Life After Layoff--Finding a Job and So Much More
Confirm and Sign.
With one last click on the Docusign, I signed the offer from my future employer, and marked an end for my COVID job hunt, which was started by another Confirm and Sign click, the Layoff Severance Agreement of my former employer, one month earlier.
If you are like me and were laid-off due to the virus, I want you to know that you are not alone. Getting laid-off was devastating, and it left me feeling sad and isolated. But my news feed continued to reveal that there were many more like me. People from companies like Bird, Opendoor, Lyft, Airbnb, Uber, Glassdoor, and many others were losing their jobs too. The heartbreaking reality is that many of us have now faced job insecurity, and not for any fault of our own. And for those on a Working Visa, the complications of losing a job were amplified.
I am writing today because getting laid-off was miserable, the month that followed was a roller-coaster of experiences and emotions, but I succeeded and I want to share my story with you, in hopes that it will be a message of hope.
The pain of being laid-off is real, but this too shall pass. I may not be able to land you a job, and I certainly can’t travel the journey for you, but I’d love to be a source of encouragement to you along the way. You can do this. You are not alone.
Story 1: Getting laid off, and finding the (bay) bridge over troubled waters
My CEO’s email popped into my inbox at 10am sharp. The subject read, “This is an email I wish I never had to send” At the time I received the email, I was just two miles from home — a morning bike ride with the Bay Bridge as my backdrop. As I scanned his email, my heart sunk. The bay area was quickly becoming a place of troubled waters for people like me, living in one of the world’s most expensive cities and forced out of a job.
As I raced home that day on my bike I kept peering at the bridge. All I could feel was anxiety and ominous darkness befallen me since receiving the fateful email from my CEO. I didn’t believe it at the time, and I wish I would have. I wish I had fully trusted from the start that there was a bridge over these troubled waters.
I got home quickly, hoping to check in with people from work. To my surprise, however, my work computer was locked; my slack account and email deactivated. Without a chance to properly bid farewell or even wrap up a critical task, I was laid-off. I was one of 250 that had been forced out and erased from the community.
It hurt and a part of me wanted to wake each day and just turn back to sleep, but instead I got up each day and laced my shoes. Under the tremendous stress of this current COVID crisis, I have discovered that running relieves tremendous stress for me. Lately, I have taken a five-mile run each day along the Embarcadero along the Bay, just before dinner. I don’t know what your best mode of workout is, but whatever it is do it regularly. Say no to sulking and yes to moving; no to feeling down and yes to getting up and out the door.
My running has been more than just good for me physically. As I run past the CDC testing center, I am reminded how fortunate I am to be healthy. Amid the stress and exhaustion of interviews and take-home assignments from my potential companies, I would jog through SF and see how others were impacted adversely by the virus. This daily reframe led me to become less resentful of being laid-off and more grateful for the work experiences I had been given with my old company — experiences which taught me many new skills, expanded my professional network, and meaningful stories to share with interviewers.
With each run, my heart racing and breath warming inside the facemask, I would lift my eyes and behold the Bay Bridge over a shiny sea. My bridge over troubled waters.
Being laid off immediately led me into the feelings of sadness and anxiety, but through the process I discovered enormous empathy for others and gratitude for the very breath in my lungs. At the end of this journey, I can look back and say that I am grateful for the company that laid me off, because the invaluable work experience I had. I am grateful for the interviewers and recruiters who rejected me, even those who did so for no apparent reason, because the interviewing practice I was able to gain was valuable. And I am especially grateful for my friends and family that encouraged me regularly.
I can never try to rationalize this journey and say it was meant to be, but I believe that we can choose to be grateful. That is what I did, and it made the difference. Doing so will elevate you from the negative energy and allow you to discover the goodness that may come from the challenges you face — your bridge over troubled waters.
Story 2: Managing rejection is a total bummer, but hang in there.
“Would you please give me some feedback on why I was rejected?”
…Two weeks later…
“… It was mostly a matter of timing for the role. However, I had a follow up chat with the team, and would like to schedule a call for you to chat with the hiring manager, our VP…”
Weird recruiter exchanges like this were not an uncommon theme during this season. On another occasion, I had totally nailed the take-home assignment only to receive the following feedback:
“We were able to review your assignment and unfortunately have decided not to proceed further at this time. …while it’s good for a data audience to show he did all the work, it leads to confusion to other stakeholders”
This time, I got penalized, for knowing and doing too much. My 10+ hours of effort was rewarded with a 10-second rejection email.
I share these stories to help us laugh about what can be a rather grueling experience. And while most of my interview experiences were positive, there were a number of unpleasant experiences. Sadly, in this COVID job market, where talent is oversupplied, it is not uncommon for candidates to eat shit. Firms can waitlist candidates for weeks (without telling them), then ultimately send follow-ups when their top candidate turns down the offer. Another common tactic companies will do to stall the process is to continue rescheduling with candidates for the next round — they push the dates until the waitlist gets to you, without ever revealing that you were on a waitlist.
Part of being human is to care what others think of us, especially those in a position of power. If you receive a rejection, ask for feedback before you start to feel down on yourself. Many times the rejection has nothing to do with you, your skills, or your interview performance. If the company will give you feedback, it may help you realize that it was not you at all. Or perhaps it was something slight that you can tweak and change for your next interview
Feedback is critical and can be a two-way street. The company often wants feedback from candidates too. I received a rejection letter from a company. I asked for feedback. They refused to do so, but then followed up asking me to provide them feedback on my interview experience. I replied: “I will gladly give you feedback once you let me know why I was rejected.” LOL
Story 3: Don’t be a jerk, even when others are.
“If you did so much work like how you described, why were you laid off?” — a hiring manager
When I received a question like this, I didn’t know how to respond. Should I tell him that the layoff was not performance, but functional based? Should I let him know that our CPO was also laid off? Should I explain that the failure of my company to weather the COVID hit was not my fault?
I don’t remember exactly how I responded to his question, but I do remember that I was so tripped up by his question that when it came time for me to ask him my questions, I asked “why should I join your company over other offers I have?” His answer revealed that he did not like the question so much. He responded: “I’m not gonna sell my company to you. If you know what we are about then I don’t think you need to ask that question.” I was speechless for a good 10 seconds.
Unfortunately, when employers are flooded with desperate candidates, you will face frustrations like this. The power difference is real and felt, but don’t let it get the best of you. In the instance above, I should have done better. So, I encourage you to learn from my mistake. Do better! Now perhaps more than ever is the time to do our part in making the world a better place. Vent your frustrations to friends and job hunting buddies. Kick your laundry, throw a pillow across the room, and move on. Don’t let a jerk interviewer get the best of you.
Story 4: While you might be job insecure, interview with supreme confidence
My first job offer injected me with a much needed boost of self-confidence, and I felt freer during the interviews that followed. Most know that in tech, people can, for the most part, wear whatever they want. During COVID this seems to have become especially true. I have been interviewed by people in t-shirts, practically pajamas, and sometimes a cat jumping on their desk and a parrot flying on their heads (I’m not kidding). So, once I received my first offer, I loosened up and decided to have a little more fun with it. With an interview with the CPO of a company on the east coast, I wanted to emphasize my willingness to relocate and so wore the football jersey for that city. The interviewer had a good laugh and it made for great conversation. More personally, on the day that I learned my good friend was let go from Airbnb, I was pretty sad for her and wanted to boost my mood. So, I did my next interview in a Hawaiian shirt and festive hat. I even changed my Zoom to a beach background. I was just trying to boost my mood, but the interviewers actually loved it. Apparently, my newfound confidence was resonating well.
The more confident and comfortable I became, the quicker the offers came. Changing my mood (and even my outfits) allowed me to be calmer, more composed, and even helped me deliver complex responses to case interviews with more poise and structure. A more relaxed and confident version of myself helped me to appear more personable, which is particularly important when we are forced to interview virtually.
So, I urge you to dig deep and find that inner confidence. Chances are that you are actually overqualified for most jobs that you are interviewing for. So, there is no question about your technical abilities or job readiness. It now just comes down to personality and fit. You will demonstrate your best personality and ability to fit with their culture when you relax, show confidence, and be personable.
Story 5: You might feel lost and like you are living in the dark, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Unemployment week 5. 0 offer still.
It was one of my hardest interviewing days. And I had one more to go. The hour prior to the interview, I had collapsed onto my bed, exhausted. It had been a merry-go-round of up and down: any day could be a mix of waking up to an invitation to interview with company A, followed by completing interview with company B, then receiving email that company C has rejected you at the same time as receiving notice that company D has postponed your afternoon interview until later next week, and so on. For whatever reason, one of these calls sent me over the edge. In the middle of one of my hardest interview days, I snapped and actually threw my keyboard to the ground, which somehow left me bleeding just before my next Zoom “on-site” interview (my fifth of the week). I had only 15 minutes to bandage my cut, pull myself together, and put on a smile for the next five hours of a six-person panel interview…
I have never been an “angry person,” but being laid off was enormously hurtful and emotional. I plan to hang this in my office as a reminder that even when things seem darkest, there is light at the end of the tunnel. It will also be a reminder to throw pillows when upset, not keyboards!
Following the long interview, I collapsed onto my bed. My bleeding had stopped, but my keyboard was still busted. Out of the job hunt habit, I began to check my email. To my surprise, I discovered light at the end of my tunnel. The subject line read, “Good News!” And it was really good news! Just two hours after the on-site, I got the first offer!
Job hunting is like gold (or bitcoin) mining. You never know how much effort was enough, and when will you tip the scale of fate. You have every right to feel frustrated and to vent. Please believe in yourself, and keep digging. Be patient. There is an end in sight — or better yet a new beginning. And like a light at the end of the tunnel, it’s hard to know just how far or close it is. I believe your new beginning is coming soon. Keep believing, and keep moving!
Layoffs are miserable. Finding your next opportunity is like being on the bridge over troubled waters. Up here, I have goals before starting my new job. Some are to prep for my new role and others are just for me. I’ll let you decide which is which. I’m learning to roller skate, catching up on movies I’ve missed, and reading up on blockchain. And, hopefully, I can assist great people like you during the job hunt! I want to support however I can. So, whether you know me or not, shoot me an email at realjameswang@gmail.com , and let’s jam it out together!
PS: If you are still in college, check out this other piece I wrote about Breaking into Data Science
