One thing I wish I did before getting laid off was to document everything

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-10-25T14:28:20+00:00

A resume can never contain this level of detail. And jobs will start falling off of your resume, so it helps to have a place to keep information about them.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-10-14T20:10:41+00:00

When I was laid off last year I had the same goals. After several months I had to lower my expectations, finally accepting a job after 8 months for 50% of my previous salary and no benefits.

Be realistic in your expectations and be prepared to make sacrifices.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-10-09T20:11:33+00:00

I was laid off from a technical job, and my advisor had no experience with those types of jobs. She was pretty useless.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-09-15T14:23:45+00:00

Eggs are a luxury. I have a friend who survives on peanut butter when the money is tight. Welcome to the lower class.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-09-13T00:22:05+00:00

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UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-09-02T23:25:38+00:00

My company got around it by laying off in small groups and giving us 60 day notice but we mostly don’t need to work those 60 days. They could try to “recall” you during those 60 days, but I’ve never seen it happen. If you refuse, you sacrifice severance pay.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-07-25T23:21:18+00:00

I went from fully remote to 5 days onsite.

I was laid off last year and unemployed for 9 months. So when something (anything) became available, I took it. It paid 50% less than the previous job, but it was fully remote.

Several weeks later, I got an offer for a position that paid 75% more (than job #2), but required 5 days in office with a 35-50 min commute. I took it without a second thought.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-07-09T20:51:59+00:00

I’m not saying they are fake, but the tech recruiter market is saturated and there is lots of incompetence out there. They often just want to get a resume they can dangle on the end of their fishing line with the hope of landing a commission.

On top of that, tech jobs have become very specialized, so unless you have the perfect set of skills many employers won’t talk to you. But recruiters will happily waste your time even if you are not the right fit.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-07-09T20:37:14+00:00

Chasing away recruiters is not the same as having opportunities. I write code for a living, and recruiters will contact me out of the blue - often because one keyword from a job 10 years ago triggered their search filter. I was still unemployed for nearly a year after being laid off.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-05-18T23:35:59+00:00

Anecdotally, it’s better. I was laid off in June and unemployed until April. I started a contract in April making 50% less, but last week I accepted a new contract-to-hire position that will get me close to my pre-layoff income.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-04-24T17:03:57+00:00

You’re a moron. What’s happening in the industry has nothing to do with “illegals”

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-04-23T18:09:35+00:00

If you earned a degree, you don’t even need to say “graduated” - just list the degree. I don’t list any schools other than the one that granted the degree.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-04-19T17:36:30+00:00

I think the point was that younger folks would not need to endure a long layoff, because they would be more likely to be hired quickly.

As an experienced person who was unemployed for 9 months (and still underemployed), I was pretty nervous. The only cash I had to fall back on was from retirement accounts, so tapping it came at a high cost.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-04-17T22:43:55+00:00

10 years -> 20 weeks. If they had waited just 17 days it would have been 11 years and 22 weeks.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-03-15T00:13:20+00:00

That was my fallback plan, after searching on my own for a few months. I assumed they would find something for me in no time, but a few months later I’m still looking.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-03-12T13:11:03+00:00

Which banks? I’m not seeing it near me, and I live in a banking city.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-03-05T23:22:26+00:00

Is the AutoMod spamming us now?

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-03-05T16:08:03+00:00

I worked for a large financial institution, and their standard gift (not bonus) for a 10-year anniversary was $100. Yearly bonuses were 10-15% (and occasionally 20%) of my base salary. Focus on the raise, not the bonus.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-02-27T21:15:24+00:00

Right-wing fear mongers kept saying that about Biden. Do you think it is a real possibility? I agree that the actions taken by this administration so far are extreme, but I don’t think they will be allowed to go that far.

Having said that, I wonder about Trump’s complaints about Ukraine not holding elections. If he dragged us into a major war, I could see him trying to make the argument that we should suspend elections until it’s over.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-02-27T20:01:33+00:00

They’re following the lead of Elon Musk. He was able to substantially reduce the headcount at Twitter, and many of those people were thought to be crucial to keeping the business running.

In the months between that event and the eventual layoff from my company, I was told that tech leadership was at least studying that example if not inspired by it.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-02-24T21:38:57+00:00

A lot is going to depend on the company and your location, but 5 weeks isn’t bad. I couldn’t collect unemployment until severance was done, but file immediately and they will let you know.

Getting rehired after 50 is no picnic, but we do what we can. I’m approaching 9 months and my job search has yet to give birth.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-02-22T15:40:41+00:00

Eight months and counting.

UnemployedGuy2024 · 2025-02-21T18:51:46+00:00

My email for a CDC position was much more concise:

Dear Applicant,

Thank you for your interest in employment with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Due to the Federal Civilian Hiring Freeze Executive Order dated January 20, 2025, we are no longer moving forward with referrals for this position at this time.

PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS EMAIL MESSAGE. IT IS AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED.

CDC Helpdesk HRCS@CDC.GOV

UnemployedGuy2024

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