Laid off as a tech professional? Don’t panic — follow our expert advice to bounce back stronger than ever.
If you’re a technology professional who’s just been laid off, you’re far from alone. Many tech companies have announced large-scale layoffs in recent months, leaving employees and industry observers wondering what went wrong.
The answer? Not much.. It’s not that these companies — like Meta, Google and Amazon — are doing particularly badly. It’s more that they did particularly well during the pandemic, recruiting thousands of people to meet the skyrocketing demand for e-commerce and other online services. As the economy reopened, some of these services were scaled back — along with the teams hired to build and maintain them.
Now for the good news: Tech is still a hot industry, your skills are in demand and many employers will fight tooth and nail to hire you. It’s a good idea to take a break after a layoff to reset, but once you feel ready to take the next steps, here’s how to bounce back.
broadcast your availability
As hard as it may be, letting people know you are looking for work is a critical first step after losing your job. Change your profile on LinkedIn to “Open for Work” and add a headline or post that highlights your availability, experience and relevant skills. Broadcast your status as a job seeker on any social media network where you’re active — you never know where a referral or introduction is going to come from, and people generally want to help. If you’re a developer, update your online portfolio to showcase your best projects, adding links to the code repository or live demo.
keep up to date with industry trends and tech developments
It’s easy to tune out the news for a bit, but staying abreast of the latest trends and developments will help keep you fresh in the job market. For example, you can:
- Follow and engage with technology thought leaders at their favored online haunts, such as Stack Overflow, GitHub, Reddit and Hacker News.
- Attend conferences and events: Check Meetup for tech-focused groups and Eventbrite for panel discussions and socials.
- Subscribe to tech-focused podcasts like the New York Times’ Hard Fork or a more straightforward news show like the TechCrunch Podcast.
add a course or certification
If you find yourself with a bit of slack in your schedule, why not take a course? Even a single, highly respected IT certification could be the difference between a recruiter discarding your resume and taking a closer look. If you’re early in your career, there are entry-level certifications like the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA), which covers specializations ranging from JavaScript and Python to networking and database fundamentals. Or you could consider a pivot to an in-demand specialization like cloud computing and study for a CompTIA Cloud+ certification.
partner with a staffing firm
Joining a staffing firm like Randstad can open the door to opportunities you wouldn’t hear about otherwise. Consider taking a part-time or contract-based role while looking for a more permanent position. Getting your foot in the door somewhere — even if it’s not 100 percent what you’re looking for — is often the easiest way to bounce back.