“Money comes from working hard” I’ve come to believe is just a line rich people tell themselves to feel better. Lots of people work hard and get nothing. It’s just a myth: “Come to America, work hard, get rich”, like dying and going to heaven.”
― Dash Shaw, American Writer
So you got knocked off the treadmill. Welcome to the club.
This one is for all of my colleagues who are suffering layoffs in the tech industry. I’d like to give you some perspectives I’ve gained over decades in tech.
You’re probably panicking a bit. Or a lot.
You might be freaking out because your sense of self-worth was tied up in your job.
It’s likely that you’re in a little bit of despair today.
All of that is perfectly OK. You’re supposed to react when emotionally jolted. If you aren’t feeling any of these you’re likely a sociopath. But I digress.
I’ve been through layoffs. They are always horrible. Especially when you come to the realization that someone who was filthy rich just sent people packing to save a few dollars. They don’t care about the families impacted. They never cared about you.
They will say they did. They’re lying because they don’t want to admit they just destroyed some lives to preserve their wealth.
What I’ve written are a few short lessons I’ve learned along the way. I hope they help you if you’re going through a trying time.
Job Security is an Illusion
Unless you’re the founder of a public company or well funded startup (or Tim Cook) there is no such thing as job security. I know you thought your job was secure. But it wasn’t, really. It was an illusion you persuaded yourself to believe, that’s all. If you can accept that it won’t make bad times good, but they might be more bearable.
Just remember that you have a job, you have a career, and you have a life. Don’t EVER confuse the three. When we do we get into all kinds of dark places. Stay healthy.
This is an article I wrote on the topic. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/life-career-your-job-buck-bard/
History Repeats Itself
It’s deja vu, all over again.
- Yogi Berra
Believe it or not, this is normal. The tech industry goes through cycles of layoffs every few years. Tech layoffs have happened before. They will happen again. It’s the only certainty in the tech economy. Heck, if you look at your own job it probably didn’t even exist just a few years ago.
Companies boom and bust. You have to ride that wave, as unpleasant as that is. You will get another job, likely a better one.
Take Time For You
Everyone has things they put off because they’re busy. While you look for a new gig is the time for personal and professional growth. Learn something new. Get in shape. Renew neglected friendships. Recharge!
Use the time that’s been thrust upon you as if it’s a valuable and fleeting commodity — because it is!
Winter is Coming, Always Have Acorns
One of the important lessons I learned midway through life was the importance of an emergency fund. When we’re happily employed we don’t think a lot about the down times. But we need to be like the squirrel in your yard. On sunny Summer days she’s burying acorns. We need to do that, too.
If you have an emergency fund then good for you. If you don’t have one then you’ve learned something incredibly valuable.
And if you’re lucky you can even get to “Fuck You Money.”
(caution: language warning)
These are all lessons I’ve learned myself, mostly the hard way. When bad things happen we get stuck in the moment. That’s only human. Don’t beat yourself up about it. By the same token, grieve and move on.
Taking a longer and deeper perspective is sometimes all we need to turn a negative into a positive.
I’ll leave you with one other quote.
“There are people who have money and people who are rich.”
― Coco Chanel
Buck Bard is the founder and Chief Harbinger at Canary Works, a design thinking practice that promotes learning design, education, and innovation.
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