Remember back in 2020 when articles about working from home were hot?
Then over time we got fed articles about the future of work, return to the office, and “quiet quitting”.
Most of it is bullshit designed to get your eyeballs on an article so the publisher can sell ads.
At least the articles about layoffs in the tech sector are real, but I think they are causing people to stress out over something that might not really have an impact on them.
The Tech Layoffs Are Real, What Does It Mean To You?
Do you plan on going to work for one of the FAANG companies? If so then you are going to want to make yourself stand out. Stanford, MIT, Carnegie Mellon, and UC Berkeley to the front of the line.
If not then you don’t have much to worry about.
Although if you’re currently working for a FAANG I’d imagine you’re a little stressed.
The immediate impact on normal people like us?
New developers will have a hard time finding a job since experienced developers will be on the streets looking for work.
But that doesn’t mean new developers won’t find a job, it will just take longer, and you might have to modify your expectations.
More experienced developers will be fighting for jobs that will be few and far between because not as many people are retiring or moving on.
We can all use this time to work on skills that employers find valuable:
Software Estimation
Risk Management
Cybersecurity
Soft Skills
And we will have time to work on projects that we find interesting. Create applications to beef up a portfolio. Bone up on Python and Data Science. Become a SQL wiz.
What if you get so good at something that you don’t need to find a job?
Or…
What if you’re just doing your thing and the job finds you?
It happens.
How?
By putting yourself out there on Twitter, Medium, Hashnode, Substack, or your personal blog.
Write about what you are working on. Share your progress, successes, and failures.
Marketing isn’t a bad thing, we can all get better at it. Selling ourselves as a product or service.
You can also create your own job by using your skills to freelance or start your own consulting company (and create jobs for other developers).
Good software developers are good problem solvers.
I’ve been in this field since 1993 and I’m confident that we’re going to come through this just fine.
Look at your situation, identify a problem, and formulate a solution.
Speaking of risk management: check out this article I found on Hacker News: How do I start feeling secure financially as a tech worker?
Free Code Camp
If you want to upskill or just refresh your mind with some new challenges check out their various learning paths.
As the name suggests, Free Code Camp is 100% free, and this isn’t a paid promotion!
Mentoring
I offered paid mentoring/consulting an email or so ago and had no idea I’d get such a positive response. Had to stop taking new clients but will let you know when space opens up. I love you all, seriously. Your support is overwhelming.
Please Reach Out
If you have any questions or comments that you don’t want to leave publicly just respond to this email, it comes directly to me. You can also find me on Twitter - my DMs are open.
Have a great week!
Travis
This is excellent advice, Travis. I share the same views and was talking about this with people on Twitter - for most of us (outside of FAANG), probably very little will change because of the recent layoffs.
Those impacted - if finances allow - can use this time to immerse themselves in a new hobby or learn a new skill.
I met my best business partner at the swimming pool.
After my last contract as a freelancer ended, I started looking for new positions. But I also wanted something new, so I started swimming more vigorously during the winter.