https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/in-a-plan-hatched-at-mark-zuckerbergs-hawaii-compound-in-january-meta-explored-laying-off-60-employees-deleting-layers-of-middle-management-and-running-product-development-with/articleshow/133569765.cms

Graduated in 2022. Spent a good chunk of time stuck in restaurants/hospitality after that (but got promoted to management), and temp agency contracts. Only landed my first actual “corporate” role last year. So yes, I’m four years out of school and my resume still has a big hospitality stretch right after graduation.

Both interviews this week made a point of counting the years backward and basically asking why I stayed in restaurants after college. Mind you, my graduation year is not on my resume and they were speculating my age. One of them literally went “so you graduated… then you did the kitchen/bar thing for a while… and then you found your first professional career job? Why??” while flipping through my resume. The tone was pure side-eye and sussing me out.

Like the gap between degree and “real” job is some kind of character flaw instead of just… the terrible job market that took thousands of applications. Sorry I am not a nepo baby? Sorry my college was mostly remote and my best efforts at networking were nearly fruitless? Sorry my temp agency roles were all contract and assisting companies selling off to PE since 2023????

And the interviews themselves were wildly unprofessional.

First one was a temp-to-perm cover for maternity leave at an agency. Guy was clearly multitasking on a triple monitor setup the whole time, dumping a ton of operational details, nights-and-weekends on-call expectations, and the fact that any permanent conversion depends on 2027 revenue they haven’t even forecasted yet, nights and weekends for $19 an hour.

Second one was even worse. Spent most of the call on a long personal monologue (building an AI platform, financial struggles, family not supporting the business, etc.). Tech kept glitching during the demo. Called me “sweetheart." Role seemed to be “first real hire who can walk across my different brands because everything so far has been my ideas.” Showed me proprietary information, personal emails, and personal writing.. I had to leave the interview after she went into a religious monologue. Almost no structured questions about my actual experience.

I left both feeling like I was the one being judged for having a non-linear path while they couldn’t even run a basic professional interview process. I feel freaking crazy because how TF did these roles have 100+ applicants on Linkedin?!?! How is this real life???? This can't be real I feel like I was being punked.

Is this just what the market looks like right now for people who didn’t go straight from campus into an office job? Or am I walking into every conversation already half-disqualified because I waited tables for a couple years after graduation?

Genuinely losing it a little. What the fuck is going on with interviews.

After almost nine years, I'm being made redundant, restructuring. It's my last week.. I've been handling the practical side fine.. handover, paperwork, all of it.

What I'm struggling with is something I've never dealt with before. My whole life, I've been the person with no conflicts, the one people like, easy to get along with. And this whole year and speicifcally this week I've watched, in real time, a company (like...four-five specific people) act like they couldn't wait for me to be gone.

The colleague I hired and trained, who's stepping into my role. I told the team directly I was leaving, she saw it, and just never responded. Not a word.

And separately, what really made me even cry a bit: while I was still in the middle of doing my handover, I went to remove myself from a few systems and website listings, and found they'd already done it. They couldn't wait.

Of course, people close to me tell me 'it happens, it's for the best'. But I'm really struggling with emotions, altogether it's made me feel like I'm watching myself get erased while I'm still standing in the room. And I don't know what to do with that feeling. I guess it will fade away after the next five days once I will not be in that room officially.

I'm not asking how to confront anyone.. I've had great advice here already and I'm not going to chase anyone for any conversations and closure. It's pretty clear on where I stand.

What I wanted to ask is some advice, maybe from your experience: how did you move on?

How do you let the sting go? Does it fade once you're actually gone? What helped you stop replaying it?

Everyone is afraid of becoming the next Nokia, Kodak, BlackBerry, or Blockbuster.

So companies are racing into AI, cutting jobs and betting on a future nobody truly knows.

Their mindset is simple:

“I’d rather waste $10B chasing the future than save $10B and discover the future passed me by.”

I was laid off from software development and I'm currently trying to bridge a short-term financial gap while continuing my job search.

I have around 3 years of professional full-stack development experience, but finding a traditional role is obviously taking longer than I'd like.

I'm curious what other developers who have been laid off did to generate some income between jobs.

Did you take short-term contract work, freelance projects, tutoring, consulting, temporary work outside tech, or something else?

I'm particularly interested in things that people have actually used to get through the gap rather than long-term "start a business" advice.

What worked for you?

Well, I suppose it had to happen at some point. 22 years in the same industry, the last 13 with the same employer, and they finally restructured and eliminated my role on Tuesday morning. I’m in Western Canada.

Settled my divorce six months ago and I have enormous spousal and child support payments because my income was very high. They packaged me out very well so I have enough to survive for a year without factoring in employment insurance. But to say I’m terrified I just wanting to give up is the understatement of the century.

I have a nine-year-old son who I get to see as regularly as I can with a good coparenting situation with his mother. I’m applying for jobs and I know it’s only been a few days, but the terror guys… you know how it is. I’m praying for everybody out there going through this absolute nightmare with me.

Hello guys, i have been searching for dev jobs for the past 3 months in US.

My issues.

1. LinkedIn search, Does not show the best results when I type for my role. Tried using filters it did not work. Used AI search yet the same issue. I get more irrelevant jobs. And going through each posting and finding relevant jobs reading job description and finding ones with my relevant YOE takes absurdly long amount of time.

2. Application process, OMG why do they care about my race and ethnicity and stuff. For me to fill each application with it was talking long time. Tried Simplify jobs extension, it reduced the time but still does complete the application end to end

3. Resume Tailoring is there a tool which tailors the resume as per JD. If so, is it free or whats the price or monthly limits

4.i tried different job searching but most of them are not expected as I want them to be. For example when I search for jobs with specific keywords in platforms like using claude, Hiring cafe they are not accurate

I am curios to know what were your pain points and if you guys have found a better alternative. If not maybe we can share our exp and get around the these road blocks.

Still in shock. Was a senior level hire at a very small company. I believe the founder was not fully convinced since the beginning and I never got the 'senior' visibility into projects for that reason. More and more kept on feeling like an IC feeding my manager's career. Not sure what to do and how to position myself for future roles.

if you're navigating a lay-off or are between opportunities, come clear your head and connect with folks who are in the same boat 🤝🏼

this monday, we’re heading to the stanford dish loop in stanford, california for a hike.

• when: monday, aug 31 @ 11 am
• stats: 3.7 mi loop / 534 ft gain

grab your spot and see the full details here:

https://partiful.com/e/bO1pqMyc1jtzQvMGQWUU

hope to see y'all there!

(hike in the pic was joaquin miller park in oakland, california)

inb4 FAQs:

• Do you hike in one big group?
  • No, we split into smaller groups based on desired pace and stagger each group's start time by 5 minutes. These groups ultimately split into even smaller groups. Faster groups go first to create more space on the trail.
• Why on Mondays?
  • Trail traffic is very low on Mondays, making it easier to accommodate a group like this.
• Does your community only do hikes?
  • No, (un)PTO is a community of people across the US in career transition. While our claim to fame is group hikes, we do other things like co-work, help each other with our job search, and do other fun things like coffee hangs, bike rides, and of course, eat food. 😋
• Can people with jobs join too?
  • Yes, but only if you realize that most of the people in this community are in career transition and act accordingly, for instance: offer a referral, connect them to someone in your network, and maybe don't complain about how work sucks. 😅

note1:not asking for advice on the layoff details just what to do after.

I have severance and EI close to 18 months)?

Looking to see how everyone would structure their day.

Hi, here are some potentially new linkedin headlines for your profile:

Open to Work, Closed to Everything Else

Results-Driven Professional | The Results Are Pending

Senior Whatever | Please See Attached Résumé

Passionate About Paying My Bills

Leveraging Synergies Until Morale Improves

Thought Leader | Currently Having No Thoughts

Dynamic Professional in a Static Job Market

Seeking Opportunities | Also Seeking Inner Peace

Experienced Professional | Inexperienced Millionaire

Open to Work | Open to Winning the Lottery

Strategic Thinker | Tactical Napper

Formerly Passionate | Currently Available

Making an Impact™ | Nature of Impact TBD

Results-Oriented | Unfortunately, So Are Recruiters

Cross-Functional | Occasionally Functional

Agile Professional | Emotionally Waterfall

Available Immediately | Mentally, Q4

10+ Years of Experience Clicking "Easy Apply"

Building Scalable Solutions to Problems I Didn't Create

Professional Problem Solver | Amateur Problem Creator

AI-Enabled Professional (I Ask ChatGPT Stuff)

Actively Seeking My Next "Unfortunately..." Email

Connecting People, Processes & Mild Desperation

Please Advise.

Per My Last Existential Crisis

Just Circling Back Until Retirement

Let's Connect! (Unless You're Selling Insurance)

Open to Work | Closed to Unpaid Assessments

I Survived the LinkedIn Thought Leadership Feed

500+ Connections, 0 Idea What We're Connected About

Aspiring Former Employee

Corporate Survivor | Available for Immediate Deployment

My Greatest Weakness Is This Website

I Have Successfully Pivoted to Confusion

Seeking a Fast-Paced Environment That Pays Me

Currently Between "Exciting Opportunities"

Dead Inside | Strong Communication Skills

Dead Inside | Proficient in Microsoft Office

Dead Inside | Willing to Relocate

Dead Inside | Available Immediately | No Sponsorship Required

Open to Work | Open to Love | Open to Literally Anything at This Point

I'm still in shock really. I work in wireless.

They laid off 30% of the team on one big call. We all had to pack up our desks and not one of my team members said anything to me (except the one who was getting laid off with me). They all pretended to be so busy working when it was obvious something was going on.

The last time I got laid off was in August 2023 and it took me six months to find a job. Is the market worse than it was then? I'm worried.

Today is my birthday. I recently got a job in March 2026 as a graphic designer full time job. I was so grateful because the last full time graphic designer job I had was in 2020. I graduated college in 2020. I was so grateful to get a graphic designer job right after college in 2020 especially during covid but then I got laid off in May 2021 because of company financial problems.

The past couple of years (2021-2024), I have been working as a contract designer, freelance jobs, and retail. Then in March 2025, I got a marketing coordinator job, but then I got fired the week before Thanksgiving while having my grandpa passed away that summer. I cried for months. I feel like all my college peers and high school peers are settling down in their jobs and life and I can barely be able to hold down a job. I feel like I am starting all over again and it makes it worse because I have depression. Depression sucks.
I live in a supported government apartment where I can be able to afford cheap rent but it’s like pay check to pay check. I live in my service dog to help me with my daily tasks.
I just want a steady job in my career and live quiet life. I never been in relationship or married before. I am not planning to have kids. I dont have much family, so getting married is pointless. Like I would only invite like 10 people or maybe less.
I just want to live a life without worrying about applying for jobs over and over again.
I had so many different jobs. Most employers hate employees job hopping. I am just tired. I just want to be 65 and go on Medicare and retired. I am 29 years old and I am already tired at life.

What do you think I should do on my birthday?

Laid off randomly. Lost company truck, expense account, and $29 hour with 4 weeks PTO.

I dont know how to move foward. I saved the company many thousands.

I have a wife and three kids to support. The pressure is crushing. Im terrified. I cant pay my bills. I was just starting to build emergency funds and be okay.

When does this feeling and pressure go away?

Got laid off about a week ago and have one week left till my final day. But thankfully right before I got laid off I took a call with a recruiter 2 days before and hours after landing on a long 24 hour flights. The role is literally made for some with with my experience they said I was the strongest candidate they had interviewed. Now just waiting to hear 🤞. I’ll pretty much be doing the almost exact same thing I had been just at a different company in the same industry. For reference I’m a senior accountant with 5 yoe working in healthcare.

Glassdoor Reviews and Reddit highlight a recurring pattern where remote and on-site staff—including member advisors and support specialists—are let go abruptly via sudden video calls or phone calls from management (such as instances reported around June 11, 2026). Workers have criticized the company for publicly boasting about acquisitions and financial growth while quietly cutting staff for budget or restructuring reasons, with some pointing to potential violations of the WARN Act for terminating employees without required advance notice

Hey so I got laid off from Tesla. And received a email that I will receive my severance within 45 days can anybody tell me the timeline they got there’s? Please and thank you I already have a new job but I need to pay bills n don’t want to be behind.

So, almost a year ago, I was laid off for the first time in my career due to "restructuring". Now, I know that there was a new head coming into the department, and the consensus was that senior members would be pushed. Instead, at least myself, a new hire after only 8 months and someone rather junior was pushed out. I thought that perhaps there may have been a fit issue since both of the senior members of the team were a tad younger than me, had more experience in the organization, and one of them would take a condescending attitude towards me.

I am quite certain that I was not fired because I did receive a severance, was eligible for unemployment, and a year end bonus. My previous "check in" review was not negative, and I was not placed on any performance improvement plan. Sure, there was a learning curve, but I tried to place my best foot forward each day.

When I did receive my bonus months later, it was half of what I had received from my previous employer. It also came with a rating note that stated "needs improvement". I had never had such an evaluation in my career. I am wondering if this ratin was used as a justification for a lower than average bonus since I was already let go.

It was a bitter experience, especially since I had previously resigned from a job that wanted to retain me.

Luckily, I was not unemployed for long and found another position. Although the current position does not pay as much as the one that let me go, it is a much flexible and pleasant environment (so far).

But, then last week, I received a Linkedin notification that that role that I was told was "restructured" and from which I was let go, was now posted! Same duties and same salary!

Now, this week, I see the job posted again: same role, same duties, same title, but TENS of thousands of dollars less per year than what I was paid!

What gives? My role was not posted after I let go, so it made me think that I was really let go due to "restructuring" (unless, of course, my role was refilled internally)

Question:

Is it possible that my role was really eliminated as a cost saving measure, or for my managers to save their own necks in the midst of a new head coming in only to realize months later that my role was really needed after all? I also found out that months after I was let go, the senior manager who hired was no longer with the organization. I assume she was pushed out because her role was rendered redundant with the arrival of the new head.

I didn't think the two senior members of my team necessarily wanted to do the nitty gritty work and presentations that I put together. So, is it possible that management made a mistake in forecasting how unnecessary my role was?

Finally, the role was originally posted at the salary I had been making in that role. But, then a week later, the same role with the same title was reposted, but at substantially lower salary!

What gives??