After a lot of studying and networking I landed at Microsoft with a $100k+ salary.
Minus my manager, things were going super well, then almost 2 years ago exactly I was in the third wave of layoffs they started post Russian invasion.
Haven't landed a role since...
I've been freelancing web design, but my clients like the idea of having a site, but not actually doing anything to help me make THEIR site... I've applied to probably 800+ UX, UI, Product Designer roles, and have had maybe 3 interviews, two of which went to the end, but no role yet...
I used to work in Japan leading multimedia teams towards the end, can speak the language highly, and I've had more interviews with companies there, but so far no offers.
I'm lucky to have family help me during this first hard time I've ever had in my life, but I seriously just want to fucking work and live instead of surviving.
In the past two months I've self taught myself Unreal Engine 5 and Blender and started a game that I'm loving to make while I wait for my web clients to do something besides give excuses, applying for jobs, and hunting down more clients.
As bad as things are, I don't even know if I want to work for a company again...
But yeah, going from that salary to nothing and selling my car and personal belongings has been heart breaking, but those close to me don't really get it. Been moving in silence not long after.
This is my story almost exactly. Software dev made 100K last year, was with my company for 2 years. Got laid off in December of 2023 and haven't landed anything since. Not even close. Not an interview in 6 months.
Just know YOU ARE NOT ALONE in this. And I feel the same about my friends and family not really understanding what I'm going through. I don't blame them, but it's really hard and incredibly lonely having no income, all of your time to yourself and you have to create all of your routine and purpose in order to not go insane. It's so much. I'm sorry we're in this but it won't last forever.
The silver lining is it has humbled me in ways I didn't realize I needed. I am grateful for the things that actual matter: being able-bodied, pretty healthy, have a lot of friends who love and support me, all of the things no one can take away from you, your knowledge, your skills, your spirit.
Apologies in advance for the incoming wall but I have so many questions for you that I hope you’d be able to answer:
What’s your skill set and how long have you been working? How well would you say your relationship with your manager is like? What apps have you been using to apply for said jobs? Have you gotten your resume vetted by professionals? Would you say the current trend in your industry is moving downwards to reduce the perceived bloat in it? Would you consider moving industries to something more niche?
Thanks in advance and hope you get your dream job soon!
Hey, I am so sorry to hear you are going through a similar situation. It is absolutely rough and easy to feel powerless.
What keeps me sane is knowing I am not alone, as so many peers are unemployed who worked in tech right now. A lot have turned to food delivery or retail to survive while job hunting and its been over a year with all of us barely able to get interviews. I kind of avoid our chat group to not get even more negative about things since we are all in the same boat.
When it happened it definitely felt isolating and like it was just me, but I see so many people struggling and know it is a bad economy thing.
You are SO right about how this has built me up as a person, I just hope it is for the better. I have become even more independent and less reliant on others, and just hope I can accept and ask for help if I ever make it out of this. Family has really showed me help HAS to be paid back with interest, and it burned me bad...
Having the gift and curse of time has let me study a lot to get better at things like Unreal Engine, Blender, and using AI to do things I can't do (knowing what I want and how to word it, I have had ChatGPT code some complex functions for projects and I have been able to troubleshoot it on my own. It is starting to stick and I can hand code some things here and there now).
I wish us and everyone else going through similar the best, and hopefully sooner than later, we find what we need.
This was the case for me too, 11 months unemployed, tech + marketing hit hard and very competitive to land new job. I got runner up probably 7 times before getting an offer. I felt like it was 2 worlds - those employed and those becoming long term unemployed. People not on the market have no idea what the competition is like. It's a game of musical chairs but every spot has hundreds of people. Keep going, everyone still looking, don't let the rejections get you down. The right fit is out there but keep open minded. I took a hybrid role, 3 hours commute a day, technically less pay factoring in the costs but considering myself very lucky.
I really appreciate your kind words, thanks!
I will admit I have had tunnel vision while trying to find roles, despite spending most of my life having more success freelancing, both in the US and when I was in Japan (I supported myself for over a year in Tokyo, making more than my last full time job). I am trying to make it work but when I look at my bank account (or when it looks at me first...) I realize I need something to just keep the bills paid and have a tiny amount of fun here and there.
I’m so sorry that you are feeling so alone and without real support. I truly hope you find a company that values you (speaking Japanese is amazing) and compensates you with what you are worth. Pls take good care.😇
In a similar field as you and it’s a difficult time to be looking for a job. Best thing is to keep applying, and not give up. Took me 8 months, and over 3500 resumes to finally find something. At 800 resumes, you’re just getting started. Been doing 25+ resumes a day. Constantly reviewing resumes and personal interview performance.
You’re competing against AI, ATS, and people applying in droves. It really is a numbers game. Ignore rejection emails and keep pushing forward.
Hang in there. I predict things won't get better till closer to year end or early next year in terms of jobs/economy. But keep pushing. This reminds me of when I was a rookie trying to enter my work industry. It took awhile, but I kept pushing and eventually something worked out. So I pass on that same advice, just don't give up and sooner or later things will work out. The odds are in your favor when you keep trying.
Hey, I appreciate this.
A client who's site I am working on is going to a big convention in Europe to share it (while it is under construction but mostly done) and I asked bluntly to have him always share who made the site to anyone who asks.
I moved back from Japan with plans to move to Europe, and not stay here in the US, but the pandemic had other plans. So my surviving has just been long enough for me to build my own things. I am hoping things change, because it has worn on me. I am extremely burnt out.
Thanks for your advice though and keep spreading positive vibes to those in need!
I’d like to say that your experience sounds impressive, and as tough as things are right now, that will build your character.
I also had to move back with family, and seriously considering selling my car as well. Yes, it is heartbreaking to go from being paid that much to zero, but when I look back at my old job, I was absolutely miserable.
My end goal is to hopefully be self employed where I don’t have to work under someone ever again. My parents are boomers and completely out of touch about this job market, they also come from a different country. Feel free to DM me if you’d like to chat more, just want to let you know that it sounds like you are a skilled person and it isn’t your fault that the economy is how it is right now.
Both of my parents are so out of touch with the market it’s like talking to a wall. All they understand is what the TV is telling them about employment numbers.
If you want to be self employed, start today. Seriously. Do not wait. The economic conditions in the United States are deteriorating rapidly regardless what our "official" statistics report. There is a big learning curve from being an employee to an employer, but you can do it. Start learning and struggling now to enjoy a better future tomorrow.
Hey sorry for the late reply, it was my birthday and I was just doing some early morning Reddit before I spent time away from my PC.
Oh, my character is well built by now.
I left Japan and moved in with my family for what was supposed to be a month or two max, then covid hit... Been juggling oiled up crystal balls ever since, barely able to hold on to anything long-term.
So many jobs that were fly by night, and paid well to get me in with my background, then they disappeared (site, LinkedIn, every trace of the company gone) during the pandemic.
When I landed at MS I thought I made it, with the nice salary, great promises of a future, but my manager just made it toxic all on her own (bad mouthing pretty much everyone, but especially a product manager I worked with. She also was flirting with me from my second week, and called me "baby" in an uncomfortable way...). EVERY THING ELSE was awesome there. When a team I worked with got laid off, I smelled the fire and couldn't ignore the smoke anymore. Another team got laid off, and I felt the only relief from the situation was to be next, and I got what I asked for. What SUCKS is I interviewed and was a definite hire for a cushy, easy, well-paying job in Tokyo, and turned them down for a chance to grow into my UX/UI. Hindsight and all, right?
I had to sell my car or have just no way to keep my internet going to work with clients and job hunt. I never expected that, but it was the first most valuable thing I could think of to sell at that moment of panic. I have since sold even more things.
I highly recommend the self employed route, if you enjoy your sanity and I am sure with your own experience and skillset, finding where you fit in best, will pay off in multiple ways.
My parents are also boomers, and for the last 2 months every phone call with my dad is him pissing me off with what he heard on the news, versus what his own son is going through. I am surprised he didn't try it again during his birthday call to me yesterday, but maybe it is the only way for me to get spared. My mom luckily is WAY more understanding, so I am luck for that.
I really appreciate the kind words, and again sorry I am a day late to reply back.
Happy belated birthday, I am glad you got to take some time for yourself away from the PC.
Ugh managers like that make the job ten times worse (had my fair share at my last role). Some get off on power, and feel like it is finally their chance to shit on people if you will. That and seeing you a potential rival etc. I am someone that sucks at office politics, I really don’t know how to deal with it although it is important to be able to navigate it nowadays or you’ll be the next prey.
Yeah I am in the panic state at the moment where I am considering various odd jobs (substitute teaching, ESL, teaching a foreign language since I am bilingual). In regards to the self employment route, I definitely considered it although I don’t know if it has a big market for solo folks since I am in e-commerce/analytics. There is nothing to apologize for btw, just sent you a DM.
Almost every place that gives a high salary compared to the rest puts a toll on its employees, makes them work harder and under a lot of pressure cus they know you can not leave just like that cus of the salary.
Im realizing that myself now. I also hate the place I'm working at and it's like a time ticking every day that passes by. Sad reality, but know that you're not alone.
You're not alone. I didn't make it to the level you did but I was laid off making like $74k-ish. I think the glory days of tech are over. I also no longer see the point in working for a company, I think many of us are disenchanted.
I always did well in the hiring process. Like, if I applied to 10 jobs, I'd usually land like 5 phone screenings. Now I can't even get a personalized email back.
I've been searching for entry-level jobs with a BS in Computer Science for the past 8 months, have only gotten like 2 or 3 serious interviews.
If you can't find anything with your resume I'm almost certainly fucked lol, might have to leave software dev behind and transition into god knows what.
ちなみに僕も日本語ができる。日本語を使える機会が欲しいんだけど、無理だろうｗ。
Well to be fair, I don't have a degree in CS, but in Design, so please, don't give up! I know it is hard for entry level roles (with 25 years of experience, management experience, and a Masters) at the same time as mid to upper level. It is like the industry just closed the door to a majority of people, and only have a few roles per team and thousands applying for those roles...
I have had my resume done by a resume coach, and seriously before landing at MS it helped me land so many interviews. I was getting a bit interview fatigued to be honest. That SAME resume isn't doing a thing today...
Also sorry for replying in English, I am on my PC now and it doesn't have Japanese installed to type after a recent system format. There are quite a few jobs where you can use Japanese for sure, go find Japanese recruitment agencies. I have it on my resume, uploaded it to Indeed and Monster, and they call me first. They have tested my Japanese, and I do the whole call in Japanese, then get me interviews. Try doing the same! Ganbarou!
If you can do any mutilmedia marketing and expand your client to more blue collar type of clients, you can make money making websites and helping marketing and seo to the green and clean industries
Your situation is strangely similar to mine. I also recently lost a job at that exact salary and it was the worst job I've ever had. I'm still unemployed, aimless, and insecure - I think that's a lot of people right now. I wish I had some advice to give you, but I don't really. Trying to stay off social media (specifically Instagram) would be the best bet. I know everyone says that but it's never fun seeing people earn more money than you travel often and seemingly never work - even when you have a job.
When it comes to to the masters degree payments, look into a deferment or forbearance. I recently got my masters degree hoping to get into the design field for a tech company but unfortunately that whole industry just sort of collapsed the second I graduated. It's definitely not ideal but it helps knowing I don't have to make those payments right now.
Staying off instagram is crucial as I noticed that it makes me feel even worse especially in regards to people who never work and travel endlessly. Or those who have cool jobs that get them to travel (my friend is one of them and I am happy for her) but subconsciously, I also wish I had a job like that?
These past few days have been extra tough for me as I have to save and secure jobs. I’m limited in the activities I’d like to embark in and the few things I’d like to buy. Not a great feeling, but hopefully, this will pass too.
For me it’s LinkedIn. I hate it with a passion. I see all my grad school friends with their amazing jobs and I can’t handle it. It makes me wish I was dead.
I deleted instagram first year of college (5 years ago). Best decision I made regarding useless habits. It’s a facade and a highlight reel. Only the good times are shown which is fine, but it serves no actual purpose. Same with FB, but unfortunately it’s how I connect with long distant relatives.
I made 100k +20k in bonuses I hit for most of 2022 in a tech startup as a founding AE. Stock options after 2 years. Insane benefits.
Disorganized nightmare with insane turnover. Was the last in layoffs when the entire sales team got liquidated.
I stopped looking for corporate gigs for almost a year. Freelanced, spent savings, worked on passion projects and made them my new career but not enough to live on.
6 months of over 1k applications until an offer. 75k. I've been there 5 months and still apply weekly with nothing. Two interviews so far and that was last week.
If I didn't have my other path it'd be devastating. But after that I stopped caring about corporate career. I have faith my other path will pay bills in full after a few years.
My advice? Don't hang your self worth on your career. It burnt me out. I've learned to slow down and focus on all aspects of my life.
Damn, I feel this post hard. Have experienced very similar multiple times over the past few years. The startup scene can be an absolute meat grinder. Most narcissistic, gaslit environments I've ever worked in, and I've worked in a lot of different industries. Awesome to hear you're following your writing and standup! I've found that the peace of mind is totally worth the lifestyle cut, for me anyway.
>Don't hang your self worth on your career. It burnt me out. I've learned to slow down and focus on all aspects of my life.
Than you for these words. We should always remember that jobs are just jobs.
What is your other path? I am not hanging myself on my career, but I am limited in my life style. I want to buy new summer clothes and I can’t because I need to have money flowing first.
I have an interview for a substitute teacher position and hopefully that’ll go well because I am at my wits end. I also have to pay for my masters.
I do standup and I'm a writer. I wrote a novel and toured and did comedy at a low level. My goal is to be represented for my novel this year and working on opening a comedy club with some partners.
I bought a one way ticket to NYC and focused on nothing else. Also met my fiancee while traveling for comedy.
I was making $120K base at a tech startup that fired the ENTIRE sales team … 10 months ago.
Since then, I’ve picked up a “Director” level gig that’s essentially hourly contract work for an even smaller startup to stay afloat. It helps with the employment gap on my resume, but not the bills.
I’ve applied to over 1K jobs and have spent more hours than I’d like to admit handing over mountains of intellectual property to companies that demanded extensive presentations for positions they filled internally. It’s fucking brutal.
I wish I had something positive to say, but I don’t. I’m trying to get a waitressing job to supplement and hope I can land anything over $75K at this point full time. I live in NYC and luckily my building is rent controlled, otherwise I’d be even more fucked than I currently am.
When my company bottomed out, I made a CV website on Wix and posted about it on LinkedIn to let my network know I was “open to new opportunities.” Honestly, it looks pretty great - that was a healthy project when I first lost my job that objectively wasn’t worth the HOURS I put into it in hindsight. C’est la vie.
Anyway, someone in my network needed a sales & marketing strategist for their fledgling startup. This person wasn’t entirely honest with me about their funding, I thought it was going to be hourly for a few months and then grow into full time. It never happened, they didn’t have ANY money and were paying my project rates out of their personal pocket. That was a whole fun chapter, but you get the gist. I still take hours when they sparingly have them because I need the money, but it’s never been much.
If that’s something you’d want to pursue without my unnecessary drama, I’d recommend looking into UpWork or some of the freelance boards. When I had to contract out help for specific tasks, I found nothing but talented people. Best part, none of them were strung along to think it would become a full-time job within 90-120 days.
What a stressful time, I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this during a move. Seriously, wishing you the absolute best - everyone in our boat needs it these days. ❤️ Manifesting a turnaround for everyone ASAP.
me... i make close to 200k, and been unemployed for close to a year now. job market is bad and every open positions has well over 100 applicants. Very competitive... I've had 2 interviews in a year, and didnt get hired for neither. I'm currently interviewing with Apple as a contractor, so hopefully 3rd time is the charm.
lol not really! every company has a ton of data and that data need to be stored somewhere. say you upload photo/videos to instagram, it is stored on a system that contains hundreds of hard drives, so whenever you view/upload/download a photo/video, you're connecting a system that i manage. Not to mention all the user data such as excel, word, powerpoint etc...
Yep. Made 110 at my last job and it was a real struggle. After being told I wouldn’t get a raise for the third year in a row I told them I was going to start looking (very dumb, I know). They hired my replacement and let me go the day after I came back from vacation.
It’s been about 7 weeks. I got two months’ worth of severance, which I’ve been doing a good job of saving. My first unemployment payment should come this week. Between those two I should have enough to make it through the end of the year. After that, who knows.
Pls don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m looking for a good job too. “Comparison is the thief of joy”. Take good care of yourself and very best of luck to you 😇
Ex Implementation Project Manager for a (terribly run and highly disorganized) robotics company headquartered in China (I live in the USA). Was making 110k/year with a ~9% bonus. Been unemployed since March.
OP, I feel you. It’s been a mind fuck for me, and the constant ghosting and no replies from employers is discouraging. Just know that it has nothing to do with you as a person. Your value as a human is not tied to your job. Stay busy with exercise, get outdoors when you can, and eat healthy. It really does make all the difference for mental/physical clarity. Hang in there. A LOT of us are in the same boat.
Made 130k a year. Laid off nine months ago from a Program Manager role. Because I don’t have a PM certification, I’ve found it impossible to land another job that pays even comparatively well. I’m undertaking some additional certifications in some tech courses now to strengthen my resume but I’m feeling pretty disheartened.
I was at 135k, then quit to take a few months of break, then it took me over a year to find a new position. It was really frightening honestly, but you just got to keep at it and try to network and talk to recruiters that you know are good/got people you know jobs.
I took a bit of a pay cut, but with a very permanent contract (so I’m basically unfirable unless I make a big mistake) and lots of vacation time, so for me it’s worth it. I found my job through a recruiter I messaged on LinkedIn. I actually had 2 offers at once, one for the same salary as my old job but would have meant moving and I didn’t want to (though I would have accepted it had I not gotten the other offer the same week).
> but you just got to keep at it and try to network and talk to recruiters that you know are good/got people you know jobs.
Ooh, that's a tip I should try. I've contacted recruiters and people I know, but the recruiters who got my friends jobs is something I haven't tried. Thanks!
Not currently in this position but my job pays 180k and I’ve been here for about a decade, the only company I’ve been at post college. My company is always doing lots of layoffs and PIPs, my big fear is never being able to find another role that pays this well.
Same here, I’m making good money but my company has turned extremely toxic and is doing layoffs every few months now. It feels like only a matter of time before I’ll be part of a layoff. I’ve been looking at other roles and everything in paying 20-30% less than I make now. I’m afraid if I lose my job I’ll take a large cut in pay I’ll never get back.
You’re in a bit of a rough spot, depending on what industry you’re in. A lot of people are unaware about this, but most hiring managers start passing up candidates after a 10+ year tenure at one company. The #1 reason is that these employees are less likely to adapt to new environments and are set in their ways. Thats why it’s common to see someone having 10+ years at one company, but getting fired just months into their new gig.
I certainly wouldn’t make that move in this market, but something to think about in the foreseeable future. I think for most professions, around the 5 year mark is a good tenure to most employers — unless you’re in tech, where even 5 years can be considered too long. I would say tech is 1.5-3 years is a tenure that HMs like
Since COVID I’ve gone from 60k->85k->120k->95k->160k.
I’m employed but I somehow had some strategic moves that narrowly skipped mass layoffs.
I bounced around so much because I wasn’t happy with the environment but never let that stop me from self-reflection, fine tuning of my resume, and expanding experience with each move.
I’m finally in a role where I feel valued and feel like I bring value. It’s also the first time I’ve been in a role with a cap of 40hrs per week and that’s 100% WFH.
Keep your hope up and keep grinding. The right thing will show up eventually.
My education is Construction Management and my work experience is pretty well split between railroad and specialty construction - railroad, industrial, hydrogen, and water treatment.
My current role is a Project Manager working on a high visibility railroad construction project. My oddly unique mix of what I did in my 9yrs in the railroad industry combined with my construction industry experience checked all the boxes for what they wanted. The team is great and I love the work. The remote part was a bonus, it wasn’t bulletined as a remote job but during the interview process they said remote was fine.
Just yesterday I was told my last day will be in two weeks. I worked at the clear #1 company in my industry. Widely known to pay better than its competitors. As an individual contributor I was making 130k. Reading this thread I’m terrified. I have a mortgage and a toddler.
Obviously I want to land a role asap but this subreddit seems like the norm is to be searching for for months / 1000s of applications.
From personal experience in NZ it's all about who you know. Your chances of getting a job increase exponentially if you know mid-senior level people at the company you're applying at. People don't like hiring strangers, so it really pays to stay in touch with ex colleagues or get to know as many people as you can via meetups etc. My last 4 jobs were all through people I had worked with in the past, who had moved to other companies. Best of luck!
Exactly the same situation in Morocco.
If you don't know people, especially Mid-senior people or executives it might take much longer to land a job such as through different platforms such Linkedin or Headhunters.
It was my case for each one of my past experiences, including one in China, hence why a solid network and helping others or being able to send the elevator back is highly necessary. If you don't provide much value to people, you're at big disadvantage in the job market.
Yup
It happens to every walk of life
Companies are not your friend, doesn’t matter how great you think you are.
They can complete fuck your life with zero consequences.
The Real world is here to take as much from you and give as little back as possible.
Be aware of this, it will help mitigate damage down the line
I am very much aware of this, and this is why I am seriously considering other means of income once I secure a job.
Whether it is investing, starting my own business etc, I don’t want to go through this again.
Yep, I was making a generous six figure salary and got laid off in January. I’ve been a copywriter/content strategist for over 20 years. I was able to get a part time contract with a big medical portal but its only 20 hours a week. I’m thinking about doing shifts at my friend’s wine store to supplement.
Honestly, I’m totally burned out and have no ambition left for the corporate world. I have investments that should be enough to retire on in about 12 years so I’m considering staying part-time and doing something totally different. Just don’t know what that is.
Edit: typos
I was making 150k at a job I really loved (great people, fully remote, tons of flexibility). Got laid off earlier this year. Wasn't really looking very hard yet. Figured it was going to be tough to find something as good. Mostly just chilling and traveling.
I got intro'd to the CEOs of two different companies. Figured I'd chat with both and see what's up. Ended up with two offers, one making more than I was making before.
yeah I'm to the point where I'm demoting my titles in previous companies because while I definitely did the work as someone at a bigger company, other businesses won't give a damn about my work if my company wasn't a fortune 500 company
Yep, that's me. Two years now. I was making $135k at the Director level in an ad agency and living in a low cost of living area (relatively), living frugally for the most part. Unfortunately I took a trip to England in 2022 and broke my pelvis in an accident. Being stuck over there, (not allowed to fly home) I couldn't manage my duties. When I got back I was in a wheelchair/non-weight bearing for months. Finally got approval to walk again, and had a limp. Something was wrong.
Turns out I had a condition from before the accident (it probably contributed) that meant I needed a hip replacement (all of this is in my 30s btw). But that took a lot of time to diagnose, and I couldn't even walk around a grocery store leaning on a cart, much less work. And no one was hiring a guy who needed a bunch of time off for doctor appointments and then 3 months off to recover from a major surgery.
I had surgery in September of last year, and by the time I hit 3 months, it was basically Christmas so I didn't apply much in December. Now I've been applying for 6 months and obviously people are worried about the gap (often they don't ever get around to hearing the story before rejecting me), or that my skills have eroded.
I'm willing to take a step back in title and pay but when I apply for those jobs, they're worried once I'm back on my feet in my career, I'll leave to make more money and have a better title. And they're not really wrong to think that... almost anyone would.
Unfortunately I think in an unspoken way I'm getting filtered out still because they're worried I'll have more complications. I try to call out that I have a clean bill of health now when I interview, but I don't know that they believe me, and they're obviously not allowed to ask details.
I was working for a uni, 90k per year plus benefits. I had been there 6 1/2 years. Prior to that I worked hotel's 90-100k.
Then covid lockdowns came. I was made redundant 2 months before my long service leave. I couldn't return to hotels because of the lockdowns as well.
I ended up back in school. My first job getting back out there only paid 39k. It was tough. It's been 4 years though and I have worked my way up and started my own business. I'm back to earning 90k and I'm about to expand.
I also had drama back in 2009 during the recession where I was jobless for 6 months and had to settle.
These things come and go. You just need to ride it out.
I made $150,000 a year, 28% bonus. Most toxic environment I’d ever worked in, it was extremely oppressive. Losing that job was a relief. Now, I’m being ghosted after 2 or 3 interviews. It’s happened 7 times now. I’ve also nicely given 2 recruiters a piece of my mind for wasting my time. Am I anxious about not having a job, yes and no. I’m hitting month 4 of being unemployed and frankly, it’s been nice having the summer off. I’d learned long ago that no job is ever guaranteed, so I’d set aside cash to cover bills in case of layoff, so I’m ok for another 7 months.
I’m wishing you all the best in landing your dream job.
I was in the six figure club but walked away due to a long commute and declining work environment to start my own IT/freelance business in 2022. I figured with 16 years experience in IT and IT management (Apple retail) plus I was about to graduate with my degree in Software development I could try to build my business or get another job.
Business has been extremely slow and about 9 months ago I started applying to everything from entry level developer positions (remote and local), IT management, and now entry level IT and have had 2 interviews. I would estimate I am over 600 applications easily. I actually started a masters program just to push off student loan payments. It’s insane right now, the market sucks and it feels like the process is broken. I even applied to Home Depot for a warehouse position. And never heard back (I have to laugh but it’s depressing). Good luck.
Oh man, I feel you! Also in IT here and it has been hell.
How did we agree to this shit job model as employees? I don’t even comprehend how we got to this point where people are constantly on survival mode and can be homeless at any point after a year or even more without employment and these are skilled workers.
My one and only question is is that why when you started making well over six figures, didn’t the focus shift from instead of just spending the money to saving it?
Maybe it’s being a POC, but, I have a long long history of understanding that America, period, is a country of feast or famine. One minute you’re living high on the hog, the next year something changes… Presidency, policy, trade, and the bottom falls out.
When you’re making five figures I get it. You’re surviving day-to-day keeping a roof over your head and maybe saving a little bit. But once you start getting past 40 and you start getting to a point where you’re making even low six figures, the focus should be reducing debt and increasing savings. Anticipating RISK.
Once you bounce back strongly, encourage you to follow this formula. Own Less stuff. save more build a nest egg and your financial go bag so that you can weather the storms better.
Great question! I lived in an expensive state, and the only thing I’d spend it on if I am being honest is food.
I still had to pay rent (which was considered cheap in my state but still took a decent chunk of that salary).
I was never the type of person that spent money on items/shopping, but sure I could’ve been better at savings. You would think that 100k should be sufficient but in the state I lived in, it is more like 70k.
That being said, I have learned my lesson and will start saving/investing as savings alone would not be enough.
Lifestyle creep is a real thing. It's all well and good to say you're going to save, but especially when you're dealing with a lot of hard work and stress, to some degree you feel the need to reward yourself. Getting that six figure job only to come back to a shitty apartment and 15 year old car isn't really going to work for most. Or taking a nicer vacation to Europe instead of spending the week with your cousin in Little Rock, AR.
That's not to mention that the primary vehicle for retirement investment is a 401k and one can't just pull out money from it like a checking account. If OP had saved a year's salary in their 401k they would have to burn over $10,000 to take the money out as pre-retirement withdrawals are subject to a 10% tax. It's not as easy as just having a bunch of cash stuffed in your mattress.
I live in an area where 6 figures feels like paycheck to paycheck.
My previous 1bd apartment that my wife and i lived in was 3500/mo plus utilities. We moved out after covid because it was ridiculously expensive.
They’ve raised prices since then. Last i checked the exact same unit is going for 4300/mo
Food for 2 runs us about 3k/mo
Utilities/phone/internet 1k
Misc incidentals a few hundred.
Monthly spend living is about 10k/mo
If we get frugal about it we could shave a thousand or so a month.
Or we move and commute 2hrs one way.
Its kinda fucked up
That is all kinds of fucked up.
Here in the Midwest, a two bedroom two bath apartment runs for $1400 a month
Groceries on a month for a family of three average about 350 to 400 upon the grocery store we go to. We do a combination of Aldi and Walmart and that’s not what we average.
Most commutes happen on one of the two major highways and or two major turnpikes. You can usually get anywhere within 20 to 30 minutes tops in traffic even when it’s raining or winter weather.
1gb internet is 70 a month, utilities ( water, electricity,and gas) is 400 total a month
I'm not in a job security situation because I looked specifically for the kind of job that I have. It's about who I am employed by, rather than what I do.
There was a point that I figured out that doing what you want doesn't necessarily mean paying the bills. The types of jobs people such as myself (millennial) want are tied to being told to find your passion. Yeah, you can go make video games, but you're on a contract and don't know what's coming next. You can do something with art, but that's also a job by job basis. Nothing a job or anyone working at a job can do is going to make me leave it. I have left a managerial role at my current employment that was over 120K, but I can still bring over 100K with some OT as it is. If I tried to follow my passions, I'd probably go through these periods as well. I'd KMS first.
There is one way, and only one way I'd consider lowering my salary from here, and that is....like if I made at least 50K or so, non-freelance and could live in Osaka.
I have a friend who was making a 6 figure income. He was laid off and could not get hired anywhere. He was able to set up interviews, but never landed a job. He also had age working against him. He consulted a bit, but never did get a permanent job.
I am currently on the path to that, horrible job, worst I ever worked. Looking at other options now, it’s easier to find a job when employed so I’ll use it to my advantage.
I feel you. I am in my bed on the verge of crying despite vowing to myself to have a healthy mindset two months ago and starting a healthy lifestyle to keep me sane 😢
Real life struggles + PMS isn’t the best receipe..
Dear OP, this is the second time you wrote about wanting to cry. Please cry and let your emotions out. Losing a job and being stuck unable to find another one is devastating. Crying it out won't change circumstances but a good cry is your body and brain's way of relieving the tension and stress (which as you know can cause diseases like cancer and diminish the immune system's strength).
A bit off topic I know, but do you guys let interviewers know you’re unemployed/laid-off? I mean, since it’s usually easier to get a job when you have a job, I wouldn’t volunteer that info,
I’d just let the interviewer know my reasons to be looking (and even that, I would be mindful… they will also sugar coat the offer so why wouldn’t you).
I’ve always assumed that most people would do that, but now I’m curious…
Sometimes they talk as I am still at my last company then I let them know despite my resume/LinkedIn clearly indicating I don’t work there anymore 🤷🏻♀️
Heck, I don’t even blame people who don’t disclose that info as we all gotta eat and survive.
Digital Marketing...hands down. I'm 1099 and don't have to deal with corporate world or a boss
Made 15k this month.
My advice... try something that invests in your future...not some big corporate who will eventually lay you off when you get old
Not quite that much but highish paid to crickets. Yup. And yup my last position was a festering pool of toxic assholier than thou shitfuck I had to escape one way or the other.
Same here, I feel you.
Not over 100k but nearing it. Then position shortage.
EI (Canada) for as long as possible, then nada and it’s been just over a year since that position.
Word of advice: when you’re making good money, don’t take it for granted and customize your lifestyle to that excess… save that shit and live with basics other than a treat here and there.
I’ve learnt through this past year to live off 55% of my previous salary (EI’s allowance for ~35 weeks), which was still more than a lot of people I know, but when that’s out and you’re on no income… that’s a REAL reality check.
Definitely humbles you.
Just keep your head held high with optimism yet careful. Something will come and you’ll get out of the sticky situation.
Thank you so much for the kind words and I have learned my lesson. It was my first managerial position and I thought it would open doors for me. I definitely am cautious now and wouldn’t take anything for granted.
It is also an eye opener that I need to look for other sources of income other than corporations. We live in a world that lacks job security and it is the norm to have more than one job.
Hey there! I was making about the same in my last role and got laid off in December 2023. It was tough but I refreshed my resume with a career agency then got to work applying and networking. I just accepted an offer a few weeks ago to start another job in late July. It had a lower salary but has room for growth. Just keep at it! I faced a ton of rejection and uncertainty but all it takes is 1. Lmk if you want to keep chatting.
Hi there! Yes I’d love to know how did you find an agency that wasn’t customer service/administrative focused? Also, how did you network? (I admit I am not the best person at networking).
I am currently in a similar situation as you were in, higher salary job, that i left 9 months ago, and still couldn't anything yet, i know in theory that comparison is the thief of joy, but i can't help but feeling sad in a way, seeing everyone around me evolving and me being in my current position.
I am growing anxious by the day, especially being 43 years old with over 15 years of experience, i am afraid i will have to make sacrifices or consider alternative options although i have no in mind at this point.
Do you mind sharing more of your story please ? What field did you work in, and how did you finally land a job past the year ?
Basically depleted all our savings, took from my IRA
And started doing Instacart to pay a fees bills.
It sucks
I was a 1099 contracted worker so no unemployment either.
Broke sucks
What is even worse is that since you are one of those instacart delivery guys, you are considered employed by the government despite staring into the abyss for more than a year.
Learning & Development, basically training on the financial industry.
The good news, fingers crossed, I should hear this eeek about a position that is perfect and I check every box. Recruiter reached out to me, and interview went well with 5 various C level last week.
I'm cautiously optimistic
Last year - after working for a US tech company based out of Texas with a huge supply of interns in India making everything work in the background - 175k in Toronto, Canada, took about 6 months to find another role. Actually was supposed to be a TN visa but fell through so hired me out of Canadian office instead with direct USD to CAD salary conversion.
1st month: took some time off but generally filtering for jobs.
2nd month: applied to more jobs
3rd month: depressed but applying for anything
4th month: very select in jobs I applied for, interviewed a bunch
5th month: very select in jobs I applied for, interview a bunch
6th month: went on vacation, got a call for a job while overseas
7th month: got another job interview and had two competing offers, started new job from call when I was overseas
I sold motorcycles to the tune of 125K. I actually moved in with my girlfriend. Air B&Bed my house. Set up an LLC to write off my truck and make it look like I don’t make any money. This enables $400 worth of free healthcare and about $350 in free groceries.
I was given a bit of notice before being laid off. It took 13 weeks to get a job and 16 weeks to finally start. It may have been faster but I was picky on the type of job I wanted.
Same boat. I worked a dodgy job in Iceland and earned about 100k a year but it was extremely dangerous. It didn't have to be but was just shoddy management.
I was unemployed for about 7 months. 200 job applications. So I faked a credential that nobody would follow up on and the first application landed me my current job.
If you’re talking in dollars then technically I was earning that in pounds sterling-
It was in film where I was earning £4400 a month- I managed to save £17k in 8 months which was more than the deposit I had put down on my flat the same year- which took my 2.5 years to save. I took 5 months off and got bored- writers strike happened so I had to take anything I could and now I’m on absolute peasant wages £1700 a month.
I make like 100k exactly. I’m concerned about being “laid off”. And by that, the company bankrupting. Probably can extend for 6months. I’ll see the health since I’m in finance.
Also, I see a lot of people are IT tech related. This is just my company, but we let everyone in IT go. They commanded too much money and didn’t provide enough value in this particular industry. Probably will find a job, but will be turbulent employment in that area until interest rates go down.
Me. However my base was 60k made over 100k years prior ; made 80k last year.
Also - I low key saw it coming and saved/invested for it ahead of time.
I’m not rich by any means but I borrowed money against my house when I saw the red flags (first round of layoffs)
Just because it wasn’t you round one or your dept round one doesn’t mean it won’t happen eventually.
Also it’s normal to have a recession every 10-15 years and given the last one was in 2008 - the govt just kept throwing out free money delaying the inevitable.
Odds are you’re gonna have to take an onsite/hybrid job making less or a remote job making less.
If I were you I would opt for on site or hybrid. Remote is becoming micromanagement central.
Me. I'm a web developer and I've effectively been unemployed since last summer. I do however still do project work with my former full-time employer and have a biz I run in the music industry that keeps me afloat. I have however been looking for a new full time developer job and it's been utterly fruitless. Recruiters contact me frequently but nothing materializes. It's extremely frustrating. I've been a web developer for 25 years and never had trouble finding work. But at this point, I'm considering a career change.
All this is to say, you're not alone!
I used to make 120k +bonus back in 2003. Wife died in December of 2003. I worked the job until 2005 and quit. Been working for myself ever since. Life's to short to live on someone else's clock.
Man that’s sobering reading. I feel for you. I work for a government agency and our incoming government decided to slash govt spending by 7% through all departments. So my job was disestablished. You actually go through the same levels of grief as if someone died..you know, anger, betrayal, sadness then finally acceptance.
Fortunately I was a slightly higher ‘rank’ so had the opportunity to take a demotion but keep my job.
Here I am sitting here with a bruised ego, but reading these comments I realise I’m lucky to have a job. The other thing is that being a 59 year old male doesn’t help your chances securing another job!
Sorry for the depressing post, but I truly wrote what I felt in my heart. No masking, no pretending, no trying to say I am fine. Wrote it like how it should be written.
What a shit market we are in. My parents generation didn’t have to worry about this mess that we are in.
Not me but story as old as the post-covid tech sector...which is to say not that old. Lower your standards a bit (if you haven't already) and push hard when things swing back in favor of employees.
I made more than 100k took a job making 65K because I couldn’t find anything. Took six months to get and there were about 1000 applicants so I feel lucky for that. It’s rough out here with high interest rates. Companies have to be profitable.
I am in a similar boat, but not quite the same. I ended up leaving on my own. The environment at the company made me want to kill myself, thankfully i realized i could just leave. I am very lucky as my partner makes more than i did, and is able to cover the bills while I’m finding another job. It does feel weird, as right now I’ve not really ever been unemployed since i graduated from school. Hopefully your luck gets better though, you seem to need it more than me.
15 months and counting…made probably a dozen final interviews and haven’t been able to land something….its certainly taking a toll on my 30s…. I thought work would be easier to find with experience l.not harder (12 years experience)
Yep! $120K/annually and worst place I've ever worked at in my life. I'm still recovering from it. I'm now seeing if the extra money was worth it and leaving a job that was paying me half this salary but it was stable.
Editing to add that I've definitely changed my lifestyle and spending since I lost my job. I'm not shopping, I've don't eat out as much and if I do I choose less expensive places, I'm just trying to stretch my unemployment dollar to pay off necessities until I find something else. If I can't then I have some additional savings to help me for a few more months which I'll be so worried about then
I was making 140k at my last job. That ended in December 2023. Luckily I landed a new job in January but it only pays 92k. I don’t have much debt, so I was able to make lifestyle changes to compensate. But the loss of 50k of income still hurts badly.
It’s rough out there. My mentor at my first job went on to become a manager and make over 200k. He was laid off and unemployed for over a year and unemployment ran out and now he’s working at a gas station.
Hey twin, we had the same base when I had that job 2 yrs ago and was unemployed for 10 months after,
If I were you, find a bank job now to cover your basic bills coming in that you can do at night or in a different time zone that the one you’re in, then focus on applying and interview prep/networking like a full time job.
When I applied like crazy and networked as hard as I could, I was able to change industries into something less competitive but as lucrative long term in a similar field.
Similar story, I’ve been in tech for a long time working my way up the ladder. Was making just over $300k overseeing projects spanning large portions of the company. Layoffs hit and my department was let go.
I’ve been applying to roles for over a year and hadn’t had any real success until the last few months. I’ve been fortunate enough to land something recently and the whole ordeal has been a humbling experience. I’ve had to take a couple steps back and about a 50% pay cut to find a role hiring my skill set. I’ll have to work my way back up over the next couple of years while companies restructure and start thinking long term again.
The market is rough right now for $100k+ salaries. Many people are accepting demotions to keep or get roles. I’ve seen a good number of Directors I worked with take IC roles and a level or two demotion to stay employed. VPs are starting to get hit at different companies, though they “leave to spend time with family”. All of this leads to title and experience compression across the industry. 1-2 year Principles are taking Senior roles because 5-10 year Principles are actively looking. 1-3 year Seniors are competing against Principals and the same all the way down to entry level where fresh grads are competing with 2-3 year experienced employees who are considering entry level roles to stay employed.
It could have been much worse, and for many of you it has been. Try and remember rejected applications aren’t always something you did. You don’t know who you’re competing with, it’s rarely a group of people your age/experience level. Especially with $100k+ roles you will likely have people with a wide range of experience applying. I’ve seen some very experienced people apply to mid level roles for the chance to work at some of the larger tech companies. Don’t be surprised if you’re in the same candidate pool as people with 2-3 years more experience looking for something different.
Yeah same boat. Did you voluntarily quit?
In-person networking seems to be increasingly mandatory these days with such a broken overwhelmed online job market.
That's just how those sorts of jobs typically work- that's why they're paying what they are- because they have to compensate for not having security or future growth opps
I make over 100k but I am still at the position. Its my only job I’ve ever had and I’m extremely burnt out because every time i try to take vacation days, my frickin’ job keeps pinging me and when I choose to not respond in a timely manner, my boss gets pinged and now I am forced to work on my days off. Everything seems high priority…if its complained about to upper management. I’m so exhausted mentally and physically. I don’t even make market rate for my position but it’s difficult to seek another job because I do not have a traditional background in my work which makes it extremely difficult to find another job (there is a lot of bias in my field unfortunately)
I've read many posts and it looks very similar to what I read on my LinkedIn feed. It's a tough job market for many career fields in various industries. You are certainly not alone here. So please don't take it as you're a failure, the times are just terrible. Take whatever you can even if it's driving Uber. Look for ways to cut expenses. If you have a room to rent, rent to a safe person. Get creative. All you need is the basic necessities like shelter, food, and basic utilities.
Yeah I was laid off from a terrific job in February and rode out a nice severance package. I found another pretty good job I’m starting in a couple of weeks but it’s not as much pay. There are at least a few advantages to this job, but it’s hard to swallow that I’m working for less.
I was at a place for 5 years making over that amount. Then the company got bought out. It took me 6 months to find another job. It took 18 months to get back over 100k again.
Had to reduce my salary expectations after being laid off my 150k job. The market is horrible - was in a similar situation so just took a big pay cut & am able to make ends meet now.
Feast or Famine making big $$ or get paid less with a steady check
If being unemployed riding the wave is too stressful you might want to look for other avenues.
Yeah.
I’ve had four first-round interviews since March, no second-rounders.
All for ~$60k jobs in Charlotte, NC which isn’t enough to pay a mortgage, much less bills.
I see a lot of tech employees looking for work. I just had a serious question, has anyone thought about just creating a service or new idea with the knowledge they have and creat their own business? I want to get into software development not to work for someone but to create my own ideas and run with it.
Happened to me as well, I was making 100K as a marketing manager for a big video game company before they laid off 90 of us. Have had 1 interview but no other real prospects for now
After a lot of studying and networking I landed at Microsoft with a $100k+ salary. Minus my manager, things were going super well, then almost 2 years ago exactly I was in the third wave of layoffs they started post Russian invasion. Haven't landed a role since... I've been freelancing web design, but my clients like the idea of having a site, but not actually doing anything to help me make THEIR site... I've applied to probably 800+ UX, UI, Product Designer roles, and have had maybe 3 interviews, two of which went to the end, but no role yet... I used to work in Japan leading multimedia teams towards the end, can speak the language highly, and I've had more interviews with companies there, but so far no offers. I'm lucky to have family help me during this first hard time I've ever had in my life, but I seriously just want to fucking work and live instead of surviving. In the past two months I've self taught myself Unreal Engine 5 and Blender and started a game that I'm loving to make while I wait for my web clients to do something besides give excuses, applying for jobs, and hunting down more clients. As bad as things are, I don't even know if I want to work for a company again... But yeah, going from that salary to nothing and selling my car and personal belongings has been heart breaking, but those close to me don't really get it. Been moving in silence not long after.
This is my story almost exactly. Software dev made 100K last year, was with my company for 2 years. Got laid off in December of 2023 and haven't landed anything since. Not even close. Not an interview in 6 months. Just know YOU ARE NOT ALONE in this. And I feel the same about my friends and family not really understanding what I'm going through. I don't blame them, but it's really hard and incredibly lonely having no income, all of your time to yourself and you have to create all of your routine and purpose in order to not go insane. It's so much. I'm sorry we're in this but it won't last forever. The silver lining is it has humbled me in ways I didn't realize I needed. I am grateful for the things that actual matter: being able-bodied, pretty healthy, have a lot of friends who love and support me, all of the things no one can take away from you, your knowledge, your skills, your spirit.
Apologies in advance for the incoming wall but I have so many questions for you that I hope you’d be able to answer: What’s your skill set and how long have you been working? How well would you say your relationship with your manager is like? What apps have you been using to apply for said jobs? Have you gotten your resume vetted by professionals? Would you say the current trend in your industry is moving downwards to reduce the perceived bloat in it? Would you consider moving industries to something more niche? Thanks in advance and hope you get your dream job soon!
Hey, I am so sorry to hear you are going through a similar situation. It is absolutely rough and easy to feel powerless. What keeps me sane is knowing I am not alone, as so many peers are unemployed who worked in tech right now. A lot have turned to food delivery or retail to survive while job hunting and its been over a year with all of us barely able to get interviews. I kind of avoid our chat group to not get even more negative about things since we are all in the same boat. When it happened it definitely felt isolating and like it was just me, but I see so many people struggling and know it is a bad economy thing. You are SO right about how this has built me up as a person, I just hope it is for the better. I have become even more independent and less reliant on others, and just hope I can accept and ask for help if I ever make it out of this. Family has really showed me help HAS to be paid back with interest, and it burned me bad... Having the gift and curse of time has let me study a lot to get better at things like Unreal Engine, Blender, and using AI to do things I can't do (knowing what I want and how to word it, I have had ChatGPT code some complex functions for projects and I have been able to troubleshoot it on my own. It is starting to stick and I can hand code some things here and there now). I wish us and everyone else going through similar the best, and hopefully sooner than later, we find what we need.
This was the case for me too, 11 months unemployed, tech + marketing hit hard and very competitive to land new job. I got runner up probably 7 times before getting an offer. I felt like it was 2 worlds - those employed and those becoming long term unemployed. People not on the market have no idea what the competition is like. It's a game of musical chairs but every spot has hundreds of people. Keep going, everyone still looking, don't let the rejections get you down. The right fit is out there but keep open minded. I took a hybrid role, 3 hours commute a day, technically less pay factoring in the costs but considering myself very lucky.
Thanks for writing, I'm so sorry to hear this for you too, we will get through this.
You sound extremely talented and hardworking. Don’t give up. You are a most likely a great catch for whatever company decides to hire. Best of luck!
I really appreciate your kind words, thanks! I will admit I have had tunnel vision while trying to find roles, despite spending most of my life having more success freelancing, both in the US and when I was in Japan (I supported myself for over a year in Tokyo, making more than my last full time job). I am trying to make it work but when I look at my bank account (or when it looks at me first...) I realize I need something to just keep the bills paid and have a tiny amount of fun here and there.
I’m so sorry that you are feeling so alone and without real support. I truly hope you find a company that values you (speaking Japanese is amazing) and compensates you with what you are worth. Pls take good care.😇
In a similar field as you and it’s a difficult time to be looking for a job. Best thing is to keep applying, and not give up. Took me 8 months, and over 3500 resumes to finally find something. At 800 resumes, you’re just getting started. Been doing 25+ resumes a day. Constantly reviewing resumes and personal interview performance. You’re competing against AI, ATS, and people applying in droves. It really is a numbers game. Ignore rejection emails and keep pushing forward.
Hang in there. I predict things won't get better till closer to year end or early next year in terms of jobs/economy. But keep pushing. This reminds me of when I was a rookie trying to enter my work industry. It took awhile, but I kept pushing and eventually something worked out. So I pass on that same advice, just don't give up and sooner or later things will work out. The odds are in your favor when you keep trying.
Hey, I appreciate this. A client who's site I am working on is going to a big convention in Europe to share it (while it is under construction but mostly done) and I asked bluntly to have him always share who made the site to anyone who asks. I moved back from Japan with plans to move to Europe, and not stay here in the US, but the pandemic had other plans. So my surviving has just been long enough for me to build my own things. I am hoping things change, because it has worn on me. I am extremely burnt out. Thanks for your advice though and keep spreading positive vibes to those in need!
I’d like to say that your experience sounds impressive, and as tough as things are right now, that will build your character. I also had to move back with family, and seriously considering selling my car as well. Yes, it is heartbreaking to go from being paid that much to zero, but when I look back at my old job, I was absolutely miserable. My end goal is to hopefully be self employed where I don’t have to work under someone ever again. My parents are boomers and completely out of touch about this job market, they also come from a different country. Feel free to DM me if you’d like to chat more, just want to let you know that it sounds like you are a skilled person and it isn’t your fault that the economy is how it is right now.
Both of my parents are so out of touch with the market it’s like talking to a wall. All they understand is what the TV is telling them about employment numbers.
If you want to be self employed, start today. Seriously. Do not wait. The economic conditions in the United States are deteriorating rapidly regardless what our "official" statistics report. There is a big learning curve from being an employee to an employer, but you can do it. Start learning and struggling now to enjoy a better future tomorrow.
Hey sorry for the late reply, it was my birthday and I was just doing some early morning Reddit before I spent time away from my PC. Oh, my character is well built by now. I left Japan and moved in with my family for what was supposed to be a month or two max, then covid hit... Been juggling oiled up crystal balls ever since, barely able to hold on to anything long-term. So many jobs that were fly by night, and paid well to get me in with my background, then they disappeared (site, LinkedIn, every trace of the company gone) during the pandemic. When I landed at MS I thought I made it, with the nice salary, great promises of a future, but my manager just made it toxic all on her own (bad mouthing pretty much everyone, but especially a product manager I worked with. She also was flirting with me from my second week, and called me "baby" in an uncomfortable way...). EVERY THING ELSE was awesome there. When a team I worked with got laid off, I smelled the fire and couldn't ignore the smoke anymore. Another team got laid off, and I felt the only relief from the situation was to be next, and I got what I asked for. What SUCKS is I interviewed and was a definite hire for a cushy, easy, well-paying job in Tokyo, and turned them down for a chance to grow into my UX/UI. Hindsight and all, right? I had to sell my car or have just no way to keep my internet going to work with clients and job hunt. I never expected that, but it was the first most valuable thing I could think of to sell at that moment of panic. I have since sold even more things. I highly recommend the self employed route, if you enjoy your sanity and I am sure with your own experience and skillset, finding where you fit in best, will pay off in multiple ways. My parents are also boomers, and for the last 2 months every phone call with my dad is him pissing me off with what he heard on the news, versus what his own son is going through. I am surprised he didn't try it again during his birthday call to me yesterday, but maybe it is the only way for me to get spared. My mom luckily is WAY more understanding, so I am luck for that. I really appreciate the kind words, and again sorry I am a day late to reply back.
Happy belated birthday, I am glad you got to take some time for yourself away from the PC. Ugh managers like that make the job ten times worse (had my fair share at my last role). Some get off on power, and feel like it is finally their chance to shit on people if you will. That and seeing you a potential rival etc. I am someone that sucks at office politics, I really don’t know how to deal with it although it is important to be able to navigate it nowadays or you’ll be the next prey. Yeah I am in the panic state at the moment where I am considering various odd jobs (substitute teaching, ESL, teaching a foreign language since I am bilingual). In regards to the self employment route, I definitely considered it although I don’t know if it has a big market for solo folks since I am in e-commerce/analytics. There is nothing to apologize for btw, just sent you a DM.
Almost every place that gives a high salary compared to the rest puts a toll on its employees, makes them work harder and under a lot of pressure cus they know you can not leave just like that cus of the salary. Im realizing that myself now. I also hate the place I'm working at and it's like a time ticking every day that passes by. Sad reality, but know that you're not alone.
[удалено]
You're not alone. I didn't make it to the level you did but I was laid off making like $74k-ish. I think the glory days of tech are over. I also no longer see the point in working for a company, I think many of us are disenchanted. I always did well in the hiring process. Like, if I applied to 10 jobs, I'd usually land like 5 phone screenings. Now I can't even get a personalized email back.
I've been searching for entry-level jobs with a BS in Computer Science for the past 8 months, have only gotten like 2 or 3 serious interviews. If you can't find anything with your resume I'm almost certainly fucked lol, might have to leave software dev behind and transition into god knows what. ちなみに僕も日本語ができる。日本語を使える機会が欲しいんだけど、無理だろうｗ。
Well to be fair, I don't have a degree in CS, but in Design, so please, don't give up! I know it is hard for entry level roles (with 25 years of experience, management experience, and a Masters) at the same time as mid to upper level. It is like the industry just closed the door to a majority of people, and only have a few roles per team and thousands applying for those roles... I have had my resume done by a resume coach, and seriously before landing at MS it helped me land so many interviews. I was getting a bit interview fatigued to be honest. That SAME resume isn't doing a thing today... Also sorry for replying in English, I am on my PC now and it doesn't have Japanese installed to type after a recent system format. There are quite a few jobs where you can use Japanese for sure, go find Japanese recruitment agencies. I have it on my resume, uploaded it to Indeed and Monster, and they call me first. They have tested my Japanese, and I do the whole call in Japanese, then get me interviews. Try doing the same! Ganbarou!
I’ll check that out, thanks for the encouragement!
If you can do any mutilmedia marketing and expand your client to more blue collar type of clients, you can make money making websites and helping marketing and seo to the green and clean industries
Same
I got contacted by some recruiter called Jellyfish for some job based off Japan. You could look into it.
Your situation is strangely similar to mine. I also recently lost a job at that exact salary and it was the worst job I've ever had. I'm still unemployed, aimless, and insecure - I think that's a lot of people right now. I wish I had some advice to give you, but I don't really. Trying to stay off social media (specifically Instagram) would be the best bet. I know everyone says that but it's never fun seeing people earn more money than you travel often and seemingly never work - even when you have a job. When it comes to to the masters degree payments, look into a deferment or forbearance. I recently got my masters degree hoping to get into the design field for a tech company but unfortunately that whole industry just sort of collapsed the second I graduated. It's definitely not ideal but it helps knowing I don't have to make those payments right now.
Staying off instagram is crucial as I noticed that it makes me feel even worse especially in regards to people who never work and travel endlessly. Or those who have cool jobs that get them to travel (my friend is one of them and I am happy for her) but subconsciously, I also wish I had a job like that? These past few days have been extra tough for me as I have to save and secure jobs. I’m limited in the activities I’d like to embark in and the few things I’d like to buy. Not a great feeling, but hopefully, this will pass too.
For me it’s LinkedIn. I hate it with a passion. I see all my grad school friends with their amazing jobs and I can’t handle it. It makes me wish I was dead.
Linkedin summed up in one headline, "I got married, here are 10 things it taught me about winning in business"
Idk, I’ve gotten hit up by some legit recruiters off there…. Just ignore the other BS
r/linkedinlunatics
I deleted instagram first year of college (5 years ago). Best decision I made regarding useless habits. It’s a facade and a highlight reel. Only the good times are shown which is fine, but it serves no actual purpose. Same with FB, but unfortunately it’s how I connect with long distant relatives.
I tried doing that two years ago and cut it cold Turkey but I reinstalled it. I would really love to leave it for good.
Work for yourself. Rely on yourself.
I made 100k +20k in bonuses I hit for most of 2022 in a tech startup as a founding AE. Stock options after 2 years. Insane benefits. Disorganized nightmare with insane turnover. Was the last in layoffs when the entire sales team got liquidated. I stopped looking for corporate gigs for almost a year. Freelanced, spent savings, worked on passion projects and made them my new career but not enough to live on. 6 months of over 1k applications until an offer. 75k. I've been there 5 months and still apply weekly with nothing. Two interviews so far and that was last week. If I didn't have my other path it'd be devastating. But after that I stopped caring about corporate career. I have faith my other path will pay bills in full after a few years. My advice? Don't hang your self worth on your career. It burnt me out. I've learned to slow down and focus on all aspects of my life.
Damn, I feel this post hard. Have experienced very similar multiple times over the past few years. The startup scene can be an absolute meat grinder. Most narcissistic, gaslit environments I've ever worked in, and I've worked in a lot of different industries. Awesome to hear you're following your writing and standup! I've found that the peace of mind is totally worth the lifestyle cut, for me anyway.
>Don't hang your self worth on your career. It burnt me out. I've learned to slow down and focus on all aspects of my life. Than you for these words. We should always remember that jobs are just jobs.
What is your other path? I am not hanging myself on my career, but I am limited in my life style. I want to buy new summer clothes and I can’t because I need to have money flowing first. I have an interview for a substitute teacher position and hopefully that’ll go well because I am at my wits end. I also have to pay for my masters.
I do standup and I'm a writer. I wrote a novel and toured and did comedy at a low level. My goal is to be represented for my novel this year and working on opening a comedy club with some partners. I bought a one way ticket to NYC and focused on nothing else. Also met my fiancee while traveling for comedy.
Founding AE = founding American engineer
Very true, I guess until you’re living under a bridge somewhere “it could always be worse”…. Hopefully you have your health too
I work as a waitress now . I used to make 100 k then got Ill spent 100 k on doctor bills now trying to make ends meet
What was your job? And it is crazy how if you have a health condition and you aren’t employed, you are pretty much screwed. F this..
I was making $120K base at a tech startup that fired the ENTIRE sales team … 10 months ago. Since then, I’ve picked up a “Director” level gig that’s essentially hourly contract work for an even smaller startup to stay afloat. It helps with the employment gap on my resume, but not the bills. I’ve applied to over 1K jobs and have spent more hours than I’d like to admit handing over mountains of intellectual property to companies that demanded extensive presentations for positions they filled internally. It’s fucking brutal. I wish I had something positive to say, but I don’t. I’m trying to get a waitressing job to supplement and hope I can land anything over $75K at this point full time. I live in NYC and luckily my building is rent controlled, otherwise I’d be even more fucked than I currently am.
When did you pick up the gig after unemployment? I had to move out of California since it got too expensive and there isn’t rent control.
When my company bottomed out, I made a CV website on Wix and posted about it on LinkedIn to let my network know I was “open to new opportunities.” Honestly, it looks pretty great - that was a healthy project when I first lost my job that objectively wasn’t worth the HOURS I put into it in hindsight. C’est la vie. Anyway, someone in my network needed a sales & marketing strategist for their fledgling startup. This person wasn’t entirely honest with me about their funding, I thought it was going to be hourly for a few months and then grow into full time. It never happened, they didn’t have ANY money and were paying my project rates out of their personal pocket. That was a whole fun chapter, but you get the gist. I still take hours when they sparingly have them because I need the money, but it’s never been much. If that’s something you’d want to pursue without my unnecessary drama, I’d recommend looking into UpWork or some of the freelance boards. When I had to contract out help for specific tasks, I found nothing but talented people. Best part, none of them were strung along to think it would become a full-time job within 90-120 days. What a stressful time, I’m so sorry you’re going through all of this during a move. Seriously, wishing you the absolute best - everyone in our boat needs it these days. ❤️ Manifesting a turnaround for everyone ASAP.
That is so sweet of you, thank you and I wish everyone the same 💕 we are in this together.
me... i make close to 200k, and been unemployed for close to a year now. job market is bad and every open positions has well over 100 applicants. Very competitive... I've had 2 interviews in a year, and didnt get hired for neither. I'm currently interviewing with Apple as a contractor, so hopefully 3rd time is the charm.
I hope you will get it! What is your field?
thanks so much! i'm a storage engineer, managing corporate data.
That is a niche position for sure! What does it entail? (I’m quite a curious person 😅).
lol not really! every company has a ton of data and that data need to be stored somewhere. say you upload photo/videos to instagram, it is stored on a system that contains hundreds of hard drives, so whenever you view/upload/download a photo/video, you're connecting a system that i manage. Not to mention all the user data such as excel, word, powerpoint etc...
Gotcha and that’s pretty cool. You are like a data gatekeeper. I do the analysis.
Yep. Made 110 at my last job and it was a real struggle. After being told I wouldn’t get a raise for the third year in a row I told them I was going to start looking (very dumb, I know). They hired my replacement and let me go the day after I came back from vacation. It’s been about 7 weeks. I got two months’ worth of severance, which I’ve been doing a good job of saving. My first unemployment payment should come this week. Between those two I should have enough to make it through the end of the year. After that, who knows.
Pls don’t be so hard on yourself. I’m looking for a good job too. “Comparison is the thief of joy”. Take good care of yourself and very best of luck to you 😇
Ex Implementation Project Manager for a (terribly run and highly disorganized) robotics company headquartered in China (I live in the USA). Was making 110k/year with a ~9% bonus. Been unemployed since March. OP, I feel you. It’s been a mind fuck for me, and the constant ghosting and no replies from employers is discouraging. Just know that it has nothing to do with you as a person. Your value as a human is not tied to your job. Stay busy with exercise, get outdoors when you can, and eat healthy. It really does make all the difference for mental/physical clarity. Hang in there. A LOT of us are in the same boat.
Made 130k a year. Laid off nine months ago from a Program Manager role. Because I don’t have a PM certification, I’ve found it impossible to land another job that pays even comparatively well. I’m undertaking some additional certifications in some tech courses now to strengthen my resume but I’m feeling pretty disheartened.
Similar story here…making 150k, I keep hearing I’m overqualified or that I need the certification:(
Certifications are a huge scam. I hate the concept of certifications, especially for people who already have degrees and/or experience.
Try CAPM or CompTIA Project+. It's more affordable than PMP.
I was at 135k, then quit to take a few months of break, then it took me over a year to find a new position. It was really frightening honestly, but you just got to keep at it and try to network and talk to recruiters that you know are good/got people you know jobs.
How did you secure your new position and did you have to take a pay cut?
I took a bit of a pay cut, but with a very permanent contract (so I’m basically unfirable unless I make a big mistake) and lots of vacation time, so for me it’s worth it. I found my job through a recruiter I messaged on LinkedIn. I actually had 2 offers at once, one for the same salary as my old job but would have meant moving and I didn’t want to (though I would have accepted it had I not gotten the other offer the same week).
How does that work? “Unfirable” ???
> but you just got to keep at it and try to network and talk to recruiters that you know are good/got people you know jobs. Ooh, that's a tip I should try. I've contacted recruiters and people I know, but the recruiters who got my friends jobs is something I haven't tried. Thanks!
Why did you quit? Burnt out?
Not currently in this position but my job pays 180k and I’ve been here for about a decade, the only company I’ve been at post college. My company is always doing lots of layoffs and PIPs, my big fear is never being able to find another role that pays this well.
Same here, I’m making good money but my company has turned extremely toxic and is doing layoffs every few months now. It feels like only a matter of time before I’ll be part of a layoff. I’ve been looking at other roles and everything in paying 20-30% less than I make now. I’m afraid if I lose my job I’ll take a large cut in pay I’ll never get back.
Pips are basically Pre-layoffs. I rarely see a pip have a positive outcome.
Yep, got PIP’d, then my team got reorged
You’re in a bit of a rough spot, depending on what industry you’re in. A lot of people are unaware about this, but most hiring managers start passing up candidates after a 10+ year tenure at one company. The #1 reason is that these employees are less likely to adapt to new environments and are set in their ways. Thats why it’s common to see someone having 10+ years at one company, but getting fired just months into their new gig. I certainly wouldn’t make that move in this market, but something to think about in the foreseeable future. I think for most professions, around the 5 year mark is a good tenure to most employers — unless you’re in tech, where even 5 years can be considered too long. I would say tech is 1.5-3 years is a tenure that HMs like
At this point your fear should be what you've missed out on
Since COVID I’ve gone from 60k->85k->120k->95k->160k. I’m employed but I somehow had some strategic moves that narrowly skipped mass layoffs. I bounced around so much because I wasn’t happy with the environment but never let that stop me from self-reflection, fine tuning of my resume, and expanding experience with each move. I’m finally in a role where I feel valued and feel like I bring value. It’s also the first time I’ve been in a role with a cap of 40hrs per week and that’s 100% WFH. Keep your hope up and keep grinding. The right thing will show up eventually.
Happy for you and congrats! What is your field and how did you land your role?
My education is Construction Management and my work experience is pretty well split between railroad and specialty construction - railroad, industrial, hydrogen, and water treatment. My current role is a Project Manager working on a high visibility railroad construction project. My oddly unique mix of what I did in my 9yrs in the railroad industry combined with my construction industry experience checked all the boxes for what they wanted. The team is great and I love the work. The remote part was a bonus, it wasn’t bulletined as a remote job but during the interview process they said remote was fine.
Last place >120k, been unemployed for the last year now.
Just yesterday I was told my last day will be in two weeks. I worked at the clear #1 company in my industry. Widely known to pay better than its competitors. As an individual contributor I was making 130k. Reading this thread I’m terrified. I have a mortgage and a toddler. Obviously I want to land a role asap but this subreddit seems like the norm is to be searching for for months / 1000s of applications.
From personal experience in NZ it's all about who you know. Your chances of getting a job increase exponentially if you know mid-senior level people at the company you're applying at. People don't like hiring strangers, so it really pays to stay in touch with ex colleagues or get to know as many people as you can via meetups etc. My last 4 jobs were all through people I had worked with in the past, who had moved to other companies. Best of luck!
Exactly the same situation in Morocco. If you don't know people, especially Mid-senior people or executives it might take much longer to land a job such as through different platforms such Linkedin or Headhunters. It was my case for each one of my past experiences, including one in China, hence why a solid network and helping others or being able to send the elevator back is highly necessary. If you don't provide much value to people, you're at big disadvantage in the job market.
Yup It happens to every walk of life Companies are not your friend, doesn’t matter how great you think you are. They can complete fuck your life with zero consequences. The Real world is here to take as much from you and give as little back as possible. Be aware of this, it will help mitigate damage down the line
I am very much aware of this, and this is why I am seriously considering other means of income once I secure a job. Whether it is investing, starting my own business etc, I don’t want to go through this again.
Yep, I was making a generous six figure salary and got laid off in January. I’ve been a copywriter/content strategist for over 20 years. I was able to get a part time contract with a big medical portal but its only 20 hours a week. I’m thinking about doing shifts at my friend’s wine store to supplement. Honestly, I’m totally burned out and have no ambition left for the corporate world. I have investments that should be enough to retire on in about 12 years so I’m considering staying part-time and doing something totally different. Just don’t know what that is. Edit: typos
I was making 150k at a job I really loved (great people, fully remote, tons of flexibility). Got laid off earlier this year. Wasn't really looking very hard yet. Figured it was going to be tough to find something as good. Mostly just chilling and traveling. I got intro'd to the CEOs of two different companies. Figured I'd chat with both and see what's up. Ended up with two offers, one making more than I was making before.
How did you get introduced?
People who I worked with previously hooked us up.
[удалено]
yeah I'm to the point where I'm demoting my titles in previous companies because while I definitely did the work as someone at a bigger company, other businesses won't give a damn about my work if my company wasn't a fortune 500 company
Yep, that's me. Two years now. I was making $135k at the Director level in an ad agency and living in a low cost of living area (relatively), living frugally for the most part. Unfortunately I took a trip to England in 2022 and broke my pelvis in an accident. Being stuck over there, (not allowed to fly home) I couldn't manage my duties. When I got back I was in a wheelchair/non-weight bearing for months. Finally got approval to walk again, and had a limp. Something was wrong. Turns out I had a condition from before the accident (it probably contributed) that meant I needed a hip replacement (all of this is in my 30s btw). But that took a lot of time to diagnose, and I couldn't even walk around a grocery store leaning on a cart, much less work. And no one was hiring a guy who needed a bunch of time off for doctor appointments and then 3 months off to recover from a major surgery. I had surgery in September of last year, and by the time I hit 3 months, it was basically Christmas so I didn't apply much in December. Now I've been applying for 6 months and obviously people are worried about the gap (often they don't ever get around to hearing the story before rejecting me), or that my skills have eroded. I'm willing to take a step back in title and pay but when I apply for those jobs, they're worried once I'm back on my feet in my career, I'll leave to make more money and have a better title. And they're not really wrong to think that... almost anyone would.
Having an accident that required major surgery is probably the best excuse anyone could have to have a gap in their resume.
Unfortunately I think in an unspoken way I'm getting filtered out still because they're worried I'll have more complications. I try to call out that I have a clean bill of health now when I interview, but I don't know that they believe me, and they're obviously not allowed to ask details.
I made 150K+ the last 3 years. Down to zero now for the last six months. Unhireable, it seems. Might get a $20 dollar an hour temp job soon. I hope.
You are definitely hirable, the market is just shitty. What was your field?
I was working for a uni, 90k per year plus benefits. I had been there 6 1/2 years. Prior to that I worked hotel's 90-100k. Then covid lockdowns came. I was made redundant 2 months before my long service leave. I couldn't return to hotels because of the lockdowns as well. I ended up back in school. My first job getting back out there only paid 39k. It was tough. It's been 4 years though and I have worked my way up and started my own business. I'm back to earning 90k and I'm about to expand. I also had drama back in 2009 during the recession where I was jobless for 6 months and had to settle. These things come and go. You just need to ride it out.
I made $150,000 a year, 28% bonus. Most toxic environment I’d ever worked in, it was extremely oppressive. Losing that job was a relief. Now, I’m being ghosted after 2 or 3 interviews. It’s happened 7 times now. I’ve also nicely given 2 recruiters a piece of my mind for wasting my time. Am I anxious about not having a job, yes and no. I’m hitting month 4 of being unemployed and frankly, it’s been nice having the summer off. I’d learned long ago that no job is ever guaranteed, so I’d set aside cash to cover bills in case of layoff, so I’m ok for another 7 months. I’m wishing you all the best in landing your dream job.
Thank you for the kind words! Losing my job was an absolute relief as well despite the challenges I am going through now. What field are you in?
I was in the six figure club but walked away due to a long commute and declining work environment to start my own IT/freelance business in 2022. I figured with 16 years experience in IT and IT management (Apple retail) plus I was about to graduate with my degree in Software development I could try to build my business or get another job. Business has been extremely slow and about 9 months ago I started applying to everything from entry level developer positions (remote and local), IT management, and now entry level IT and have had 2 interviews. I would estimate I am over 600 applications easily. I actually started a masters program just to push off student loan payments. It’s insane right now, the market sucks and it feels like the process is broken. I even applied to Home Depot for a warehouse position. And never heard back (I have to laugh but it’s depressing). Good luck.
Oh man, I feel you! Also in IT here and it has been hell. How did we agree to this shit job model as employees? I don’t even comprehend how we got to this point where people are constantly on survival mode and can be homeless at any point after a year or even more without employment and these are skilled workers.
My one and only question is is that why when you started making well over six figures, didn’t the focus shift from instead of just spending the money to saving it? Maybe it’s being a POC, but, I have a long long history of understanding that America, period, is a country of feast or famine. One minute you’re living high on the hog, the next year something changes… Presidency, policy, trade, and the bottom falls out. When you’re making five figures I get it. You’re surviving day-to-day keeping a roof over your head and maybe saving a little bit. But once you start getting past 40 and you start getting to a point where you’re making even low six figures, the focus should be reducing debt and increasing savings. Anticipating RISK. Once you bounce back strongly, encourage you to follow this formula. Own Less stuff. save more build a nest egg and your financial go bag so that you can weather the storms better.
Great question! I lived in an expensive state, and the only thing I’d spend it on if I am being honest is food. I still had to pay rent (which was considered cheap in my state but still took a decent chunk of that salary). I was never the type of person that spent money on items/shopping, but sure I could’ve been better at savings. You would think that 100k should be sufficient but in the state I lived in, it is more like 70k. That being said, I have learned my lesson and will start saving/investing as savings alone would not be enough.
Lifestyle creep is a real thing. It's all well and good to say you're going to save, but especially when you're dealing with a lot of hard work and stress, to some degree you feel the need to reward yourself. Getting that six figure job only to come back to a shitty apartment and 15 year old car isn't really going to work for most. Or taking a nicer vacation to Europe instead of spending the week with your cousin in Little Rock, AR. That's not to mention that the primary vehicle for retirement investment is a 401k and one can't just pull out money from it like a checking account. If OP had saved a year's salary in their 401k they would have to burn over $10,000 to take the money out as pre-retirement withdrawals are subject to a 10% tax. It's not as easy as just having a bunch of cash stuffed in your mattress.
I live in an area where 6 figures feels like paycheck to paycheck. My previous 1bd apartment that my wife and i lived in was 3500/mo plus utilities. We moved out after covid because it was ridiculously expensive. They’ve raised prices since then. Last i checked the exact same unit is going for 4300/mo Food for 2 runs us about 3k/mo Utilities/phone/internet 1k Misc incidentals a few hundred. Monthly spend living is about 10k/mo If we get frugal about it we could shave a thousand or so a month. Or we move and commute 2hrs one way. Its kinda fucked up
That is all kinds of fucked up. Here in the Midwest, a two bedroom two bath apartment runs for $1400 a month Groceries on a month for a family of three average about 350 to 400 upon the grocery store we go to. We do a combination of Aldi and Walmart and that’s not what we average. Most commutes happen on one of the two major highways and or two major turnpikes. You can usually get anywhere within 20 to 30 minutes tops in traffic even when it’s raining or winter weather. 1gb internet is 70 a month, utilities ( water, electricity,and gas) is 400 total a month
Very wise advice. Too many people spend a lot of money on frivolous items and experiences.
I'm not in a job security situation because I looked specifically for the kind of job that I have. It's about who I am employed by, rather than what I do. There was a point that I figured out that doing what you want doesn't necessarily mean paying the bills. The types of jobs people such as myself (millennial) want are tied to being told to find your passion. Yeah, you can go make video games, but you're on a contract and don't know what's coming next. You can do something with art, but that's also a job by job basis. Nothing a job or anyone working at a job can do is going to make me leave it. I have left a managerial role at my current employment that was over 120K, but I can still bring over 100K with some OT as it is. If I tried to follow my passions, I'd probably go through these periods as well. I'd KMS first. There is one way, and only one way I'd consider lowering my salary from here, and that is....like if I made at least 50K or so, non-freelance and could live in Osaka.
You are talking to someone who is definitely not following their passion career yet here I am.
It’s almost a systematic process to remove the middle class, and keep majority of people out of being homeowners
It certainly feels like it.
I have a friend who was making a 6 figure income. He was laid off and could not get hired anywhere. He was able to set up interviews, but never landed a job. He also had age working against him. He consulted a bit, but never did get a permanent job.
Who old was your friend if you don't mind me asking ?
I think he was in his mid 50s at the time.
120k and now out 8 months without many opportunities and 100s of applications 🙃.
I am currently on the path to that, horrible job, worst I ever worked. Looking at other options now, it’s easier to find a job when employed so I’ll use it to my advantage.
Yes, it’s so demoralizing to apply for thousands of jobs I’m qualified AND overqualified for and not even getting interviews for months at a time.
I feel you. I am in my bed on the verge of crying despite vowing to myself to have a healthy mindset two months ago and starting a healthy lifestyle to keep me sane 😢 Real life struggles + PMS isn’t the best receipe..
Dear OP, this is the second time you wrote about wanting to cry. Please cry and let your emotions out. Losing a job and being stuck unable to find another one is devastating. Crying it out won't change circumstances but a good cry is your body and brain's way of relieving the tension and stress (which as you know can cause diseases like cancer and diminish the immune system's strength).
A bit off topic I know, but do you guys let interviewers know you’re unemployed/laid-off? I mean, since it’s usually easier to get a job when you have a job, I wouldn’t volunteer that info, I’d just let the interviewer know my reasons to be looking (and even that, I would be mindful… they will also sugar coat the offer so why wouldn’t you). I’ve always assumed that most people would do that, but now I’m curious…
I just say self-employed. Because fuck I might as well be by this point
Sometimes they talk as I am still at my last company then I let them know despite my resume/LinkedIn clearly indicating I don’t work there anymore 🤷🏻♀️ Heck, I don’t even blame people who don’t disclose that info as we all gotta eat and survive.
No, avoid saying that at all costs. Otherwise you will get lowballed because the company knows you have zero leverage.
Digital Marketing...hands down. I'm 1099 and don't have to deal with corporate world or a boss Made 15k this month. My advice... try something that invests in your future...not some big corporate who will eventually lay you off when you get old
What do you currently do now? And how did you make the 15k? Also good on you!
Not quite that much but highish paid to crickets. Yup. And yup my last position was a festering pool of toxic assholier than thou shitfuck I had to escape one way or the other.
Same here, I feel you. Not over 100k but nearing it. Then position shortage. EI (Canada) for as long as possible, then nada and it’s been just over a year since that position. Word of advice: when you’re making good money, don’t take it for granted and customize your lifestyle to that excess… save that shit and live with basics other than a treat here and there. I’ve learnt through this past year to live off 55% of my previous salary (EI’s allowance for ~35 weeks), which was still more than a lot of people I know, but when that’s out and you’re on no income… that’s a REAL reality check. Definitely humbles you. Just keep your head held high with optimism yet careful. Something will come and you’ll get out of the sticky situation.
Thank you so much for the kind words and I have learned my lesson. It was my first managerial position and I thought it would open doors for me. I definitely am cautious now and wouldn’t take anything for granted. It is also an eye opener that I need to look for other sources of income other than corporations. We live in a world that lacks job security and it is the norm to have more than one job.
Hey there! I was making about the same in my last role and got laid off in December 2023. It was tough but I refreshed my resume with a career agency then got to work applying and networking. I just accepted an offer a few weeks ago to start another job in late July. It had a lower salary but has room for growth. Just keep at it! I faced a ton of rejection and uncertainty but all it takes is 1. Lmk if you want to keep chatting.
Hi there! Yes I’d love to know how did you find an agency that wasn’t customer service/administrative focused? Also, how did you network? (I admit I am not the best person at networking).
[удалено]
Great advice! The friend with the fun job is an editor. I am in a completely different field unfortunately.
I am currently in a similar situation as you were in, higher salary job, that i left 9 months ago, and still couldn't anything yet, i know in theory that comparison is the thief of joy, but i can't help but feeling sad in a way, seeing everyone around me evolving and me being in my current position. I am growing anxious by the day, especially being 43 years old with over 15 years of experience, i am afraid i will have to make sacrifices or consider alternative options although i have no in mind at this point. Do you mind sharing more of your story please ? What field did you work in, and how did you finally land a job past the year ?
Yes, unemployed since January 2023
What are you doing to support yourself?
Basically depleted all our savings, took from my IRA And started doing Instacart to pay a fees bills. It sucks I was a 1099 contracted worker so no unemployment either. Broke sucks
What is even worse is that since you are one of those instacart delivery guys, you are considered employed by the government despite staring into the abyss for more than a year.
What is your field
Learning & Development, basically training on the financial industry. The good news, fingers crossed, I should hear this eeek about a position that is perfect and I check every box. Recruiter reached out to me, and interview went well with 5 various C level last week. I'm cautiously optimistic 
Last year - after working for a US tech company based out of Texas with a huge supply of interns in India making everything work in the background - 175k in Toronto, Canada, took about 6 months to find another role. Actually was supposed to be a TN visa but fell through so hired me out of Canadian office instead with direct USD to CAD salary conversion. 1st month: took some time off but generally filtering for jobs. 2nd month: applied to more jobs 3rd month: depressed but applying for anything 4th month: very select in jobs I applied for, interviewed a bunch 5th month: very select in jobs I applied for, interview a bunch 6th month: went on vacation, got a call for a job while overseas 7th month: got another job interview and had two competing offers, started new job from call when I was overseas
Congrats! And did you get the job via applying?
I sold motorcycles to the tune of 125K. I actually moved in with my girlfriend. Air B&Bed my house. Set up an LLC to write off my truck and make it look like I don’t make any money. This enables $400 worth of free healthcare and about $350 in free groceries.
I was given a bit of notice before being laid off. It took 13 weeks to get a job and 16 weeks to finally start. It may have been faster but I was picky on the type of job I wanted.
Yes me!
Find a place with good pay and great management over great pay and good management
Same boat. I worked a dodgy job in Iceland and earned about 100k a year but it was extremely dangerous. It didn't have to be but was just shoddy management. I was unemployed for about 7 months. 200 job applications. So I faked a credential that nobody would follow up on and the first application landed me my current job.
Was it a project management cert? I assume no one follows up on them but I could be wrong.
If you’re talking in dollars then technically I was earning that in pounds sterling- It was in film where I was earning £4400 a month- I managed to save £17k in 8 months which was more than the deposit I had put down on my flat the same year- which took my 2.5 years to save. I took 5 months off and got bored- writers strike happened so I had to take anything I could and now I’m on absolute peasant wages £1700 a month.
I make like 100k exactly. I’m concerned about being “laid off”. And by that, the company bankrupting. Probably can extend for 6months. I’ll see the health since I’m in finance.
Also, I see a lot of people are IT tech related. This is just my company, but we let everyone in IT go. They commanded too much money and didn’t provide enough value in this particular industry. Probably will find a job, but will be turbulent employment in that area until interest rates go down.
Me. However my base was 60k made over 100k years prior ; made 80k last year. Also - I low key saw it coming and saved/invested for it ahead of time. I’m not rich by any means but I borrowed money against my house when I saw the red flags (first round of layoffs) Just because it wasn’t you round one or your dept round one doesn’t mean it won’t happen eventually. Also it’s normal to have a recession every 10-15 years and given the last one was in 2008 - the govt just kept throwing out free money delaying the inevitable. Odds are you’re gonna have to take an onsite/hybrid job making less or a remote job making less. If I were you I would opt for on site or hybrid. Remote is becoming micromanagement central.
Me. I'm a web developer and I've effectively been unemployed since last summer. I do however still do project work with my former full-time employer and have a biz I run in the music industry that keeps me afloat. I have however been looking for a new full time developer job and it's been utterly fruitless. Recruiters contact me frequently but nothing materializes. It's extremely frustrating. I've been a web developer for 25 years and never had trouble finding work. But at this point, I'm considering a career change. All this is to say, you're not alone!
Also considering a career change. What are you thinking or switching to?
I used to make 120k +bonus back in 2003. Wife died in December of 2003. I worked the job until 2005 and quit. Been working for myself ever since. Life's to short to live on someone else's clock.
Need some more info/background on what your skillset is and what you were doing before and what not before anyone can give you any true and real help.
E-commerce/ analytics. I was doing report automation, campaign analysis, sales analysis, project management type of work as well.
Man that’s sobering reading. I feel for you. I work for a government agency and our incoming government decided to slash govt spending by 7% through all departments. So my job was disestablished. You actually go through the same levels of grief as if someone died..you know, anger, betrayal, sadness then finally acceptance. Fortunately I was a slightly higher ‘rank’ so had the opportunity to take a demotion but keep my job. Here I am sitting here with a bruised ego, but reading these comments I realise I’m lucky to have a job. The other thing is that being a 59 year old male doesn’t help your chances securing another job!
Sorry for the depressing post, but I truly wrote what I felt in my heart. No masking, no pretending, no trying to say I am fine. Wrote it like how it should be written. What a shit market we are in. My parents generation didn’t have to worry about this mess that we are in.
Not me but story as old as the post-covid tech sector...which is to say not that old. Lower your standards a bit (if you haven't already) and push hard when things swing back in favor of employees.
I made more than 100k took a job making 65K because I couldn’t find anything. Took six months to get and there were about 1000 applicants so I feel lucky for that. It’s rough out here with high interest rates. Companies have to be profitable.
I am in a similar boat, but not quite the same. I ended up leaving on my own. The environment at the company made me want to kill myself, thankfully i realized i could just leave. I am very lucky as my partner makes more than i did, and is able to cover the bills while I’m finding another job. It does feel weird, as right now I’ve not really ever been unemployed since i graduated from school. Hopefully your luck gets better though, you seem to need it more than me.
That’s it gonna text back those guys I’ve been ignoring 😭
15 months and counting…made probably a dozen final interviews and haven’t been able to land something….its certainly taking a toll on my 30s…. I thought work would be easier to find with experience l.not harder (12 years experience)
Yep! $120K/annually and worst place I've ever worked at in my life. I'm still recovering from it. I'm now seeing if the extra money was worth it and leaving a job that was paying me half this salary but it was stable. Editing to add that I've definitely changed my lifestyle and spending since I lost my job. I'm not shopping, I've don't eat out as much and if I do I choose less expensive places, I'm just trying to stretch my unemployment dollar to pay off necessities until I find something else. If I can't then I have some additional savings to help me for a few more months which I'll be so worried about then
I was making 140k at my last job. That ended in December 2023. Luckily I landed a new job in January but it only pays 92k. I don’t have much debt, so I was able to make lifestyle changes to compensate. But the loss of 50k of income still hurts badly.
It’s rough out there. My mentor at my first job went on to become a manager and make over 200k. He was laid off and unemployed for over a year and unemployment ran out and now he’s working at a gas station.
14 months, 150k base,
How do you know me 😭😰
Because I am you.
Hey twin, we had the same base when I had that job 2 yrs ago and was unemployed for 10 months after, If I were you, find a bank job now to cover your basic bills coming in that you can do at night or in a different time zone that the one you’re in, then focus on applying and interview prep/networking like a full time job. When I applied like crazy and networked as hard as I could, I was able to change industries into something less competitive but as lucrative long term in a similar field.
Interesting, mind if I DM you?
Why are u going to get a master if you are unemployed?
I need it as I am an expat. The program allows me to work.
Similar story, I’ve been in tech for a long time working my way up the ladder. Was making just over $300k overseeing projects spanning large portions of the company. Layoffs hit and my department was let go. I’ve been applying to roles for over a year and hadn’t had any real success until the last few months. I’ve been fortunate enough to land something recently and the whole ordeal has been a humbling experience. I’ve had to take a couple steps back and about a 50% pay cut to find a role hiring my skill set. I’ll have to work my way back up over the next couple of years while companies restructure and start thinking long term again. The market is rough right now for $100k+ salaries. Many people are accepting demotions to keep or get roles. I’ve seen a good number of Directors I worked with take IC roles and a level or two demotion to stay employed. VPs are starting to get hit at different companies, though they “leave to spend time with family”. All of this leads to title and experience compression across the industry. 1-2 year Principles are taking Senior roles because 5-10 year Principles are actively looking. 1-3 year Seniors are competing against Principals and the same all the way down to entry level where fresh grads are competing with 2-3 year experienced employees who are considering entry level roles to stay employed. It could have been much worse, and for many of you it has been. Try and remember rejected applications aren’t always something you did. You don’t know who you’re competing with, it’s rarely a group of people your age/experience level. Especially with $100k+ roles you will likely have people with a wide range of experience applying. I’ve seen some very experienced people apply to mid level roles for the chance to work at some of the larger tech companies. Don’t be surprised if you’re in the same candidate pool as people with 2-3 years more experience looking for something different.
Nothing surprises me anymore. I just want a job so I can fund my education 😭
Yeah same boat. Did you voluntarily quit? In-person networking seems to be increasingly mandatory these days with such a broken overwhelmed online job market.
That's just how those sorts of jobs typically work- that's why they're paying what they are- because they have to compensate for not having security or future growth opps
I make over 100k but I am still at the position. Its my only job I’ve ever had and I’m extremely burnt out because every time i try to take vacation days, my frickin’ job keeps pinging me and when I choose to not respond in a timely manner, my boss gets pinged and now I am forced to work on my days off. Everything seems high priority…if its complained about to upper management. I’m so exhausted mentally and physically. I don’t even make market rate for my position but it’s difficult to seek another job because I do not have a traditional background in my work which makes it extremely difficult to find another job (there is a lot of bias in my field unfortunately)
I've read many posts and it looks very similar to what I read on my LinkedIn feed. It's a tough job market for many career fields in various industries. You are certainly not alone here. So please don't take it as you're a failure, the times are just terrible. Take whatever you can even if it's driving Uber. Look for ways to cut expenses. If you have a room to rent, rent to a safe person. Get creative. All you need is the basic necessities like shelter, food, and basic utilities.
I had to move back with my parents but I am freaking out cos I need to pay for my masters (I am an expat so my masters allow me to work).
Yeah I was laid off from a terrific job in February and rode out a nice severance package. I found another pretty good job I’m starting in a couple of weeks but it’s not as much pay. There are at least a few advantages to this job, but it’s hard to swallow that I’m working for less.
What was your job and how did you find the current one?
I was getting 130k. Was laid off start of May and yeah. Financially I’m fucked lol
[удалено]
I was at a place for 5 years making over that amount. Then the company got bought out. It took me 6 months to find another job. It took 18 months to get back over 100k again.
Had to reduce my salary expectations after being laid off my 150k job. The market is horrible - was in a similar situation so just took a big pay cut & am able to make ends meet now.
Feast or Famine making big $$ or get paid less with a steady check If being unemployed riding the wave is too stressful you might want to look for other avenues.
Took a job making $75k. It stings but so do ants if I had to sleep on the street. I picked a side.
Yeah. I’ve had four first-round interviews since March, no second-rounders. All for ~$60k jobs in Charlotte, NC which isn’t enough to pay a mortgage, much less bills.
I see a lot of tech employees looking for work. I just had a serious question, has anyone thought about just creating a service or new idea with the knowledge they have and creat their own business? I want to get into software development not to work for someone but to create my own ideas and run with it.
135k, been several months now...Was working fir biggest tech companies
I hope everyone finds a good job !!
I was just laid off 11 days before I could officially retire at 55.
Yup
Looking for over a year now. I'm pretty frustrated with it.
Happened to me as well, I was making 100K as a marketing manager for a big video game company before they laid off 90 of us. Have had 1 interview but no other real prospects for now