💔 Layoffs

"Your career is defined by your skills and how you’ve used them, not by any external measure of your progress." - Julie Zhuo.

Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel on Unsplash

Ciao friends!

Last week was brutal for many folks. The problem with FAANG+ layoffs is that they are giant, and the numbers are pretty round. Tens of thousands is not a joke.

Of course, layoffs are very upsetting, but it feels like people on social media are sharing support for the FAANG layoffs much more than for other tech layoffs. Imagine there are 2 people with exactly the same role, years of experience, etc., but one of them has experience from Google. I am certain that recruiters will find such profiles much more appealing. So, a FAANG ex-employee has more chances to find a new job faster, than a non-FAANG. Why nobody talks about less "marketed" job cuts? Seems unfair.

But all this news once again reminds me of an old movie with George Clooney "Up in the Air", where the main character's job was to fly around the country and deliver the bad news to companies' employees. The reactions and shock on people's faces when they realized they were getting fired after devoting their life to those companies - a priceless reminder, that it's just business.

Sad? Yes. But it's the reality we live in, no matter the economic situation. The only thing that I am keeping an eye on right now - is how companies and their leaders handle tough times and how empathetic they are toward their laid-off employees. Might be an additional signal for the future, when choosing the next employer.

If you got affected, DM me and let's see if there is anything I can do to help you 💪

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🔖 My content

🎙️ I resumed recordings for my podcast. Had an excellent conversation with a Director of Talent Acquisition last week, and a few more guests have been scheduled. Planning Hoping to start publishing episodes in the next couple of weeks.

❤️ My favourite things

🎙️ Podcast: Jimmy Corsetti and & Ben van Kerkwyl share some shocking opinions about ancient civilizations. I love this kind of thought and mystery. Better to watch the video version, as there are many visuals.

🎧 Music: My recent favourite background music for focus work is “Pool party house mix” by Chris Luno.

🔗 Cool finds

• Selective memory test (video - youtube.com) – I find this kind of "experiment" to illustrate some flaws of the human brain fascinating.

• Annual Performance Reviews Ruin Everything (post - medium.com) – commentary.

• How to Think About Your Career (post - medium.com) – Julie is GOAT, this post is pretty old, but with the recent massive layoffs, a good re-read.

• Interview with a staff designer at Instagram (post - medium.com) – A long read, but has interesting practical advice on designer's core competencies and how you can show them, and some insights about how tech companies hire designers.

• Levi's Wokes - SNL (video - youtube.com) – "Size: Me", another hilarious skit from SNL, just to cheer you up 😆

Ciao! 🤙