How to get over constant fear of layoffs and not being able to find a job in the field ever again
Posted by Ruminatingsoule@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 122 comments
I am 35F and got my CCNA last April while working as a Network Analyst. 2 years, still at the same job. Last year they did a RIF which eliminated 3 people from our day crew. We have since lost 2 more to retirement or firing and they have no plans to replace any of us. Night crew is only getting 1 more person. This makes me feel that our department is eventually going to be eliminated.
I've been applying to lateral/semi lateral jobs for the past year but none have beared any fruit. I almost always get ghosted after the initial recruiter screening or the first interview. I have 7 years of overall IT experience, so I dont understand what im doing wrong. Im currently enrolled in a bachelor's program, and have a AZ-900, Network+, and CCNA. I dont understand what makes me so undesirable that I keep getting ghosted mid process. Forget cold applying. I havent heard back from ANY of those.
This makes me worry for my future. Knowing how hard it is to jump somewhere else compared to 3 years ago. It makes me worry I will need to pivot to another career I dont like just to get by. My husband and I were planning on kids but I am deathly afraid of doing that if my job/field has no security. What do I do?
vawlk@reddit
go work somewhere where profit isn't the primary goal for the employer. the best thing I ever did was move from the corporate world into education. I don't get paid as much as my corporate counterparts but the perks are so much better. so many more days off, so much more flexibility, so many more happy people to work with. and you feel like you're actually doing something for your community.
and they have pensions.
seriously, with PTO, holidays and all the extra school holidays, I have something like 60 days off each year. it's kind of ridiculous.
LadyK1104@reddit
Network, network, network. Stay in touch with people who are gone, pay attention to where they end up. Go to conferences, meet people. Landing a role is much easier when you have other people helping you with connections.
ElectricOne55@reddit
How is cloud computing? I've been in tech 6 years in a variety of roles: help desk, system admin, and now cloud migrations. Idk if I should stay in tech with the job market the way it is or change careers? Because I get less responses now than 4 years ago when I had less experience.
Centimane@reddit
Cloud is busy and generally expanding. Companies keep switching to cloud regardless of how well it fits their use-case, and getting out of cloud is a huge effort.
ElectricOne55@reddit
What about the commenter that said to leave tech due to offshoring?
horan116@reddit
Offshoring has been going on for like 3 decades. Quality, stability, reliability fall and positions swing back. History repeats.
ElectricOne55@reddit
Good point. 1 commenter said that it gets harder to change careers as getting olde and to get out now due to offshoring. I wonder if its hard to get a job in any field right now and if its just the job market being bad in general.
If I did hange it'd be to go into radiation technology, accounting, or athletic training. All would be pay cuts from my current role. In radiation technology it may be easier to get interviews and get hired compared to tech. I feel like there wouldnt be any upward mobility or raises though. Would you recommend any of these options or stay in tech?
Centimane@reddit
Tech is hard to break into, but a lot better once you're on the inside. Especially with all the AI hype junior roles are disappearing because C-suite think they can can replace juniors with AI agents - but they still need the seniors to delegate the work to.
ElectricOne55@reddit
I think that's what makes it harder too is because a lot of help desk roles disappeared. Idk if I'd want to go back to roles like that anyways because the pay was so low. It helped to have them as a last case scenario in case I lost my current job though.
kingdead42@reddit
It's been hard to break into for a while, but that's also because there was a "supply surge" of applicants as every kid growing up in the late 90s - early 2000s being told to get into computers. Lots of bodies to fill the entry-level positions meant low wages, lots of turn-over, etc.
ElectricOne55@reddit
At first I went to school for kinesiology and was going to go to PT school, but the debt would have been 80k and 3 more years of school without working. I thought of data analytics. I don't see youtubers hyping it up as much as they did in the late 2010s. I'm currently in Google cloud migrations, but worried because it seems really niche and my co.pnay has been really layoff happy.
horan116@reddit
Being successful in tech is extremely difficult as the bar keeps moving, you need to remain open minded and continue learning. I think the traditional sysadmin roles is a scary one, which is why I have moved toward SRE. Automation and cloud computing make it much easier to manage more with less. But engineers and architects are still the back bone. Systems design is still required and companies rely on tech to drive revenue now more than ever. Entry and mid level positions are extremely competitive but it seems like once a decade there is a so called “purge” on tech positions which drives this narrative we are seeing now. It’s a really shitty part of an otherwise very rewarding career path. You have had dot com, the Microsoft admin rush, CCNA boom, virtualization, software engineering explosion that came with python adoption, cloud. I have found it better to look at positions that are adding business value not just the buzz word they are attached to. Tech is frankly a brutal career path requiring you to reinvent yourself many times and mentally handle these high highs and low lows.
ElectricOne55@reddit
I thought of changing to data analytics. I noticed the past 3 years I don't see any youtubers hyping up data analytics like I did in the late 2010s. Data analytics does seem like it would be slightly easier than cloud, because cloud platforms changing their layout names for things every year it seems like. Everytime I've applied for analytics roles I would never get an interview.
I did just want to be a windows system admin but I noticed the pay for most of those jobs tops out at 55k. Networking sucks because all network jobs are in person. After working remote idk if i could back to working in person.
TransporterError@reddit
This. ☝🏻
Centimane@reddit
What about them?
MidnightBlue5002@reddit
something Scott McNealy "the network is the computer!" something. Even more true today!
Necessary_Emotion565@reddit
That’s really hard when you’re burned out from work and don’t live close to the city and there’s bugger all conferences. Bonus points for being an introvert and/or autistic
CaleDestroys@reddit
Studies have reinforced this. Not going to look for exact numbers but the overwhelming majority of jobs are found through acquaintances, not family or close friends.
Striking_Use8614@reddit
This!
ElectricOne55@reddit
I thought of changing to data analytics. I noticed the past 3 years I don't see any youtubers hyping up data analytics like I did in the late 2010s. Data analytics does seem like it would be slightly easier than cloud, because cloud platforms changing their layout names for things every year it seems like. Everytime I've applied for analytics roles I would never get an interview.
badaz06@reddit
First, jobs will come and go. The # of IT folks fluctuates all the time: I've seen massive hiring and firing periods in the industry. The way businesses operate fluctuates as tech changes, both good and bad, especially with IT which is always evolving. I'm not a Marine, but their "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome" mantra is solid.
Some suggestions:
Knowing technical stuff is great, but it's not everything. My advice would be to use a head hunter/temp agency and do a few interviews, even if you have no intention of taking any job from them - here's why:
When a candidate interviews from a head hunter, the head hunter will typically reach out and talk to the person you interviewed with and get feedback, and you can ask for that. Was there something I didn't know? Did I talk too much? Did I dress inappropriately? Did I come across as aloof or standoffish? Was I to nervous, to comfortable, ask the wrong questions? Those are things you really can't ask someone 1 on 1 directly after an interview, but they can and have to - their livelihood depends on it. It's the best way to understand how others see you when you're interviewing.
Head hunters typically bypass the HR fiasco. When you submit a resume to a company today in response to a posting, no one looks at it - a program (AI) does. If the line "Must know TCP/IP" is a requirement and your resume says, "Developed with NIST and IEEE the current layer 3/layer 4 protocols used for communications" you won't get a call, because the AI system may not equate that to "knows TCP/IP", and 95% of people in HR certainly don't know that either. The hiring manager probably does though, and that's where the head hunter puts your resume...in the hiring manager's hands. So skip the HR hassle
Planning - put money away. It will hurt, but do it. You will lose your job or quit your job one day, no matter what industry you're in. Having some money in the bank will make all the pain of saving it worthwhile. I invest in stocks (and I didn't start with a ton of money either)
Learning tech is great, but it will be the use of soft skills that put you over the top. How to write an email, how to write a document, how to effectively communicate, how to effectively influence a situation. I begrudgingly took courses early in my tech career on these things, and I mean I hated it, but man, I can't count the times I've put them to use.
Necessary_Emotion565@reddit
It’s never been this bad though, due to corporate greed fuelling offshoring. Tech advances means it’s now super easy for someone in India to work on systems in Australia.
It’s all about cost cutting and yoy profit increases.
badaz06@reddit
That I have to agree with, the off-shoring to India. What's worse is that 95% of the people that I've dealt with there aren't at all technical - taking a class using a virtual machine and passing a test means zip. One thing you don't have over there versus here in the US is that you're not giving them all visas to come and take the few jobs that do remain onshore like they do in the US. "Oh we can't find workers!" BS...you can you just dont want to pay them.
Resident-Condition-2@reddit
It's a tough market right now. Stay in networking.
xstrex@reddit
Save your money now, invest it, whatever.
After 24yrs in the industry here’s my advice: In earlier years you could work for a company, actually get retirement, and maintain stable employment for decades.
Since then, retirement is gone, secure employment is gone, wages plummeted, and companies give zero fucks about you, your job, or your future. Because you are just a number, and can be replaced by 5 guys in India for less money.
So, do your job, go through the dog & pony show, make yourself look good on paper, get recognized for accomplishments, etc. and keep your goddam resume updated at all times. Also, constantly be making connections on LinkedIn, connect with all your immediate coworkers, contractors, companies you work with. Stay ahead of problem.
Keep in mind, no job is secure, no job is permanent, and the companies you work for give zero fucks about you. So, give zero fucks about them. Take their money, save as much as you can, and focus on advancing your career. Doing what’s best for you, and expect to be laid off, because you probably will be, but at least you’ll be ready for it, but don’t give them a reason either.
On that note I wouldn’t ask for more money- you’re absolutely worth it, and you’ll stick out like a sore thumb on a budget sheet. When (not if) they come through doing more layoffs, the expensive people go first, so don’t be one of them.
Job safety is an illusion, it’s just another stepping stone until it’s not, so don’t depend on it being stable, and be ready to move when they eliminate your position.
Think_Network2431@reddit
There is 7999999999 personnes that don't work at your workplace, a lot are happy.
HaloDezeNuts@reddit
Save up for that FU MONEY!!!!
That’s what’s been helping me is just working extra jobs on the weekends and stacking EXTRA cash so I’m prepared for the shit storm of losing a job.
The end goal is to lower my mortgage by refinancing with more put down so my mortgage is lowered a lot
Firerain@reddit
Stay in networking. Physical networking still has jobs popping up on a semi-regular basis.
Regular sysadmin, wintel stack and devops stuff is getting absolutely cooked right now.
There will always be a need for physical networking engineers. If you can upskill, get your CCNP. It’ll help in future
ElectricOne55@reddit
How is cloud computing? I've been in tech 6 years in a variety of roles: help desk, system admin, and now cloud migrations. Idk if I should stay in tech with the job market the way it is or change careers?
Necessary_Emotion565@reddit
Offshoring dream ….
I’d bail out of tech tbh if it’s not too late for you
Once the bills get too high, it’s too hard to change careers due to the drop in pay
ElectricOne55@reddit
Do you think it's giving up a lot though since I have 5 years of experience and multiple certs including: A+, Net+, Sec+, Azure, CCNA, and Google cloud certs? I noticed once I started working that employers never asked about certs as much as youtubers made it out like they would. I don't feel like I enjoy that much either and it's a lot to remember. I hate that it's so hard to get an interview in tech and that the interviews feel like SAT tests.
Some have said that cloud is still in demand and that tech goes through swings. Idk if it's a tech issue or that the job market as a whole is bad no matter the field. I feel like with 6 years of experience I should be getting more than 7 interviews from the 70 applications I filled out.
If I did change careers it'd be to go into radiation technology, accounting, or athletic training. All would be pay cuts from my current role. In radiation technology it may be easier to get interviews and get hired compared to tech. I feel like there wouldn't be any upward mobility or raises though.
Would you recommend any of these options or stay in tech?
wownz85@reddit
I’ve got two pages of line item high level certs / quals. Never once got me a job. Only been used to grease things like Microsoft partner kickbacks
ElectricOne55@reddit
Same for me as well. My current job wants me to get Google cloud and analytics certs. Outside of this job one really uses Google cloud though. The Microsoft and Google certs ask super specific questions to where it feels like you're studying for the question like an SAT test. On YouTube, they hype up comptia. I've noticed that only federal government jobs want comptia. Some companies I interviewed for in the private sector didn't even know what comptia was. I was like wtf.
The kickbacks stuff is weird too. Like my current manager said he had 1 to 2 clients a year ask about something. So then he will go to the extreme and demand I get a cert over something that 2 clients bring up, like wtf.
Ruminatingsoule@reddit (OP)
Thanks. I just worry about the future of physical networking going away for the most part besides huge data centers (that employ only a handful of engineers per builfing) and the advent of cloud, that companies will see less of a need for traditional networking.
Altruistic-Map5605@reddit
Brush up on wireless, NAC, fabric, zero touch, and ztna.
Anonymo123@reddit
I'll disagree with this one. I still work in a lot of data centers and the larger ones with 3 shifts have multiple networking folks per shift. Typically the NOC has one or two and then the folks that do actual rack\stack\cabling for clients have a few. Sure anyone can cable but not everyone can design the networking stack, install it and maintain it properly. I've noticed more and more clients are paying the DC teams to do work rather then do it themselves. Even the ones with a day shift only, still have a few. They are building more DCs, they are always a solid choice to work and they are everywhere.
uptimefordays@reddit
Cloud tenants still have networking and still need engineers with networking experience.
Firerain@reddit
Those datacenters will need people to build them out.
If you’re US based, get your Sec+ and apply to some defense contractor companies and you’ll pick up work as a networking specialist pretty much anywhere in the world.
I have friends that are DBAs, Wintel SMEs and networking SMEs. The network guys are eating good right now. The rest are panicking a bit
playahate@reddit
It's an awful market, it's not just you.
How to avoid the constant fear? You really can't, just plan as best as you can and life is going to do whatever it decides to do.
Windows95GOAT@reddit
This has to be an usa issue surely? Here in the EU you pretty much get hired the same day you leave somewhere in IT.
Windows95GOAT@reddit
Fear? My sister in tech, fired today is a job tomorrow. Atleast in my country if you are even remotely close to the IT field.
I know atleast 8 old colleagues that i can call to get an interview with atm.
Happy_Macaron5197@reddit
first thing i want to say is that 7 years of experience, a CCNA, network+, az-900 AND enrolled in a bachelor's program is not an undesirable profile. something else is happening and it's worth diagnosing rather than internalising
the ghosting after recruiter screens and first interviews usually points to one of two things: resume to role mismatch, meaning you're being screened in for jobs where something on paper isnt matching what they expected, or interview presentation, where the experience is there but the way it's being communicated in the moment isn't landing. neither of these is a you problem, they're fixable problems
honestly with your certs and background a shift toward cloud networking or network automation roles might open more doors than lateral network analyst moves. those titles are where the hiring is actually happening right now
and on the fear side, the anxiety is completely valid but it's also making the job search harder than it needs to be. you have more to offer than the market is currently reflecting back at you and that gap is usually a strategy problem not a skills problem
hang in there, 35 with your background is not a cliff, it's actually a really strong place to pivot from
Necessary_Emotion565@reddit
Az900 is entry level. Az700 ? is the cloud networking certs, this would be the better option
Happy_Macaron5197@reddit
Thanks for helping me will definitely keep that advice in mind 🙏
MrBensonhurst@reddit
Consider jobs in higher education or government that are unionized. Generally more stable overall as well.
spazzvogel@reddit
Aside from an emergency fund of a year, I’d probably not be comfortable, and I’m not ever over the fear.
darthfiber@reddit
Do you feel confident with the questioning in the interviews? Are you able to go into depth on everything in your resume? Good soft skills?
Some insight I’ll offer from interviewing people. Many people often find themselves in entry level roles at larger orgs especially but with mid to senior level titles. If that’s the case you may need to accept that you aren’t qualified for those roles.
Hint: If you need to ask for help in home networking rather than providing help you aren’t at the level of Network Analyst. I don’t mean this to discourage you, focus less on certs or degrees and more on gaining knowledge. Setup a home lab and build, use vendor labs, read more. Get to where you want to be before your company forces you to make a move.
cheezgodeedacrnch@reddit
It took me 10 years of working networking jobs to move from 85-95k to finally over 100k and when I did it was a huge jump to 140k.
Tilt23Degrees@reddit
The entire market is dog shit and we have zero control over the fact that we are all being replaced by the third world because they can take a salary for 6.75 an hour and we cannot because we fucking can’t afford to even eat on those wages.
It’s a race to the bottom, I’ve been in the Bay Area for 10 years and I am disgusted with what I see going on in corporate.
ibringstharuckus@reddit
I just gotta make it 6.5 more years. I really worry about some of my guys that are in their late 20s and 30s.
VoiceOfAnimals@reddit
If there is a threat of layoff, there is a possibility of a layoff which means one has to consider pivoting elsewhere.
Zaiakusin@reddit
I left a job in IT after 2.5 years of taking shit from an asshole with legs.... it took a year to get even 1 interview(which would have been fine except for said ex asshole boss not providing a reference like he said). Took another year to hear back from any position in ANY field. Got a good CSS job now but it took 2 years. I have a diploma and 15 years in tech related position experience.. job market is just fucked. Doesnt help that some places use dogshit ai to skim resumes for buzzwords to filter people out.
ObiLAN-@reddit
Look into the none traditional "IT" fields like mining, manufacturing, and automation. Theres been a bit of a push recently around machine network infra/security. Atleast here in Western Canada. Lots of grain, fertilizer, and mining sites looking for proper network setups theses days. Especially when it comes to proper physical networking on said sites.
redex93@reddit
I don't know what country you live in but anyway, please don't let this be why you don't have kids. If you don't want them that's fine. But jobs come and go and careers rise and fall. Kids are flexible and ultimately just need love everything else is a bonus.
As for a career in networking, networking is becoming more and more a niche requirement. Many businesses can go years and years and never need one, if ever. Next time you apply, don't tell them about kids or your life, just say your available. He'll maybe don't even say your married. Married but no kids might make them think that kids are on the way and that would be risky for them but stuff them.
Necessary_Emotion565@reddit
Plenty of people not having kids due to the state of the world
Also needing 2 incomes to pay the bills and not having any supports (family etc) to help with child caring is another reason.
It’s very wise to consider financials - it’s stressful and a shitty life for kids when money is a problem. Missing out of stuff and experience, parents fighting all the time, anxiety … not something kids should go through.
redex93@reddit
I'd argue people with that mentality are just prioritising their existing lifestyle. Which is completely fine also, but if someone wants kids I'm just telling you that you can make it work. The anxiety and stress and fighting come from the loss but if you go in knowing what youve signed up for it's a bit easier.
DramaticErraticism@reddit
IT is cyclical, it ebbs and flows just like the general job market. 3-4 years ago, anyone could find a job during the COVID employment boom. Now the job market is in the tank and we are in a recession. The recession will end and times will be better again.
Just have to hope you can hang on to a role until that point, really.
Necessary_Emotion565@reddit
Covid era won’t happen again. That was a blip on the radar
We have had offshoring and outsourcing and cheap migrants on visas eroding tech jobs for 15+ years now. AI is the next job thief
sabre31@reddit
I been in this field a while and never seen it this bad. Any kid going into school for computer science today should change majors asap imo. All these companies sending labor overseas for cheap rates and now AI looking to replace a lot of jobs it makes it harder.
The other issue you and many of us face is that the market is saturated with much more experienced people because they got let go and those people can’t get jobs so they are now accepting low offers and competing with lesser skilled.
2000-2010@reddit
But change to what? healthcare?
Necessary_Emotion565@reddit
AV or Engineering would be my picks.
Almost did engineering at uni but didn’t want to be the only girl in the classes. Ended up being the only girl in after first year of comp sci and software dev anyway
But that was 24 years ago now.
pm_me_your_pooptube@reddit
Pretty much the safest field with expected growth to continue for the foreseeable future. Of course dependent on what part of the field you go into.
One thing I read somewhere a while ago that really stood out to me was - "there will always be sick and dying people".
As bad as that sounds, it is guaranteed job security.
narcissisadmin@reddit
This will always be the case, as long as the money is in the treatment and not the cure.
SAugsburger@reddit
To be fair computer science typically is more designed to prepare for development related jobs than sysadmin jobs. Dev jobs have crashed harder than IT Operations because they're more heavily influenced by big tech layoffs. There are many people doing IT Operations in companies that people wouldn't recognize as tech companies so while there is impact from tech layoffs trying to put them in the same category is over generalized a bit.
0263111771@reddit
I will add this, after 7 months of being unemployed I just today took a job working in a warehouse. Sometimes we need to take a step back before we can move forward again.
CeC-P@reddit
From experience, keep your resume up to date. Bare minimum keep a text file with "started - finished" important dates. Might as well put in when you moved addresses, opened bank accounts, etc too just because.
Then have established accounts ready to go at Indeed, LinkedIn (but turn it to private), ZipRecruiter, and like 1 other I don't remember the name of. Might be smart to get your name in at a few high end contractor to hire companies too like Robert Half or some trash-tier ones like Tek Systems.
Then you just hit the "available" switch if you get blindsided. Also, have $100k in a high interest savings account. Trust me! The fastest I've ever gone from fired to starting was 5 weeks and that was like lightning. 3 months is more common.
AdultContemporaneous@reddit
I accept the fact that I might just start over in an entirely different career, like I have done before, and it will be a whole new experience. It actually keeps me pretty level-headed at work and reminds me that a job is just a job. Sometimes you get them, sometimes you lose them. I always do my best, of course, but it is what it is. There are things you cannot control.
Hyperion_Silenus@reddit
10+ years in, and I'm very cautious about what he move I should make. I guess I'm in the same boat as everyone in here.
Centimane@reddit
Depends how you're applying, but big job websites may as well be dead. Postings on those get spammed with hundreds of applications, and companies can't sift through the pile. They gets tons of under qualified applicants, applicants that are lying on their resume, and a small percentage of good applicants in that mix.
While it is a lot more effort, going through the careers section of a company website is far more effective. It's more work on you, but a lot less on them.
AmiDeplorabilis@reddit
You don't... unless you are self employed, and even then, you're only contracted to support someone until they say it's over.
narcissisadmin@reddit
Having 6 months of income set aside in savings helps dispel this fear.
PersimmonBig8945@reddit
I've been thinking of making my own job, if no one will have me. I'm already employed but dream of starting my own MSP or something. Maybe that could be an option for you too?
unknwnerrr@reddit
I've come to terms that I will need to move if I want to stain IT.
gyyoome@reddit
This! I have come to terms regarding this. Once i am done with my masters, i am moving.
unknwnerrr@reddit
Where you off to? NYC is calling my name. I throw feelers out there all the time and I always get calls back.
Public_Warthog3098@reddit
I'm in NJ. You do not want to be in nyc. 🤣
unknwnerrr@reddit
Lol is NJ better
Public_Warthog3098@reddit
Most ppl who work in nyc commute in. You won't be saving anything when rent is like 8k a month.
DramaticErraticism@reddit
NYC is expensive, just depends if you care about size of apartment and being in NYC and having easy access to NYC or if you'd rather have a bigger place.
If you are ok with a 2800 dollar 550 sq foot studio in LES, you can live in NYC just fine. If the idea of a studio sends chills down your spine, then you probably don't want NYC.
doggodoesaflipinabox@reddit
NYC is great to visit, awful to live in. Best to commute from nearby like Long Island/New Jersey
gyyoome@reddit
Anywhere down south tbh. I am tired of the Midwest winters.
unknwnerrr@reddit
I feel it. Pick Colorado lol
gyyoome@reddit
If i get an offer from there, i am moving lol.
unknwnerrr@reddit
Yea go south but not too far down lol. I'm on Texas and wouldn't recommend it here unless it's Austin or Dallas.
gyyoome@reddit
Yeah, i have my eyes on Dallas mostly.
Chaucer85@reddit
As somebody working in Dallas right now, poke around Richardson or Plano. These are small urban areas with feeder highways and metro light rail into Dallas proper. And AT&T is moving out of downtown into Plano. Frontier (soon to be Verizon again) is also based out of Plano.
Anonymo123@reddit
I'm in Denver, job market is tight here and it's considered a hcol area. Lots of variety, but definitely not as lucrative as it used to be.
gyyoome@reddit
I guess it is everywhere?
Anonymo123@reddit
I'd say so. with the layoffs people are spreading around it seems. CO used to be a solid IT place but its not so much anymore. When we post any positions we get mainly over-skilled folks trying to get a paycheck. I will say a lot of people have crap resumes and cover letters anymore.
NeverDocument@reddit
This too shall come to pass. Learn the AI tools out there though, that'll become your new skill set. The first time some company fires their teams and let's AI run a new terraform and get's their 400,000 AWS bill, they'll be hiring people back.
llDemonll@reddit
If you’re not getting interviews or you’re getting ghosted then you need to work on your resume and your interview skills.
We hired another engineer two months ago, in a large city, and the quality of applicants was poor. We reviewed maybe 200 applicants, screened maybe 20-25, and had actual interviews with 5 or 6. Sent a job offer to 1 and had 1 on backup.
A good resume will get you an interview (and answering any screening questions well, if applicable).
A good screening interview where you actual represent what your resume says you’re capable of will get you a technical interview.
A good technical will get you a job offer.
If one of those links is broken you need to work on that part first. Most people are poor at writing resumes and it works against them. I’m one, I dislike writing resumes. Resume should explain briefly what you did and how it benefitted the business. Cost savings, time savings, getting some large project over the finish line, etc. If a non-technical person can’t decide if you’re a good candidate or not from your resume then it’s not a good resume, because most of the time that’s who is doing the initial review.
karlsmission@reddit
I work in virtual infra, I doubt that our jobs are going to go away any time soon.
Where are you located? it might be worth looking into moving to another state.
hitman133295@reddit
Can’t control if they will fire you so why fear or worry too much? You have a job now, go out and start interviewing
Ruminatingsoule@reddit (OP)
I've been interviewing. I always get ghosted after the initial screening or 1st interview with the hiring team.
ElectricOne55@reddit
I agree. I'm at the 6 year experience mark too, and it feels harder to get an interview now than when I had less experience. I'll apply for 70 jobs and maybe get 5 interviews.
SAugsburger@reddit
At least you're getting interviews. Some are struggling to do that. Chances are something about how you're interviewing isn't making the cut to the next round. Sure sometimes the first round interviewer never saw your resume before 15 minutes before the interview, but usually they at least glanced at it and decided you looked good on paper and wanted to see if the expectations met reality. With how competitive interviews have become might minor differences in vibe might have decided who gets a second round. Often numerous people interviewed could in theory do the job, but somebody sounds a better fit for company culture.
Apotheosis29@reddit
Perhaps have someone you know/trust interview you, especially if you can remember any of the questions and have them ask you. As long as they are not afraid to give you productive criticism. Maybe you need to be more confident, maybe less confident. Maybe you say "uhm" too much. Could be a million things. So having someone else interview you, then can give advice.
hitman133295@reddit
So? Keep doing it until you get a new job. At least you already have a job
rolltied@reddit
Ironic. I've been trying to get into sys admin from networking. Networking jobs don't seem bountiful at all at the moment.
ProperEye8285@reddit
First off, you haven't done anything wrong. Having experienced the dot-com bubble first hand, this is what a bubble looks like. I'm calling it the A-I bubble and its gonna suck. During the dot-com crash I rode it out longer than most and at one point was looking at a resume from a network architect from MCI with 20+ years experience who wanted my job as a field tech. I got laid off and went back to cooking for a decade, my HS/college "fallback" career. Also, getting political for a moment, Americans elected a game show host as president...twice. His love is for sale to the highest bidder. That's gonna *fudge* up the economy, and not in a small way. Now is the time to focus on your friends, family, and as others have said, network. If you really want kids, there will never be a "good" time. Kids will always be expensive. the real question is, "Do I want to be a parent? Or, is this just society telling me what I want?" Security doesn't come from a job as it did in times past. Loyalty is one directional, from you to the company. Problem solvers will always be needed, upskill in diagnostics and I think you'll be in demand. Educated, Wild-Ass Guess; there will be an emerging market to unscrew all the things that LLM's/AI are going to screw up because they lack common sense or morals.
0263111771@reddit
Layoffs are inevitable now. We saw the Government Layoff people off, we saw Google Layoff off some of their senior techs. Layoffs are going to happen. Try to get a security clearance, it gives you some benefits in finding a job. Depending on what you are doing in IT but you need to stay caught up with things. Of course AI is the big shiny thing right now. But that could just be you getting a basic cert for AI and have that on your resume.
Certs Count!
Network! Make as many connections as you can and reach out to them.
Stay strong! The market is fugging scary right now. People have been laid off for months... But IT is not going away since the world is now basically running on it. You need to be ready to ride the storm out.
Last, The best time to find a new job is when you have one. Advice I did not take and wish I had.
SAL10000@reddit
This is a brutal but honest answer...
Make yourself more valuable. Skill A that was super in demand today, may not be in demand tomorrow, so need to learn skill B.
After 13 years in the industry, the one thing I have learned is that tech changes and you have to stay up to date to be relavent. Adapting is imperative.
SAugsburger@reddit
Honestly, that's about the best thing you can do. OP's company might sack them regardless of what they do. The way to worry less is to feel more prepared to land on your feet somewhere else. It is a legitimate concern that they keep removing positions so you can't really tell someone not to worry.
kungfu1@reddit
If it makes you feel any better, im an old fart in this industry who is principal level with 30 years of expirience, and im equally as afraid. For me personally im expirincing extreme burnout due to how everything has evolved and it's making trying to do anything at all proactive with my career very difficult.
CaliPlant707@reddit
Same here. 30 years in the industry, mid level management. I just try to prove my worth with not only addressing IT functions but proactively helping the business needs with simple things like process efficiency with under utilized tools in our stack. It's always surprising to me for example how many tools people aren't using in Office 365. Doing lunch and learns help spread the word that I'm a resource beyond just day to day IT keeping the lights on. I have come to expect that I can't control it if they fire me. I've given up on stressing that. Would I be fucked if they did? Absolutely, but that's a bridge to cross when the time comes.
kungfu1@reddit
I feel you. This timeline is honestly soul draining. I’m basically doing very little impactful work, and instead being asked to dream up literally anything and everything with AI. Every executive on the planet is asking all of us in tech to speed run replacing ourselves with AI so they can lay us off and increase profits and buy themselves another yacht. It’s all so exhausting I can’t bring myself to focus on trying to develop new skills that I could maybe possibly use to keep myself relevant.
Sweet_Mother_Russia@reddit
Regarding kids… I have none… but I don’t think there’s really ever a “good time” for people like us (the chronically anxious and unassured lol)
OneSeaworthiness7768@reddit
You prepare. By having an emergency fund. 3 months of expenses minimum. 6-12 to be on the safer side.
unstopablex15@reddit
How many apps are you submitting? IMO it's a numbers game, the more you submit the better your chances. Send out like 10-20 apps a day. Also, make sure your resume is polished up, have AI review it for you.
Public_Warthog3098@reddit
Force a network outage and make yourself a hero. Milk this before AI takes over lol
Certain_Prior4909@reddit
Old fashioned common sense. Save 6 months salary. Life aint fair buddy.
I wish it was. But it is what it is. If you save 6 months and have a paid off car you will be in great shape in a long term job loss. You will also have the power to say no to crappy helpdesk jobs to find something NOW.
Save your money and have no car payments is wise advice. Within a year you will find something and in 6 months you can do a part time gig while you look without worrying about being homeless.
Sucks but what are you going to do?
nycdarkness@reddit
Start branching into security and learn some coding like python (if you have not already) is what I would suggest. You have a strong base to start from with a networking background. This is my personal experience, so take it with a grain of salt. I started with a CCNA coming out of high school, and I landed my first part time job as a network security auditor and that was over 20 years ago. I've never felt having one skill set is enough in landing a gig, always be learning and expanding. Not just in the category you started with. I went from networking/sys, database, to cloud, to security. It's an endless grind, but if you want to always have opportunities, then you need to be on the latest band wagon or have those whom are hiring you feel that you are.
uptimefordays@reddit
Finish your degree, keep learning. If I were you, I would brush up on Linux and Kubernetes because there's a very high demand for that skill-set and still not enough people with K8s knowledge.
markth_wi@reddit
So long as stuff breaks engineers and networking folks will have jobs. Not because the robots aren't coming, it's that when the CEO reverts to a raging blubbering toddler and shits' still not working, they may need someone from IT to come and "fix it".
So think of yourself less as at the death's grip of some Terminator coming to exterminate mankind, and it's important for folks to recognize that of all the various characters I find has a job most like mine these days, it's Mr. Wolf.
Be like Mr. Wolf.
CeC-P@reddit
If there's one single area of IT that's always got listings consistently over the last 20 years, it's networking. Even when I can't find basic level 2 and up support jobs, I scroll through pages of networking jobs. So that's nice at least.
killerpotti@reddit
I'm about 5 years older, but in a similar boat at hyperscaler..they keep firing our kind and it's tough to get a new job in this economy. What I'm doing is quitting myself. ..it will be tough but I will try and see if I can get my startup going.
I have done idea for you, we can connect via DM if interested.
losekiloaskme@reddit
That constant uncertainty really wears you down. It’s like living on edge all the time, it’s not normal.
gixxer-kid@reddit
Try to go to an MSP?
You have the right skills maybe get your CV reviewed by a recruiter?
I think we all live with the same fear at the moment!
Live-Juggernaut-221@reddit
Ingot laid off, through no fault of my own, twice in two years. Second time was a basket case of a company, most toxic environment I've ever been in in 20 years in tech.
Therapy helped a lot. EMDR to work through the more traumatic bits. Can't recommend highly enough. It's not perfect, but I'm so much more confident than I was.
notcordonal@reddit
Que sera, sera.
Keep learning. Keep earning certs. Keep being proactive at your job and adding as much value as you can, not only for their benefit but for yours as well- your resume and skills will only get better.
There will be more opportunities. The job market will get better and then it will stink again and then it will get better once more.
Control what you can. Don't sweat what you can't.
Brutact@reddit
Perfectly summed up.
sudo_vi@reddit
I don’t know how to help you get over it when I have the same fear.