@ginothedev]

You're not alone, it's tough, but I think ultimately worth it. I appreciate you watching!

[@daniels4338]

Like a responsible adult, goes to Cabo after layoff.

[@ginothedev]

💀 I swear it was booked before I got laid off 😂

[@self-taughtdev]

Welcome to the laid off developer club brother

[@ginothedev]

Thank you for having me

[@CaliburPANDAs]

Any tips for new CS grads trying to find an entry role?

[@jigsaw2253]

Go and study mechanical engineering

[@thefootballer3664]

@@jigsaw2253tech is dead huh 🤔

[@ginothedev]

Hey mate! It's a bit different from when I graduated, so I may not be able to speak super accurately about it. I remember doing 500-600 applications before getting an entry level role, and that may be even more now. It's competitive, but still attainable. Look for jobs at non-tech companies, take a contract role, anything to gain experience, and build from there. Wishing you the best of luck!

[@nobbynob-mq2rn]

Learn a trade. Get out before it's too late.

[@noodlespwn42]

About to start job searching ahead of my current contacts end date. Please send energy and any tips welcome 🙏

[@ginothedev]

You got this mate, I actually have two videos on my channel about my recent job applying experience. Gives some tips that I used that were very effective for me, check them out!

[@stevencheong5584]

For those people who are still steadily employed, do you think it is worth it to grind leetcode and apply for jobs in case you do get laid off? Or is it better to enjoy your life (ie: spend time with family, work on hobbies, etc) when you are employed. How would you compare these opportunity costs?

[@ginothedev]

Great question, honestly something I’ve been thinking about. There’s gotta be some kind of balance. So far in my career if I have been employed I don’t do leetcode, but then restarting after not doing it for a while is tough. So I’ll probably start doing maybe a question or two a week, but nothing more

[@jordixboy]

i dont grind leetcode, but what I do is just to interviews here and there even if I have a job and dont plan to switch. You never know maybe you find something thats better and pays a lot more, and you practice your skills.

[@mberu14]

What leetcode questions do they be asking?

[@basuta-dshrara]

You can do both, you just need to get good at the fundmentals. So atleast spend some time on it, but definitely prioritize family and hobbies, if your early in life or career then definitely learn and master fundamentals. Yes, this is why I think working on coding patterns (see grokking the coding design pattern), mastering the fundamentals of data structures will help long term. You will never forget it once you leverage some techniques and spaced repetition or memory palaces (used by philosophers and polymaths). You'll not be as fast over time if you dont refresh that much but because you know the fundamentals you'll be able to rethink how to fundamentally build the solution. (i.e binary search - find left and right pointer, split in half, compare, move pointers to left half or right half of array) Once you do that its a quick refresher, system design as well, try like going deep in a topic every 2 days, like spend 2 days deep into queues, load balancer, etc... You do this steadily over time and you have the skills you need for interviews. So, me personally the hard part isn't the technical stuff, its actually getting the interview lol

[@MateoC-f4n]

no. i have never done leetcode in my life and was promoted 1 year ago to tech lead. i think i could barely do quick sort or bubble sort, but it would take me a few minutes to get them right. problem solving and cost optimization are more important. i know people will argue that you git gud at problem solving through algorithms, but I have only seen the complete opposite with our leetcoders, they aren't able to solve real problems.

[@MichaelAivaliotis]

You should work as an asmr artist now.

[@ginothedev]

Hahahaha my true calling

[@mr.random8447]

Well...its a luxury to prioritize mental health. If you got the money you can take your time, if not oh well

[@ginothedev]

Agreed, everyone's situation is different.

[@keyboards6364]

Did you???? Get a pay cut or it's a step back?

[@ginothedev]

A little bit of a pay cut, but nothing drastic

[@keyboards6364]

@@ginothedev better than being unemployed like me

[@youwantitigotit4621]

*How many years of experience in Software Engineering did you have before getting laid off?"

[@ginothedev]

Hey mate I was at about 4 yoe when I was laid off.

[@alphaomega1351]

Clearly, management didn't like your long hairstyle. 😳

[@ginothedev]

It appears that way lol

[@liquidsnake6879]

One thing devs need to do more is network, because if you're well networked with other devs from other companies you'll always get jobs easily, sometimes you don't even need to go through interviews because the one in charge of recruiting already knows you and can vouch for you. It's just a nice safety net to have, and sometimes if they can't offer you a job directly they might know someone who's looking. And then the main goal of any dev imo should be self-employment, companies are just fickle

[@ginothedev]

Yeah I was able to set up interviews through previous connections. None of them ended up panning out, but it was a good start.

[@19Draco96]

If Shia LaBeouf got layed off what chances do we have 😭

[@ginothedev]

💀💀

[@AzharKhan-fv5hn]

Bro now what you will do ?

[@ginothedev]

Keep working lol - but now building my own software as well and documenting all that on this channel :)

[@aslkdjfzxcv9779]

welcome to heavily manipulated currency. gl to u.

[@ginothedev]

Thanks I hate it here 😂

[@aslkdjfzxcv9779]

@@ginothedev xD

[@1021017ify]

Were you at a tech company before? Are you at a tech company now?

[@ginothedev]

Tech company before, non-tech company with technology now

[@jimmy_mcgill007]

I think that's key in this environment. Straight-up tech companies are feeling the burn due to a reduction in venture capital investment by other firms. There are plenty of non-tech companies having profitable operations in other sectors that still depend on in-house IT to manage and enhance their existing systems. For instance, the banks are closing tons of branches, and that means their online systems have be much more resilient and efficient to manage that traffic.

[@johnvillanueva1240]

im sorry to hear that man keep your head up youll find another job soon

[@ginothedev]

Much appreciated :)

[@macverishe3480]

This system is evil, why do we participate in perpetuating it?

[@ginothedev]

I guess so I can eat and have health insurance. I'm just not really sure what the alternative is tbh :(

[@tkdevlop]

Nice you got 1 month free pay due to this layoff

[@ginothedev]

That is a good way to think about it 😤

[@toldbyai]

Xaroxo in America

[@nobbynob-mq2rn]

I would consider leaving IT - Get out while you're still young. It's all going to India anyway. Why would you want to compete against that? Crazy.

[@ginothedev]

I don’t agree, plus this is what I enjoy doing so I will continue

[@nobbynob-mq2rn]

@@ginothedev Good luck. It's a young man's game. After 40, it's over.

[@goodfeather16]

If you never get laid off, you never work.

[@ginothedev]

Ain't that the truth.

[@igotbit9454]

It’s their right to do it. It’s their company. It’s up to the software devs to understand that they’re a resource and if that resource is no longer needed then your time there will end. Business as usual.

[@ginothedev]

Yep that's at-will employment. Not something you can take personally

[@ginothedev]

It might be 'business as usual', but it doesn't mean people aren't affected.

[@igotbit9454]

@@ginothedev yup I’ve been laid off by a company but that’s my problem how I’m affected not theirs. 100% accountability for my own well being. One should always be ready for such times.

[@malcomgreen4747]

Its good content but too much side talk its better to get straight to the subject

[@ginothedev]

Noted

[@malcomgreen4747]

@ginothedev thank you. I'll be waiting for new videos. i enjoyed listening to you

[@JakeSummers2424]

Hoping trump gets elected so he can fix all these bidenomics issues.

[@dvojkan]

I can certainly tell You that regardless who is going to win in this election the situation in IT will not change. We in Eastern Europe are working for a small portion of US software engineer salary (I am not proud of it, I am just saying it as a fact), and even we are getting laid off (US and non-US companies, regardless). So I think that this issue with employment in IT is not connected with the story of the presidential elections.

[@JakeSummers2424]

@@dvojkan That was what I thought when he won in 2016. When I saw him lower taxes and make it very easy for companies to hire, companies were actually fighting over hiring software devs and life was good.

[@leonchen89]

Ignorance is a bless. Google Section 174 look up who passed this law.

[@Y0ungC0der-h6r]

I feel yah. I recently left my company to focus on my school career because I would travel two hours to and from work on top of hitting the weights and training some may Thai. I was burned out with little sleep every night. But I believed in my future so much that I knew sometimes when doors close. Other open. They didn't give me severance because it wasnt that kind of company. Stay strong and enjoy that time off! Now is the time to stay to your schedule of applications and hitting the gym. remember to just love yourself no matter what. heck, they practically gave you a paid vacation. thank you for posting. Your spirit seems down to earth and honest. I am subscribing to your channel ol chap!

[@ginothedev]

Hey mate thanks for sharing your story! That commute is crazy I could definitely see how exhausting that would be. I appreciate your perspective too about always loving yourself, can’t let anybody else especially a company dictate that!

[@Y0ungC0der-h6r]

@@ginothedevPrecisely!!