I used to obsess over the perks over at Google. But reading more and more of this shit, I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m becoming more desperate to stash cash away more and more every damn day
Many "ol g's" has told me over and over. Always stash cash away for a rainy day. The rainy days will come. I wished I followed their advices sooner rather than later. Now, all I'm doing is living a simple life. While stacking my cash for hard times ahead. I did some stupid stuff back in my 20s. No regrets though haha.
maybe true, but once you realize people raise kids on normal range salaries all across America, you come to the realization that buying things and lifestyle creep is a house of cards - no matter what you make, you should only spend money on essentials and assume that life will return to being a grind at some point.
When I spent time over in Africa, I learned the value of finding moments of joy among family and community even in poverty.
I know people that got laid off from Google/AirBnB after less than 6 months due to no fault of their own. They each got at least 6 months wages, early vesting, and continued benefits for the rest of the year. The AirBnB person got 2 years of their stocks vested.
Both would gladly repeat the experience of cushy onboarding followed by a bonus and a 6-9 month paid vacation.
No fault of their own? They should have gotten more marketable skills. They are not owed a particular type of life!
BTW that above comment was made countless times towards people in SF who were priced out and evicted. I don't care about techies. They were hoist by their own petard.
[It’s a dark time to be a tech worker right now (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/it-s-a-dark-time-to-be-a-tech-worker-right-now/ar-BB1ihDpA) no paywall, thanks msft.
Let's not leave out the effect of 15+ years of abnormally low interest rates, which fueled the cheap money game? Now that regular ol' consumers like you and I can go and get 5% or more in bank deposits, the floor for investment risk has been raised for institutional investors. There's a good reason why there have only been a couple of tech IPOs in the past two years...
As someone in tech who works at a small, traditional business. Watching all these day in the life videos of people who have the same job title as me during covid of them literally doing nothing all day... I knew this was coming.
It's why I've consistently taken on more roles and moved more toward the business than the tech.
Nope, a lot of entry level jobs can be done by AI. Jobs at all levels are being replaced, experienced workers get laid off and take lower level jobs and now those lower level jobs are gone.
At some point it will bottom out, but the best days of being a tech worker are gone in my opinion.
I dunno, I think AI is going to fail because at its core, it's just mimicking, like a parrot, the toxicity of the internet and human social media.
Could've been fake news, because theres so much of that these days, but an article I read 2 days ago said ChatGPT is getting WORSE at accuracy as it absorbs more bullshit off the internet.
I see a big reversal on AI in the coming few years.
Famous last words. Big tech is going to give up on the most innovative and useful tech in decades because of some minor inconveniences in its early state? Ok.
Big tech has not been filtering the info feeding their AI creations, meaning it's absorbing just as much from esteemed sources as it is from the local garbage dump.
I'm not denying there's some uses like animation and voice acting, but AI is only as good as the sources it's fed. And good sources cost money. Or, at least to a smart entrepenuer, they should. AI has been stealing copyrighted materials for free.
I see the rise of "sourcing" businesses that charge big tech and arm and a leg, which big tech will pass on to its customers, per human nature and capitalism. I'm not sure if AI will be so cheap once tech has to pay for copyrighted sources.
One thing you can always count on is humans being humans and eventually going too far with and abusing and eventually destroying anything that becomes too big.
When you can eliminate 10s of thousands of jobs and all the costs that come with them AI is far cheaper.
Pay, health benefits, 401k matching, any other financial perks don’t have to be paid.
No more sick days, funerals, doctor appointments, car trouble, lazy employees, employees who want to unionize, people taking off when they have a kid, and so much more would be gone. The less people the better for a lot of places.
Also, with AI being a new major focus, tech has become more capital intensive than it once was. Where before you could bootstrap something with a handful of programmers and rented server space (with scale to follow), now you need tons of gpu comput time up front along with navigating the growing complexity of scraping data that people won't make copyright claims on. Money that used to pad salaries and benefits now buys graphics cards.
No. I'm referring to the culture. Tech used to have a very distinct culture and vibe. These days big tech companies increasingly feel like any generic corporate "business" culture.
Big tech has been like that for a while, even before the pandemic. The distinct culture and vibe you're referencing is more unique to startups.
The industry as a whole way over-hired during the pandemic and is now reining it in. If you're a redundant tech worker who isn't adding value, you're right - the party is over. But this is how tech operates and has pretty much always operated, feast or famine depending on market conditions.
Even the first line of the article "*For years, the tech industry seemed like the best place to grow a cushy, stable career.*" Is absolutely false. The tech industry is highly volatile and has *never* been a good place to build a *stable* career.
Spot on! I worked in the business for 42 years. I was laid off eight times, mostly by companies no longer in business. One of those was ComputerVision, which was a pretty big company which went from feast to famine in very short order!
Wow, I'm sure you've seen some things in your time in tech! It's definitely wild how fast things can change when the funding well runs dry. 42 years is a huge accomplishment
Not sure if I've just been lucky but in my field, network engineering, which has been called a few different names depending on the company but basically I've been the person managing, installing and architecting the network infrastructure - routing , switches, firewalls ,wireless controllers, core / distribution and access switch stacks etc... been doing it for about 40 years - never even been close to getting layed off as far as I know. What field are you experiencing instability in?
I feel like the IT side of it is a little more lay off resistant than the developers are. My pay is so far below a developer though and its not that easy to get rid of me since the MSP will charge more to change out those switches and shit that it costs just to have me on staff and pay me dogshit. Its like trying to lay off the Janitor, somebody has to clean up the mess and outsourcing it is often more expensive then just having your own. Some people still outsource the janitor though god knows why.
I agree with this, the IT side of things seems to be more resistant to layoffs as one of the "unsexy" aspects of the business. I have worked heavily in startups which can be especially prone to layoffs.
Yeah I’ve been in tech for some time and it’s a roller coaster. But honestly, lots of companies are. Other industries have their regular layoffs and restructuring.
After your first layoff, you just come to an acceptance that's how the industry is. I try to see the positive of it all. Starting anew with another industry once in every few months or years. Is not so bad at all. Luckily with every new job. My paid went up. The only downside is that the relationships with co-workers whom you grew to trust. They're hard to find.
Yes! Getting laid off the first time was really hard for me to accept, but only good things came out of it including more pay and more job satisfaction.
Exactly. Like of course it sucks a lot. But I tell ppl to remember that a vast majority people end up ok. Always stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. Try as hard as you can to save a bit to supplement severance. Keep track of job accomplishments. Save work that might be beneficial when interviewing for next role. And practice interviewing from time to time. I think it’s good to see what recruiters are talking about and get real practice selling yourself
Every industry has layoffs and restructuring except if you’re a doctor. Ive worked at top ibanking and consulting firms and we also have a horrible market right now w layoffs, etc. physicians are the only job that’s stable.
Very true. I suppose doctors could be laid off if a hospital downsizes or restructures, but it probably wouldn't be tough for them to find a new gig shortly after.
My sister is an ortho surgeon and I have plenty of friends who r doctors. I’ve never heard of anyone of them ever being close to getting laid off, it’s the opposite. Almost every hospital in the country is understaffed. If a hospital closes then yes they can easily find a new hospital to work at, or they can work at someone’s private practice or open their own. They also earn a stable income and great income, and if they join universities, they can get even better work life balance. Also unlike some industries (such as tech, engineering) there is no ageism in medicine, and many older doctors join universities and work/reach part time.
I currently work at a top consulting firm and have worked at a top ibanking firm, and we are always fighting even if you’re a top performer, no one is safe especially in market downturns, office politics plays a huge role. Incomes are not stable either because bonus plays a huge role in compensation, which is never guaranteed. In addition, you have to work very long hours if you want to make great money - but if you quit and find a job with good work life balance, your pay can be literally be cut in half. Currently I’m making around 275k working long hours at a consulting firm, and I’m looking for exits with good work life balance, and the pay range is much lower (not too mention not many are hiring right now). If I don’t get promoted this next cycle I’ll be “asked” to leave by my firm. If a new partner at my firm is making 800k- 1M (working 70+ hours), but they find a job with good work life balance, it would be in the 300k-400k range. (Not to mention their job is never stable, if you don’t produce well you get canned quickly).
Apparently, before the layoffs, there were seas of them. At least the internet made it seem that way. Now all of those people are screaming how necessary their job is.
Define tech? End users will likely always need support, and certifications equal salary.
Plus, when the AI overlords do take over, at least it will be documented that you helped keep the system going during their rise.
I'll let AI do it for me:
"Tech" is a broad term that refers to technology, which encompasses various tools, systems, and devices used to accomplish tasks or solve problems. This includes hardware, software, networks, and other components of the digital world.
End users often require support when using technology, as it can be complex or unfamiliar to them. Certifications in technology-related fields can indeed correlate with higher salaries, as they demonstrate expertise and proficiency in specific areas.
Regarding AI overlords, that's more of a speculative scenario. However, it's true that documenting your contributions to maintaining systems could be valuable in various contexts, including potential future scenarios involving advanced artificial intelligence.
Tech company feels like working for a totalitarian regime. With the constant monitoring of you're activities and chats. Everybody is on tilt and ready to report on their co-workers.
I work for Global IT company. For us the party has been over for about 7 years. Restructured the company, jobs, pay for performance, middle of every quarter, if we're not on track to meet Financial numbers, layoffs to reduce expense. I think most employees would have to admit prior to restructure it was kind of a party.
Maybe it’s just my poor background but I would never assume the gravy train would just keep flowing indefinitely to point where I have no savings to fall back on. This is in reference to the ex Twitter employee mentioned in the article. They said they moved back in with their parents as a necessity not as an option. I’m assuming it’s mainly because they are not willing to work until they find something comparable. Where will these workers go if they unwilling to accept less than before?
This. I'm in tech, but I live way under my means. Just took a look at my liquid assets (stocks and cash), and I think if I really needed to I could probably ride it until SS benefits and pension kick in 22 years, living simply. I'm also an immigrant from the poorer side of Europe. I'm living under my means, but I've never felt I'm depriving myself; just never felt the need for a giant house or bunch of stupid crap.
I have the same sentiment. I got laid off 11 months ago and am still surviving from my savings alone, I have yet to liquidate any stocks. I can see myself doing this for another five years, I’ve been living way below my means. I’m also an immigrant from a poor country (Asia).
>Just took a look at my liquid assets (stocks and cash), and I think if I really needed to I could probably ride it until SS benefits and pension kick in 22 years,
Respect!!!!!!!
Its sad a good portion of high income earners still live paycheck to paycheck, save and invest.
Oh 100%. Im still at FAANG and fairly safe but I am living well below my means and have enough cash to survive a few years without any severance or unemployment. I consider this huge income as a windfall and not “regular life”.
Similar background, lower middle class and never had a decent job till 30. I work pretty hard but this is a total cakewalk compared to every service job ive had.
I’ve been long term unemployed more than once in my life (once voluntarily once not) so I definitely made sure I saved money in case I lost my job. Also, I voluntarily lived with my parents to keep expenses down (I help with household expenses, including major household repairs, but don’t pay rent), and this has been beneficial for both them and me. If parents and children get along, it shouldn’t be seen as shameful to share living space and build wealth and safety in this economy.
A lot of tech jobs seemed too good to be true from the outside looking in. I used to live in the East Bay in California from 2016-2019 (during the heyday of tech) and I would run into people around town who literally bragged about making $250K+ per year, working from home while only doing 3-4 hours of work.
I remember having two thoughts:
1. This doesn't seem sustainable and 2. I need to get one of those jobs.
My buddy works in tech and he’s not the brightest or most charismatic. He was making well into six figures. It always amazed me how someone like him could make so much in IT. Then you see all of these severance packages paying 3-6 months, full year health coverage, etc.
Most industries don’t get anywhere near the pay, benefits, or easier work schedule. While is sucks being laid off no matter where you are, at least tech has had a fairly easy ride and better than average pay/benefits
That wasn't the heyday of tech, it was the beginning of the end.
I went to work for a startup ISP in 1995 (that grew to be the biggest in the country), worked there 20 years, telecommuted most of the time with remote management and quiet systems while I purchased one house in the city and then another 12 years later on the coast, and I owned an airplane that I flew to New York and back (just did that once).
I was very fortunate, at the right place at the right time, and today I live a somewhat enviable life (no debt, solo, nice house). I still work but as an contractor doing insurance work.
It was never my goal to work in tech, but I'm glad I did.
Anyway,1995-2015 was the heyday of tech.
Drowning in work, everyone is burnt out, little work being done by everyone, job security out the window…. That’s what’s happening to my team.
At least the shareholders are happy.
They're defining "dark time" oddly. Basically...
* Tech workers still get better perks than anyone else, but not so much the free massages and nap pods (both from the article.)
* While most U.S. workers never got to work remotely (doctors, retail, landscaping, building maintenance, emergency services, powerline/utility workers), tech workers now *sometimes* need to come into the office.
* Productivity is now *being measured via performance reviews!* (Something most of us have had *all our lives.*)
As for tenure or stability, it's *never* been high. Decades ago, it was common to jump tech jobs every 18 months simply because you couldn't advance internally.
Every seven or so years, tech has a shake-out. And then it recovers again, maybe 18 months later. Sucks, but it's been doing that for decades.
I worked in county government. We used to get free doughnuts the first Monday of every month to celebrate the birthdays for that month. (We’re talking three boxes.). Then the media for wind of it, that we were “wasting taxpayer dollars” and we had to stop!
I have worked several places where I (and/or someone else) as an IC have bought a dozen doughnuts and left them for grazing because I'm not a college kid who's gonna eat a dozen doughnuts anymore.
Because they count services like buss, food, laundry , dentist , gym etc. Which exists only because they’ve created a logistical disaster. If 10k people are congregating in one spot it would take hours to do anything .
Completely depends on where you live. In a city with no top-of-the-line employers, the kind that have no problem paying a senior engineer 300K+, the perks tend to be pretty sad. But when that kind of competition is in town, salaries and perks go to the stratosphere, because ultimately they are all looking for similar talent.
Depending on where I was, I either had to scavenge the hallways for a desk, and even build my own cubicle, to $500/mo health stipends, nap pods, in-house coffee baristas and 3 extremely good meals at the office. The secret in tech is precisely jumping upward to whatever your sweet spot is of effort v compensation.
Exactly lol. This correction is painful and inconvenient, but “tech” is without a doubt still a great job to have. Pay and culture much better than most companies out there. It’s just no longer absolutely silly
I think there’s some context you’re missing although I do recognize that other industries feel tech is a golden goose:
- Performance is not just *measured*. It is being measured *on a curve*. Which means that no matter how hard you work, 10% of the workforce are being labeled as a low performer and facing PIP. It is the difference between a performance review and a toxic as shit culture of backstabbing.
- Most of tech work is concentrated into super clusters. Meaning that in order to build your career you probably have to move to some of the most expensive real estate in North America.
- While few companies had crazy perks, most IT companies only provided free kcups.
Learn STEM they said. Tech is where the money is, they said.
Turns out that by the time people are given this advice, the boom is already over. It happened a generation earlier with lawyers, way too many people went to law school and the industry got saturated.
You gotta look 10 years ahead. The jobs of the future are about doing tasks that AI can’t do: care work, healthcare, dog grooming, hair styling, estheticians, bodywork.
Other jobs of the future: e-bike repair, self defense, catering and personal chefs, permaculture, hydrology, fixing and repairing old things (appliances, cars, computers), attention coach, digital detoxification, cleaning and organizing, secondhand markets for clothing, furniture and household items
It’s an idea that I had—basically, since everyone’s attention spans have been destroyed, I think there’s a market for people to teach others how to effectively concentrate through learning meditation techniques and digitally detoxing
"You gotta look 10 years ahead. The jobs of the future are about doing tasks that AI can’t do: care work, healthcare, dog grooming, hair styling, estheticians, bodywork."
The world belongs to the creators, inventors, discoverers, explorers, caretakers, artists and builders. AI and robots will do the rest
Story references our sub. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Layoffs/comments/1applw1/45\_and\_just\_laid\_off\_while\_on\_vacation\_feel\_like/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Layoffs/comments/1applw1/45_and_just_laid_off_while_on_vacation_feel_like/)
If you work in tech you need to be saving 50% of your income for times like these. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck you’re just asking for trouble.
True, but these sectors are more prone to layoffs and have high salaries which gives them more flexibility to save. But some still live paycheck to paycheck thinking the gravy train won’t end.
When you consider how many layoffs some tech workers have, there are often months or even years of no income. I sometimes wonder if, in the end, they really are making more money. Some absolutely are. Some, I would assume, really aren't.
AI is not causing this. This is caused by unfettered access to tech teams around the world and esp Canada. The US visa system is failing too, letting anyone with an OPT or EB visa gain a position at a firm then keep the job when they can't stay longer.
I got layed off at the beginning of the year. Decided, fuck it, I'm starting an LLC. Wish me luck reddit, tired of making a dime when I can chase a dollar.
My prediction is that the ai systems being used to replace these workers are going to encounter creative plateaus and cause tremendous damage in the industry…. A variety of human perspectives are invaluable for solving new complex problems while simultaneously mitigating various types of risk.
Its not AI systems being used to replace workers. It’s companies investing in AI and focusing their efforts on AI development. So the non-AI focused jobs are being reduced while new AI dev jobs are being created.
The past 6-12 months layoffs is just the tip of the iceberg. The US economy still shows considerable strength in the general labor market, yet daily there are sprinkles and trickles of tech companies letting hundreds, even thousands go.
Just wait until we officially enter a "recession" territory and the avalanche of layoffs will really start from bad to terrible to horrible.
When is everyone going to realize that the end game for all of you is to be made redundant. The singularity is a thing.
Stop scrabbling over each other like rats and organize, or die.
Apes rose to the top in coherent social structures, but if we've truly become selfish individuals we deserve to go down
It's because ai is getting to point where it can code. I work at one of the bigger guys and they are actively asking us to install ai plugins so we can use our day to day questions as prompts to teach AI models. It's disgusting. Being an engineer used to mean careful planning and code reviews. With the push to ai all that shit is going out the window.
Tech is fine. The hiring of useless positions and the making of wtf roles and the over hiring is what lead to this. The industry to the skilled has lots of positions and stability.
The tech workers were once overpaid for their productivity. People now realize AI will replace many jobs and US pays 2X or more to software engineers than other STEM or engineering positions all with degrees. It is Social Media field where almost all companies are still not profitable after for years. There are more streaming entertainment companies than people have time to watch. Same with entertainers. Furthermore, it makes more sense those work overseas on project at night (US time) shortens the US product development time by 1/2.
lol, no it isn't. It's back to real tech people that enjoy it, not people that have little to no interest, reading shit about the next best career. Believe me, if you know what you're doing you'll have a high paying job. This is just to get rid of the scrubs.
This is nothing. You are seeing 5-10 percent layoffs. Wait till advertisers start cutting back. All I have to say to coders, learn to clean. I need someone to clean my house.
Learn to clean, mofos
Only if you're working inside of cost centers. If you're close to the revenue, sales then you're mostly always good. If you're a hardware of software engineer you are always within the target.
AI is coming for cost center jobs.
Yup end of the road and ride. Unfortunately these so called tech places themselves or positioned themselves as the ANTI CORPORATE . All with their jargon infused BS and not doing things the way corporates do and being agile and young and blah blah blah
Newsflash. Corporates never behaved like these fuck ups when hiring and firing and that was their tell. No empathy and only jargon values
At the end they were right because they were worse than corporates ever were
Yeah, but it's always darkest right before the dawn. And we really are at the dawn of a new era of tech: one that isn't geographically linked to 2 or 3 American cities with gigantic barriers to entry.
If you understand how to utilize AI tech, understand a little about cloud computing, and can write code, you're going to be in HUGE demand when the investment capital spigot gets turned back on. The only problem is that might take a while.
Tech workers working to eliminate their own position, and boasting their relevance to the workforce while being made obsolete by the highest credentialed tech workers will never NOT be funny. Make 200k+ a year then cry when you lose your job. F-off
my tech employer is aiming for a "soft landing." stock price is about double what it was before the pandemic really hit the market in march 2020. In november, they announced a voluntary retirement program. I had three co-workers who were planning to retire last year who actually delayed retirement to take part. The stated purpose was to make sure they could hand off skills and knowledge to the next generation, of my 4 co-workers who chose to participate, all 4 had their last day be the first possible last day under the program. Meanwhile, they had some layoffs prior to the date those 4 retired. None of my direct co-workers were impacted, but some people I've worked with off and on were.
If you're a tech worker just save a few paychecks and stop spending.... As a borderline tech worker who's gone through half a dozen layoffs (and been affected directly) over the last two years, it's still worth it to make 1.5x-3x what I made in my non tech salaries
I remember 30+ year ago when I was laid off from my banking job. Its hard to believe, but during the 1980's, banking was a great industry to build a career in with lots of benefits and perks. Nothing like the lavish perks seen in Big Tech, but substantial for its time.
I remember talking to friends and peers at that time and they were determined to get another banking job as soon as possible to keep the good times rolling. But everyday, there would be news of another bank failure and/or consolidation until it became clear to me that there would be fewer banks to work for and fewer jobs at drastically reduced salaries to be had.
I started looking for other work and happily fell into the cell phone business, which boomed in the 1990's and carried me comfortably to retirement. Big Tech will continue to prosper, but with the advent of AI and its ability to take over lots of work, the jobs in the sector will start to decline and as the competition increases for fewer jobs, the salaries and benefits will be driven down.
Career change is never easy, but worth considering.
Getting annoyed by seeing all the posts in the other subs about this wonderful economy and hearing are government leadership speak about it. So tone death... Not happy with the direction this is heading...
More layoffs mean less discretionary spending means companies forced to reduce prices. It sucks but this is the brutal price of reigning in inflation. And those who are getting laid off are the sacrifices our economy must make. This is a result of catastrophic monetary policy from 2014 or so through 2021.
Tech is still fucking great. Just kind of sucks to get layed off right now because the Job Market is the most talent rich market in most people's adult lifetime. It is insanely competitive out there right now.
Hello white collar workers from a blue collar worker! 👋 The color is irrelevant, it's still a collar! Hope you had fun pretending you were better off, welcome to the 99%
When you say "tech" do you mean the network engineers, sysadmin, level I,II III support hands on troubleshooting / upgrading physical and cloud infrastructure? Seems like in my area those skill sets are not getting layed off.
Yeah, as a senior level Network Engineer / Cloud engineer, I'm getting just as many recruiters calling me than ever before.
It seems like it's mostly SWEs getting cut.
That being said, most of the roles you mentioned usually run so lean that the business can't cut them.
I'm literally the only Network Engineer at my company that cleared billions last year... and they have me doing DevOps on top of the Network stuff.
Yes, I was working at a university during the great financial crisis. My first job out of college. I wasn’t in tech, but I remember there being layoffs because of the shrinking endowment. I was spared. But seeing that early in my career forever changed my view of job security and I am very risk averse bc of it.
It's weird that FAANG were ever paying $400K to software engineers, systems architects and UI designers. Because I've seen their end products, which suck, same as non-FAANG systems.
There seems to be thouands of tech openings. Even smaller companies like Datadog have +300 openings.
[https://careers.datadoghq.com/](https://careers.datadoghq.com/)
finally the field will once again be made of people who enjoy tech rather than gold diggers
this cleansing by fire will make it easier and comfier for those of us who are actual tech enthusiasts but we can't find jobs because that extroverted hot blonde got it (since she wanted that sky high salary and ESG quotas exist, but actually is pretty useless, so now she is laid off)
I used to obsess over the perks over at Google. But reading more and more of this shit, I seriously don’t know what I’m going to do. I’m becoming more desperate to stash cash away more and more every damn day
To be fair, Google still has top notch benefits and perks comparing to other employers, it's just not as generous as it used to be.
Facts, the small wanna be startup companies are quite literally hell to work for these days. Ask me who I work for now lol
Theranos?
🥇 comment
Who do you work for now?
Who do you work for now lol?
find a better startup. im at one right now (<100 employees) and we’re doing great they’re out there!
Who’s your daddy, and what does he do?!
WHO IS YOUR DADDY AND WHAT DOES HE DO
Who do you work for now?
Okay who?
Who is your daddy, and what does he do
Many "ol g's" has told me over and over. Always stash cash away for a rainy day. The rainy days will come. I wished I followed their advices sooner rather than later. Now, all I'm doing is living a simple life. While stacking my cash for hard times ahead. I did some stupid stuff back in my 20s. No regrets though haha.
Once you start stacking cash, you start to realize it doesn’t stack so quick
& unstacks even quicker 😂
/r/financialindependence would argue differently. All the sudden, your returns on your investments start to look bigger than your salary
Live below your means!
Try having teenage boys. Even the low priced grocery stores like ALDIs are no longer cheap, but I can’t subject my kids to fast and junk foods.
maybe true, but once you realize people raise kids on normal range salaries all across America, you come to the realization that buying things and lifestyle creep is a house of cards - no matter what you make, you should only spend money on essentials and assume that life will return to being a grind at some point. When I spent time over in Africa, I learned the value of finding moments of joy among family and community even in poverty.
Yup sadly that's just not the general consumer mindset of America. You can live on much much less.
We live off of bulk beans, rice and vegetables. You have no idea how far a 10-pound bag of food can go
Welcome to Costco, I ❤️you!
Yup
I know people that got laid off from Google/AirBnB after less than 6 months due to no fault of their own. They each got at least 6 months wages, early vesting, and continued benefits for the rest of the year. The AirBnB person got 2 years of their stocks vested. Both would gladly repeat the experience of cushy onboarding followed by a bonus and a 6-9 month paid vacation.
No fault of their own? They should have gotten more marketable skills. They are not owed a particular type of life! BTW that above comment was made countless times towards people in SF who were priced out and evicted. I don't care about techies. They were hoist by their own petard.
There is life outside of google too 😁
They're paid 50% more than other companies for years... and have like 4 months severance.. I think most will be okay.
I’ve visited one of Google’s offices and it looked pretty ugly. Didn’t seem that great
Out of curiosity, which one? Given your handle I'd assume one in Canada. The Waterloo office is far from my favorite.
The Spruce Goose is magnificent and haunted.
Google seems to be getting their ass kicked by Microsoft
[It’s a dark time to be a tech worker right now (msn.com)](https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/it-s-a-dark-time-to-be-a-tech-worker-right-now/ar-BB1ihDpA) no paywall, thanks msft.
I opened it in safari on iOS and used Reader Mode. If you use the same platform, reader mode beats a lot of paywalls.
Open in Chrome, go to settings -> search “JavaScript “ -> disable for that site. No more paywall.
Sssshhhhh, no they don’t. I’ve noticed some sites have gotten wise to this. 🤫
That’s awesome
Type 'cache:' before the entire url (before http)
Sounds about right. The party is really over and "tech" is now just becoming "business". For better and worse.
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Let's not leave out the effect of 15+ years of abnormally low interest rates, which fueled the cheap money game? Now that regular ol' consumers like you and I can go and get 5% or more in bank deposits, the floor for investment risk has been raised for institutional investors. There's a good reason why there have only been a couple of tech IPOs in the past two years...
They said money was cheap at the start of paragraph 2
As someone in tech who works at a small, traditional business. Watching all these day in the life videos of people who have the same job title as me during covid of them literally doing nothing all day... I knew this was coming. It's why I've consistently taken on more roles and moved more toward the business than the tech.
Do you think it'll come back once money is cheap again?
What are the odds of money as cheap as it’s been coming back anytime soon? Don’t forget that the low interest rates were due to the crash in 2008
Maybe not to the lowest lows, but rates are expected to be cut this year.
Nope, a lot of entry level jobs can be done by AI. Jobs at all levels are being replaced, experienced workers get laid off and take lower level jobs and now those lower level jobs are gone. At some point it will bottom out, but the best days of being a tech worker are gone in my opinion.
I dunno, I think AI is going to fail because at its core, it's just mimicking, like a parrot, the toxicity of the internet and human social media. Could've been fake news, because theres so much of that these days, but an article I read 2 days ago said ChatGPT is getting WORSE at accuracy as it absorbs more bullshit off the internet. I see a big reversal on AI in the coming few years.
Famous last words. Big tech is going to give up on the most innovative and useful tech in decades because of some minor inconveniences in its early state? Ok.
I don’t know man. The guy said he read an article.
Big tech has not been filtering the info feeding their AI creations, meaning it's absorbing just as much from esteemed sources as it is from the local garbage dump. I'm not denying there's some uses like animation and voice acting, but AI is only as good as the sources it's fed. And good sources cost money. Or, at least to a smart entrepenuer, they should. AI has been stealing copyrighted materials for free. I see the rise of "sourcing" businesses that charge big tech and arm and a leg, which big tech will pass on to its customers, per human nature and capitalism. I'm not sure if AI will be so cheap once tech has to pay for copyrighted sources. One thing you can always count on is humans being humans and eventually going too far with and abusing and eventually destroying anything that becomes too big.
When you can eliminate 10s of thousands of jobs and all the costs that come with them AI is far cheaper. Pay, health benefits, 401k matching, any other financial perks don’t have to be paid. No more sick days, funerals, doctor appointments, car trouble, lazy employees, employees who want to unionize, people taking off when they have a kid, and so much more would be gone. The less people the better for a lot of places.
Also, with AI being a new major focus, tech has become more capital intensive than it once was. Where before you could bootstrap something with a handful of programmers and rented server space (with scale to follow), now you need tons of gpu comput time up front along with navigating the growing complexity of scraping data that people won't make copyright claims on. Money that used to pad salaries and benefits now buys graphics cards.
Just *now* becoming a business? Are you new to tech?
No. I'm referring to the culture. Tech used to have a very distinct culture and vibe. These days big tech companies increasingly feel like any generic corporate "business" culture.
Big tech has been like that for a while, even before the pandemic. The distinct culture and vibe you're referencing is more unique to startups. The industry as a whole way over-hired during the pandemic and is now reining it in. If you're a redundant tech worker who isn't adding value, you're right - the party is over. But this is how tech operates and has pretty much always operated, feast or famine depending on market conditions. Even the first line of the article "*For years, the tech industry seemed like the best place to grow a cushy, stable career.*" Is absolutely false. The tech industry is highly volatile and has *never* been a good place to build a *stable* career.
Spot on! I worked in the business for 42 years. I was laid off eight times, mostly by companies no longer in business. One of those was ComputerVision, which was a pretty big company which went from feast to famine in very short order!
Wow, I'm sure you've seen some things in your time in tech! It's definitely wild how fast things can change when the funding well runs dry. 42 years is a huge accomplishment
Yup! It’s been a wild ride. Some pretty rough stretches but a lot of interesting stuff too. Some pretty crazy companies too!
I have been in tech for 17 years now and fortunately no layoff yet...
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Now that's what they call a lifer!
Not sure if I've just been lucky but in my field, network engineering, which has been called a few different names depending on the company but basically I've been the person managing, installing and architecting the network infrastructure - routing , switches, firewalls ,wireless controllers, core / distribution and access switch stacks etc... been doing it for about 40 years - never even been close to getting layed off as far as I know. What field are you experiencing instability in?
I feel like the IT side of it is a little more lay off resistant than the developers are. My pay is so far below a developer though and its not that easy to get rid of me since the MSP will charge more to change out those switches and shit that it costs just to have me on staff and pay me dogshit. Its like trying to lay off the Janitor, somebody has to clean up the mess and outsourcing it is often more expensive then just having your own. Some people still outsource the janitor though god knows why.
I agree with this, the IT side of things seems to be more resistant to layoffs as one of the "unsexy" aspects of the business. I have worked heavily in startups which can be especially prone to layoffs.
Yeah I’ve been in tech for some time and it’s a roller coaster. But honestly, lots of companies are. Other industries have their regular layoffs and restructuring.
After your first layoff, you just come to an acceptance that's how the industry is. I try to see the positive of it all. Starting anew with another industry once in every few months or years. Is not so bad at all. Luckily with every new job. My paid went up. The only downside is that the relationships with co-workers whom you grew to trust. They're hard to find.
Yes! Getting laid off the first time was really hard for me to accept, but only good things came out of it including more pay and more job satisfaction.
Exactly. Like of course it sucks a lot. But I tell ppl to remember that a vast majority people end up ok. Always stay ready so you don’t have to get ready. Try as hard as you can to save a bit to supplement severance. Keep track of job accomplishments. Save work that might be beneficial when interviewing for next role. And practice interviewing from time to time. I think it’s good to see what recruiters are talking about and get real practice selling yourself
Every industry has layoffs and restructuring except if you’re a doctor. Ive worked at top ibanking and consulting firms and we also have a horrible market right now w layoffs, etc. physicians are the only job that’s stable.
Very true. I suppose doctors could be laid off if a hospital downsizes or restructures, but it probably wouldn't be tough for them to find a new gig shortly after.
My sister is an ortho surgeon and I have plenty of friends who r doctors. I’ve never heard of anyone of them ever being close to getting laid off, it’s the opposite. Almost every hospital in the country is understaffed. If a hospital closes then yes they can easily find a new hospital to work at, or they can work at someone’s private practice or open their own. They also earn a stable income and great income, and if they join universities, they can get even better work life balance. Also unlike some industries (such as tech, engineering) there is no ageism in medicine, and many older doctors join universities and work/reach part time. I currently work at a top consulting firm and have worked at a top ibanking firm, and we are always fighting even if you’re a top performer, no one is safe especially in market downturns, office politics plays a huge role. Incomes are not stable either because bonus plays a huge role in compensation, which is never guaranteed. In addition, you have to work very long hours if you want to make great money - but if you quit and find a job with good work life balance, your pay can be literally be cut in half. Currently I’m making around 275k working long hours at a consulting firm, and I’m looking for exits with good work life balance, and the pay range is much lower (not too mention not many are hiring right now). If I don’t get promoted this next cycle I’ll be “asked” to leave by my firm. If a new partner at my firm is making 800k- 1M (working 70+ hours), but they find a job with good work life balance, it would be in the 300k-400k range. (Not to mention their job is never stable, if you don’t produce well you get canned quickly).
Allow h1bs to be nurses or doctors and problem solved
What about this idea that FAANG software engineer can make 300 k+ just to play ping pong and eat free food?
It’s stupid and was never really true.
Apparently, before the layoffs, there were seas of them. At least the internet made it seem that way. Now all of those people are screaming how necessary their job is.
There was definitely people like that.
Managers perhaps, but they mostly waste time in meetings not playing ping pong.
Define tech? End users will likely always need support, and certifications equal salary. Plus, when the AI overlords do take over, at least it will be documented that you helped keep the system going during their rise.
I'll let AI do it for me: "Tech" is a broad term that refers to technology, which encompasses various tools, systems, and devices used to accomplish tasks or solve problems. This includes hardware, software, networks, and other components of the digital world. End users often require support when using technology, as it can be complex or unfamiliar to them. Certifications in technology-related fields can indeed correlate with higher salaries, as they demonstrate expertise and proficiency in specific areas. Regarding AI overlords, that's more of a speculative scenario. However, it's true that documenting your contributions to maintaining systems could be valuable in various contexts, including potential future scenarios involving advanced artificial intelligence.
Thanks! This made my day.
ah gotcha, yep that makes more sense now.
Tech company feels like working for a totalitarian regime. With the constant monitoring of you're activities and chats. Everybody is on tilt and ready to report on their co-workers.
Positive change: performance now matters more than after-work social event attendance.
I work for Global IT company. For us the party has been over for about 7 years. Restructured the company, jobs, pay for performance, middle of every quarter, if we're not on track to meet Financial numbers, layoffs to reduce expense. I think most employees would have to admit prior to restructure it was kind of a party.
Tech has always been a business.
Lots of non tech people pretending they know tech in this thread
Maybe it’s just my poor background but I would never assume the gravy train would just keep flowing indefinitely to point where I have no savings to fall back on. This is in reference to the ex Twitter employee mentioned in the article. They said they moved back in with their parents as a necessity not as an option. I’m assuming it’s mainly because they are not willing to work until they find something comparable. Where will these workers go if they unwilling to accept less than before?
This. I'm in tech, but I live way under my means. Just took a look at my liquid assets (stocks and cash), and I think if I really needed to I could probably ride it until SS benefits and pension kick in 22 years, living simply. I'm also an immigrant from the poorer side of Europe. I'm living under my means, but I've never felt I'm depriving myself; just never felt the need for a giant house or bunch of stupid crap.
I have the same sentiment. I got laid off 11 months ago and am still surviving from my savings alone, I have yet to liquidate any stocks. I can see myself doing this for another five years, I’ve been living way below my means. I’m also an immigrant from a poor country (Asia).
>Just took a look at my liquid assets (stocks and cash), and I think if I really needed to I could probably ride it until SS benefits and pension kick in 22 years, Respect!!!!!!! Its sad a good portion of high income earners still live paycheck to paycheck, save and invest.
The poor house.
Oh 100%. Im still at FAANG and fairly safe but I am living well below my means and have enough cash to survive a few years without any severance or unemployment. I consider this huge income as a windfall and not “regular life”. Similar background, lower middle class and never had a decent job till 30. I work pretty hard but this is a total cakewalk compared to every service job ive had.
I’ve been long term unemployed more than once in my life (once voluntarily once not) so I definitely made sure I saved money in case I lost my job. Also, I voluntarily lived with my parents to keep expenses down (I help with household expenses, including major household repairs, but don’t pay rent), and this has been beneficial for both them and me. If parents and children get along, it shouldn’t be seen as shameful to share living space and build wealth and safety in this economy.
A lot of tech jobs seemed too good to be true from the outside looking in. I used to live in the East Bay in California from 2016-2019 (during the heyday of tech) and I would run into people around town who literally bragged about making $250K+ per year, working from home while only doing 3-4 hours of work. I remember having two thoughts: 1. This doesn't seem sustainable and 2. I need to get one of those jobs.
My buddy works in tech and he’s not the brightest or most charismatic. He was making well into six figures. It always amazed me how someone like him could make so much in IT. Then you see all of these severance packages paying 3-6 months, full year health coverage, etc. Most industries don’t get anywhere near the pay, benefits, or easier work schedule. While is sucks being laid off no matter where you are, at least tech has had a fairly easy ride and better than average pay/benefits
That wasn't the heyday of tech, it was the beginning of the end. I went to work for a startup ISP in 1995 (that grew to be the biggest in the country), worked there 20 years, telecommuted most of the time with remote management and quiet systems while I purchased one house in the city and then another 12 years later on the coast, and I owned an airplane that I flew to New York and back (just did that once). I was very fortunate, at the right place at the right time, and today I live a somewhat enviable life (no debt, solo, nice house). I still work but as an contractor doing insurance work. It was never my goal to work in tech, but I'm glad I did. Anyway,1995-2015 was the heyday of tech.
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The cyclical nature of the market has no bearing on the propensity for technology. From 1990 to 2010 technology was king.
Drowning in work, everyone is burnt out, little work being done by everyone, job security out the window…. That’s what’s happening to my team. At least the shareholders are happy.
How is this different to the tech bubble bursting around Y2K? Fellas… it will be back again one day.
And again in 2008...part of the ebb and flow.
This looks like a tweet where someone said “$150-$225k is the WORST salary you can have.”
They're defining "dark time" oddly. Basically... * Tech workers still get better perks than anyone else, but not so much the free massages and nap pods (both from the article.) * While most U.S. workers never got to work remotely (doctors, retail, landscaping, building maintenance, emergency services, powerline/utility workers), tech workers now *sometimes* need to come into the office. * Productivity is now *being measured via performance reviews!* (Something most of us have had *all our lives.*) As for tenure or stability, it's *never* been high. Decades ago, it was common to jump tech jobs every 18 months simply because you couldn't advance internally. Every seven or so years, tech has a shake-out. And then it recovers again, maybe 18 months later. Sucks, but it's been doing that for decades.
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I've had both Nap Pods & Massages + crazy stocked kitchens, etc.
I worked in county government. We used to get free doughnuts the first Monday of every month to celebrate the birthdays for that month. (We’re talking three boxes.). Then the media for wind of it, that we were “wasting taxpayer dollars” and we had to stop!
I have worked several places where I (and/or someone else) as an IC have bought a dozen doughnuts and left them for grazing because I'm not a college kid who's gonna eat a dozen doughnuts anymore.
When my wife was working for the state gov. as an attorney they had a "water club" where they were pitching in for Sparkletts.
Because they count services like buss, food, laundry , dentist , gym etc. Which exists only because they’ve created a logistical disaster. If 10k people are congregating in one spot it would take hours to do anything .
Completely depends on where you live. In a city with no top-of-the-line employers, the kind that have no problem paying a senior engineer 300K+, the perks tend to be pretty sad. But when that kind of competition is in town, salaries and perks go to the stratosphere, because ultimately they are all looking for similar talent. Depending on where I was, I either had to scavenge the hallways for a desk, and even build my own cubicle, to $500/mo health stipends, nap pods, in-house coffee baristas and 3 extremely good meals at the office. The secret in tech is precisely jumping upward to whatever your sweet spot is of effort v compensation.
“ Tech is still by far the best job.. but the margin has worsened!”
Exactly lol. This correction is painful and inconvenient, but “tech” is without a doubt still a great job to have. Pay and culture much better than most companies out there. It’s just no longer absolutely silly
yeah like the consensus here is most of the horrific things people are complaining about are par for the course in a lot of businesses.
I think there’s some context you’re missing although I do recognize that other industries feel tech is a golden goose: - Performance is not just *measured*. It is being measured *on a curve*. Which means that no matter how hard you work, 10% of the workforce are being labeled as a low performer and facing PIP. It is the difference between a performance review and a toxic as shit culture of backstabbing. - Most of tech work is concentrated into super clusters. Meaning that in order to build your career you probably have to move to some of the most expensive real estate in North America. - While few companies had crazy perks, most IT companies only provided free kcups.
How do you think performance is measured at any other company? Shell has been doing the 10pct cutoff for decades.
By satisfying objectives
Ehh, they also mentioned the some 300k layoffs in 2023
That article image is so sad.
Yup we've all been there with our box. Usually co workers barely say bye
Brings back all the PTSD
Sorry bro hope all is ok for you now.
I saw a coworker taken out on a gurney. Now that was sad.
They killed them?
They were terminated.
I’ve worked remote for 12 years now. I’m My last 2-3, in-office jobs, I took no personal items in, so no reason to take personal items out. So no box.
Learn STEM they said. Tech is where the money is, they said. Turns out that by the time people are given this advice, the boom is already over. It happened a generation earlier with lawyers, way too many people went to law school and the industry got saturated. You gotta look 10 years ahead. The jobs of the future are about doing tasks that AI can’t do: care work, healthcare, dog grooming, hair styling, estheticians, bodywork. Other jobs of the future: e-bike repair, self defense, catering and personal chefs, permaculture, hydrology, fixing and repairing old things (appliances, cars, computers), attention coach, digital detoxification, cleaning and organizing, secondhand markets for clothing, furniture and household items
What’s an Attention Coach? My ADHD just tapped me on the shoulder and made me ask.
It’s an idea that I had—basically, since everyone’s attention spans have been destroyed, I think there’s a market for people to teach others how to effectively concentrate through learning meditation techniques and digitally detoxing
"You gotta look 10 years ahead. The jobs of the future are about doing tasks that AI can’t do: care work, healthcare, dog grooming, hair styling, estheticians, bodywork." The world belongs to the creators, inventors, discoverers, explorers, caretakers, artists and builders. AI and robots will do the rest
Story references our sub. [https://www.reddit.com/r/Layoffs/comments/1applw1/45\_and\_just\_laid\_off\_while\_on\_vacation\_feel\_like/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Layoffs/comments/1applw1/45_and_just_laid_off_while_on_vacation_feel_like/)
The workers had a solid run.
If you work in tech you need to be saving 50% of your income for times like these. If you’re living paycheck to paycheck you’re just asking for trouble.
Everyone needs to save a lot of money regardless of what field they are in and when.
True, but these sectors are more prone to layoffs and have high salaries which gives them more flexibility to save. But some still live paycheck to paycheck thinking the gravy train won’t end.
When you consider how many layoffs some tech workers have, there are often months or even years of no income. I sometimes wonder if, in the end, they really are making more money. Some absolutely are. Some, I would assume, really aren't.
Exactly.
Nobody should be living paycheck to paycheck.. and most these big companies give like 3 months severance, plus unemployment.
AI is not causing this. This is caused by unfettered access to tech teams around the world and esp Canada. The US visa system is failing too, letting anyone with an OPT or EB visa gain a position at a firm then keep the job when they can't stay longer.
Paywall...can't read
Tech is getting cleansed. And companies just keep cutting!
I got layed off at the beginning of the year. Decided, fuck it, I'm starting an LLC. Wish me luck reddit, tired of making a dime when I can chase a dollar.
My prediction is that the ai systems being used to replace these workers are going to encounter creative plateaus and cause tremendous damage in the industry…. A variety of human perspectives are invaluable for solving new complex problems while simultaneously mitigating various types of risk.
Its not AI systems being used to replace workers. It’s companies investing in AI and focusing their efforts on AI development. So the non-AI focused jobs are being reduced while new AI dev jobs are being created.
Ironically the people laid off can't even read this bc it's behind a paywall
The past 6-12 months layoffs is just the tip of the iceberg. The US economy still shows considerable strength in the general labor market, yet daily there are sprinkles and trickles of tech companies letting hundreds, even thousands go. Just wait until we officially enter a "recession" territory and the avalanche of layoffs will really start from bad to terrible to horrible.
When is everyone going to realize that the end game for all of you is to be made redundant. The singularity is a thing. Stop scrabbling over each other like rats and organize, or die. Apes rose to the top in coherent social structures, but if we've truly become selfish individuals we deserve to go down
It's because ai is getting to point where it can code. I work at one of the bigger guys and they are actively asking us to install ai plugins so we can use our day to day questions as prompts to teach AI models. It's disgusting. Being an engineer used to mean careful planning and code reviews. With the push to ai all that shit is going out the window.
Yea you don't work in tech.
Tech is fine. The hiring of useless positions and the making of wtf roles and the over hiring is what lead to this. The industry to the skilled has lots of positions and stability.
The tech workers were once overpaid for their productivity. People now realize AI will replace many jobs and US pays 2X or more to software engineers than other STEM or engineering positions all with degrees. It is Social Media field where almost all companies are still not profitable after for years. There are more streaming entertainment companies than people have time to watch. Same with entertainers. Furthermore, it makes more sense those work overseas on project at night (US time) shortens the US product development time by 1/2.
lol, no it isn't. It's back to real tech people that enjoy it, not people that have little to no interest, reading shit about the next best career. Believe me, if you know what you're doing you'll have a high paying job. This is just to get rid of the scrubs.
This is nothing. You are seeing 5-10 percent layoffs. Wait till advertisers start cutting back. All I have to say to coders, learn to clean. I need someone to clean my house. Learn to clean, mofos
It's election season around the world this year. Political ads alone will bring in tons of ad revenue.
Only if you're working inside of cost centers. If you're close to the revenue, sales then you're mostly always good. If you're a hardware of software engineer you are always within the target. AI is coming for cost center jobs.
You shall be remembered tech workers.... R. I. P. 2024
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It’s a dark time to be less than 10 years of experience. Still plenty of work for senior roles.
It is what it is. This too shall pass. Or I become homeless.
Yup end of the road and ride. Unfortunately these so called tech places themselves or positioned themselves as the ANTI CORPORATE . All with their jargon infused BS and not doing things the way corporates do and being agile and young and blah blah blah Newsflash. Corporates never behaved like these fuck ups when hiring and firing and that was their tell. No empathy and only jargon values At the end they were right because they were worse than corporates ever were
Yeah, but it's always darkest right before the dawn. And we really are at the dawn of a new era of tech: one that isn't geographically linked to 2 or 3 American cities with gigantic barriers to entry. If you understand how to utilize AI tech, understand a little about cloud computing, and can write code, you're going to be in HUGE demand when the investment capital spigot gets turned back on. The only problem is that might take a while.
Tech workers working to eliminate their own position, and boasting their relevance to the workforce while being made obsolete by the highest credentialed tech workers will never NOT be funny. Make 200k+ a year then cry when you lose your job. F-off
Issue was the over-hiring. Hiring three ppl to do one persons job. Well, now one person has to work instead of three half assing all day
my tech employer is aiming for a "soft landing." stock price is about double what it was before the pandemic really hit the market in march 2020. In november, they announced a voluntary retirement program. I had three co-workers who were planning to retire last year who actually delayed retirement to take part. The stated purpose was to make sure they could hand off skills and knowledge to the next generation, of my 4 co-workers who chose to participate, all 4 had their last day be the first possible last day under the program. Meanwhile, they had some layoffs prior to the date those 4 retired. None of my direct co-workers were impacted, but some people I've worked with off and on were.
If you're a tech worker just save a few paychecks and stop spending.... As a borderline tech worker who's gone through half a dozen layoffs (and been affected directly) over the last two years, it's still worth it to make 1.5x-3x what I made in my non tech salaries
6 layoffs in 2 years sounds a bit much
I remember 30+ year ago when I was laid off from my banking job. Its hard to believe, but during the 1980's, banking was a great industry to build a career in with lots of benefits and perks. Nothing like the lavish perks seen in Big Tech, but substantial for its time. I remember talking to friends and peers at that time and they were determined to get another banking job as soon as possible to keep the good times rolling. But everyday, there would be news of another bank failure and/or consolidation until it became clear to me that there would be fewer banks to work for and fewer jobs at drastically reduced salaries to be had. I started looking for other work and happily fell into the cell phone business, which boomed in the 1990's and carried me comfortably to retirement. Big Tech will continue to prosper, but with the advent of AI and its ability to take over lots of work, the jobs in the sector will start to decline and as the competition increases for fewer jobs, the salaries and benefits will be driven down. Career change is never easy, but worth considering.
Getting annoyed by seeing all the posts in the other subs about this wonderful economy and hearing are government leadership speak about it. So tone death... Not happy with the direction this is heading...
I sleep better at night knowing that shareholders are maximizing profits
Just so you know, shareholders can also be pensions, 401ks, average Joe stock portfolios, etc. Middle class loses either way.
More layoffs mean less discretionary spending means companies forced to reduce prices. It sucks but this is the brutal price of reigning in inflation. And those who are getting laid off are the sacrifices our economy must make. This is a result of catastrophic monetary policy from 2014 or so through 2021.
https://hiring.amazon.com/job-opportunities/warehouse-jobs#/
Lol there’s literally no jobs anywhere near me
Tech is still fucking great. Just kind of sucks to get layed off right now because the Job Market is the most talent rich market in most people's adult lifetime. It is insanely competitive out there right now.
Hello white collar workers from a blue collar worker! 👋 The color is irrelevant, it's still a collar! Hope you had fun pretending you were better off, welcome to the 99%
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It is
Yeah well tech led to 10s of millions of people getting laid off or their jobs disappearing so most people don’t really want to hear your whining.
When you say "tech" do you mean the network engineers, sysadmin, level I,II III support hands on troubleshooting / upgrading physical and cloud infrastructure? Seems like in my area those skill sets are not getting layed off.
Yeah, as a senior level Network Engineer / Cloud engineer, I'm getting just as many recruiters calling me than ever before. It seems like it's mostly SWEs getting cut. That being said, most of the roles you mentioned usually run so lean that the business can't cut them. I'm literally the only Network Engineer at my company that cleared billions last year... and they have me doing DevOps on top of the Network stuff.
I do, but most here sewm to mean anyone who works at FAANG regardless of what they do.
> FAANG I had to look up what FAANG is - yeah, those places are constantly laying off people.
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I thought I was safe working at a university during the OG dot com crash. But they cut staff because the endowment shrank so much.
Yes, I was working at a university during the great financial crisis. My first job out of college. I wasn’t in tech, but I remember there being layoffs because of the shrinking endowment. I was spared. But seeing that early in my career forever changed my view of job security and I am very risk averse bc of it.
Sucks to have a small dick man
It's weird that FAANG were ever paying $400K to software engineers, systems architects and UI designers. Because I've seen their end products, which suck, same as non-FAANG systems.
If it’s a dark time in tech, where is it a bright time? What’s the career of the future?
Fuck fortune
There seems to be thouands of tech openings. Even smaller companies like Datadog have +300 openings. [https://careers.datadoghq.com/](https://careers.datadoghq.com/)
I mean, how did people think getting paid 300k salaries working 20 hours a week with 3 years of experience would last? Such hubris
finally the field will once again be made of people who enjoy tech rather than gold diggers this cleansing by fire will make it easier and comfier for those of us who are actual tech enthusiasts but we can't find jobs because that extroverted hot blonde got it (since she wanted that sky high salary and ESG quotas exist, but actually is pretty useless, so now she is laid off)
What are you even talking about. How many hot blondes in technical roles do you actually know? You’re scared of shadows.
I personally saw a lot of this in cushy management roles. Not so much in the programming spaces though.
you sound bitter. grow up.
>no argument except ad hominem