4 ms·

I think this is a fair question. Let me share: As somebody who's been laid off and fired before, I think the hardest part is not always the money (though it ca

I think this is a fair question. Let me share: As somebody who's been laid off and fired before, I think the hardest part is not always the money (though it can be), but loss of control. People say the same thing about having their house broken into, they don't care about material loss, it's the sense of violation and not being safe in their homes that may persist for years that far outweighs money. So the hard part can be, especially the first time when you don't expect it at all, suddenly having the routine of your daily life ripped away. All the projects, the mentoring, the presentations you were planning, all the coworkers you talked to daily, all gone in a snap. If you're taken by surprise (which can happen a lot actually, since a lot of people in tech are incredibly awful at giving negative feedback directly and clearly) then you may for years get uncomfortable about any Friday meeting on your calendar from a manager. Or you may have trouble making yourself work at all when a pending layoff is announced. But in a way it makes you stronger, more able to separate your identity and self-worth from your work.

ghaff 4y ago
>If you're taken by surprise (which can happen a lot actually, since a lot of people in tech are incredibly awful at giving negative feedback directly and clearly) then you may for years get uncomfortable about any Friday meeting on your calendar from a manager. And, to be honest, some people can be pretty oblivious. I've known people whose work always went through multiple rounds of rework to the point where they were a complete time suck and even had projects just given to someone else to finish. And they were still in complete shock when they were eventually let go. In addition, even in companies that don't routinely lay people off, there can still be organizational changes and sometimes someone can just be left without a metaphorical desk--especially if the company isn't doing a lot of hiring.

ghaff 4y ago

>If you're taken by surprise (which can happen a lot actually, since a lot of people in tech are incredibly awful at giving negative feedback directly and clearly) then you may for years get uncomfortable about any Friday meeting on your calendar from a manager. And, to be honest, some people can be pretty oblivious. I've known people whose work always went through multiple rounds of rework to the point where they were a complete time suck and even had projects just given to someone else to finish. And they were still in complete shock when they were eventually let go. In addition, even in companies that don't routinely lay people off, there can still be organizational changes and sometimes someone can just be left without a metaphorical desk--especially if the company isn't doing a lot of hiring.