Navigating Career Transitions: Reflections from a Software Developer Post-Layoff
date
Sep 17, 2024
slug
reflection-post-layoff
status
Published
tags
Career
English
summary
Laid off after 5+ years at a startup, I’m reflecting on my journey as a software developer. Insights on the risks of small companies, the balance between platform & personal skills, and how to stay competitive in a tough market in China.
type
Post
In my early thirties, nearly ten years after graduation, I have been engaged in software development throughout my career in China. I spent over five years at my last job before being laid off due to economic downsizing. I followed the company from its startup phase until now, experiencing its honeymoon period and eventually becoming a mid-level manager. Then came the time when the company had to scale down and cut costs, and one day, during a normal workday, I was suddenly informed that I had to leave. I had no choice but to accept the reality, take the severance package (n+1), and begin the long process of job hunting over the following months. I want to write something down to record the thoughts and feelings this period brought me, as a reflection.
- Be cautious when choosing small companies. Experience in small companies hardly gives you the leverage to negotiate for a better position in your next job. Even though programming is often about "talk is cheap, show me the code," I used to believe that too. But after going through this, I realized that with the same performance in interviews, larger companies provide an inherent advantage due to their size and reputation. Even if your role is just a small cog in a big machine, the company's background serves as an endorsement, and you don’t need to "prove" yourself additionally. In smaller companies, however, you constantly need to justify the value, depth, and breadth of your work to prove your capabilities. It’s even harder to earn extra points or goodwill.
- Differentiate between platform capabilities and personal abilities:
- Platform Capabilities: I prefer to think of this as a "stage"—such as opportunities given by the company in terms of business, management, or infrastructure. It’s like an actor on a stage in a movie; whether they perform well or not, the stage itself serves as a representative work. Whether you get a stage or not is beyond personal control—you can only strive for or passively wait for it. P.S.: I also hope some young interviewers can be more open-minded when interviewing candidates from smaller companies. Don’t just limit your judgment to the size of the platform they come from.
- Personal Abilities: For us developers, this refers to technical knowledge in the field of computer science, domain expertise, and management skills. These are often hard to showcase during a short interview, so we rely on past credentials like academic achievements, high-level positions at big companies, or prestigious university degrees to vouch for us. Without these common metrics, individuals must find ways to demonstrate their abilities, such as participating in well-known open-source projects or contributing technical content. Otherwise, it’s indeed hard to win over recruiters.
- Intense horizontal comparison: The interview process is often prolonged, sometimes spanning several weeks. I have encountered multiple instances where, after receiving an offer, negotiations on salary fell through due to mismatches. Salary increases are even harder to come by. During economic downturns, most people are affected, and companies tightly control their recruitment budgets. The days of significant salary jumps are gone. It’s important to understand the salary range of the position you’re applying for and manage expectations accordingly to avoid wasting time.
From graduation to now, I’ve caught the tail end of the mobile internet wave. I had never really experienced a crisis before, but now, after years in the industry, although I’m not yet at the anxious 35+ stage, my career has reached a critical juncture. How to maintain and continue upward momentum has become a top priority. Through discussions with friends in similar situations, I’ve gained some insights:
a. Value fluctuates up and down but will eventually be realized. What we need to do is maintaining our competitiveness, both in terms of the platform and personal abilities. As long as you hold value, it will be realized sooner or later. Instead of worrying about short-term fluctuations that are beyond our control, it’s better to conserve energy and take action, seizing opportunities at work to demonstrate self-worth.
b. Strive to be in the top 10%. The more excellent you are, the scarcer your talent is in the market, allowing you to be less affected by cycles. Those who are truly outstanding experience minimal impact from economic fluctuations. Looking at my most excellent classmates, this is indeed the case—even during industry-wide layoffs and hiring freezes, they are still able to receive significant, even doubled, salary increases. This makes the goal of becoming excellent more tangible. 💪🏻