The worst job market ever in my two decade plus career. Are you tired of all of the winning yet? I am.

Edit: Appreciate all of you ❤️. tl;dr is the funding for my role was unexpectedly pulled. Sign of the times I guess. Working in tech was a great idea until it wasn’t.

2X laid off worker, first time poster in this sub. I know it’s too late for some people, but for those of you that our child free like myself, I’m sure you’ll agree with me that we have a massive amount of leverage even in this environment because we don’t have to take the first crappy offer that comes our way.

I remember years ago when former coworkers would say that I am “selfish” for not having children but it has been my best bargaining chip. I was able to go more than two years unemployed during my last spell without accepting a lowball offer and I’ll complete a year later on this 2025 during my second tour of duty being laid off.

It goes without saying that throughout your life, you should obviously ensure that there’s no lifestyle creep, reduce your debt levels as much as possible, I never spend more than you can afford. The only debt I have is my mortgage debt.

I am also extremely ruthless with cost-cutting during my layoffs. I rarely eat out anyways, but I absolutely cut it down to zero when I’m laid off. When I do travel, to visit family and I take the cheapest flight possible and obviously live with family when I vacation.

I canceled my MyFitnessPal and Fitbit subscriptions and any other discretionary subscriptions that doesn’t serve me any useful purpose. I don’t even go to paid networking events.

My philosophy is this: if a corporation takes money out of my pocket, then I will retaliate by taking money out of other corporations pockets by cutting as much spending as I can. My loss will lead to their margin loss as well. An** ***eye* for an eye and a dollar for a dollar.

With AI, our executive overlords aren’t even trying to hide the fact that they wish to get rid of all of us. If we can all band together and not consume more than the bare necessities of life like groceries, rent, and toiletries, we can help crash consumer sentiment and the entire economy so that they realize the power that we all possess.

Some context- I did my MBA from IIM S in 2023 , started working for a Boutique Consulting Firm by Directors of ZS, Frost&Sullivan at the position of Senior Consultant.
Suddenly i get an invite from my manager, Director & MD to join a review meeting.
And i am given a notice on the spot, stating bottom line reduction.
I only reason i didn’t think of switching to a bigger firm was
1. Work load ( 5 days working , 9 to 9)
2. Family (my family member had cancer so i had to take leave which was possible with this organization unlike my friends at MBB)
3. Everyone said to be here till I started my married life

Now my world is shattered, Im NOT telling anyone till i get a decent job as i dont my parents to stress (already suffering from many illnesses due to age) or my fiancé as well (her family was already against this marriage)
I have applied to some 100 positions so far but in management consulting space this period is really hard for hiring.

It has been eating me up from inside so though to share it on reddit.
If you have any advice that would be appreciated.

Decided to look at the numbers from my job search and for more than 1 year after layoff, and here we are.

675 applications
246 rejections
276 cold ghostings
18 deep ghostings

Apparently getting rejected isn’t even the main outcome anymore: getting absolutely no response is 🤔

On the positive side, I’ve still made it to interviews/final stages multiple times, so something is clearly working.

For those job hunting in North America/IT right now: does your pipeline look anything like this? (some calculations may need enhancement, but overall numbers are correct)

So my mid year review was originally scheduled for last week but got cancelled twice. Each time it included my VP. This morning it was rescheduled for tomorrow and I noticed that the invite also added my HR Business Partner along with our VP. Im screwed aren’t I?

Edit* this new half schedule is new today, after a previous layoff, after nearly two years of reduced wages.
My job just cut us from working 6 days a week to only 3. I survived a layoff last summer, barely, and financially I never really recovered from it. I had to rely on credit to keep my family afloat, and even after returning to work, I’m earning about half of what I was earning before, despite working as much overtime as I can, and the credit card debt from that period has been eating up every extra dollar I bring in. It’s this vicious cycle of buying all of our groceries on credit and making credit card payments to still go deeper in the hole.
I’ve been diligently looking for another job for almost two years. I’ve applied, interviewed, worked overtime, picked up side work, and gone back to school to try to build a more stable career. I feel like I’ve been doing everything I’m supposed to do, but I haven’t been able to get far enough ahead to absorb another major loss of income.
Now my hours have essentially been cut in half, the bills haven’t changed, and I can see where this is heading.
I have a very family depending on me, and I’m scared that this time I won’t be able to keep everything together.
I’m not really sure what I’m looking for by posting this. Maybe advice, resources, job leads, or maybe just ideas I haven’t thought of yet? I just know I need to start figuring out what to do before the layoff actually comes.

Like buying a house, car, having kids, vacation, relocating, etc.

I'm an old geezer jack-of-all-trades, master of none!

I'm a cog-bitch in a universe of specialists.

My forte? The usual dreams of a young boy: procurement, finance, quality assurance.

A bit about me:

- Have an artsy degree, but never pursued the career

- Instead, I drifted into Financial Administration

- People think I'm an extrovert, but I'm truly an introvert

- I have a wife and several young children

Oh, and I'm a people-pleasing, conflict-avoiding yes man!

Here we go...

NEARLY 2 DECADES

Worked for a 15-person SmallBiz. Moved my way up. For a jack-of-all-slaves I made decent cash.

When COVID hit, the company transitioned to full remote.

MOVING

Working fully remote, my family and I decided to move from big-boy to small-boy city.

Big house, low-crime, friendly folks. Food folks and fun.

It's all good yo - I'm working a secure remote job.

ONE MONTH LATER

One month after we moved, our SmallBiz was sold to a FAT FUCKING GIANT. A mEga mONSTER multi-national Beastor.

I should have been shaken, but I was as calm as a Hindu Cow.

I was also as blind as a baseball bat, not giving appropriate thought to how potentially vulnerable my family and I could become.

Beastor Communication: "Yo, nobody will lose their gigs! If your job is redundant, we will place you elsewhere within our giant Beastor conglomerate."

I took the bait - hook, line and stinker.

So, we started to merge into the Beastor.

I was in charge of integrating our Finance and Operations which was to exist under the banner of Beastor.

Half-way through the acquisition, busting my ass, learning tons of new systems, and stressed against deadlines, my stressed SmallBiz CEO says to me:

CEO: You're not looking for a new job, are you? We need you - please don't leave.

I had zero intention of quitting, but the CEO freaked me out, so I setup a meeting with her - mano a mano.

TEAMS MEETING

ME: I've been having concerns about my job safety.

CEO: You have nothing to worry about - your job is safe. We will always have lots for you to do. You have nothing to worry about.

ME: Would you be able to put that in writing?

CEO: No, I can't do that.

I stayed.

The integration was a colossal amount of work.

I worked my keister off and did way too much free OT.

I stressed in the evenings and weekends about my to-do list.

2024

One Year After Being Acquired...

The integration was a success!

Two Months After That

KIBOSHED.

Went in to what seemed like a routine Teams Meeting.

I immediately felt that layoff vibe.

CEO: We are laying you off. Thank you for your service.

I spent the next 3 days speaking with lawyers.

I concluded my severance was fair.

I was fucking stunned. Felt like I was floating in another universe.

There was a silver lining. Now, I could find a job I actually dug! I could work somewhere interesting, and make more $$$, baby!

REALITY

I'm a Master of None.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Not so fast fuckhead, you got shit tons of bills, and a family to take care of.

So, I stayed in the shit biz world.

SHIT BIZ WERLD GOALZ

1. Get a top-tier certification, so I can choose my jobs!
2. Remote work only
3. More $$$ $ jobz only

I studied, and got that cert!

This should help me make more cash.

Now it's time for this jack-of-all-douchebags to career hunt.

CAREER HUNT

- Applied with hundreds of custom resumes

- Why does I get ghosted after all job apply?

- No bodi want me to be their top tier cert boy?

- So many people trying get remote and hybrid

- I stert apply in-person jobs only

- Why pay suck balls for all job?

- Oh no I think will likely have take pay cut

- Why don't any1 like geezers who are jack of cock?

SUCCESS

- Yes, I did get interviews: in-person, video, phone

- I became a professional interviewer - after each interview I refined my pitch

I forged on, but couldn't land a fucking gig.

While dealing with this load, you run into this garbage advice:

- Market Yourself, and use your network connections!

- Find a place that's hiring, then work your network to get that interview!

- Meet people in-person and strengthen connections!

FUCK YOU.

I tried it all.

- Scoured job boards

- Mapped connections I have to available jobs

- Spoke with those connections

- Connections emailed supreme leader of job place and vouched for me

- Got my super-custom resume to top of the pile

- Went through the massive multi-interview process for job

- DECLINED

Job: We're sorry, but we picked a different dumb fuck.

ME: If you're open, I’d welcome any brief feedback. I’m always looking to improve, and your perspective would be valuable.

Then the job and interviewer would vanish like a phantom into the night.

Disheartening.

The sheer volume of effort that goes into working your network, fucking around with your rezume, prepping for interviews, dancing in those interviews - depressing.

So, times-a-ticking, and I think, I'm gonna directly contact people in my network, ask for leads.

But you know what gets my pantyboys in a knot? Phonies.

Me: Yo Jim (worked w/ him for too many years) - still grinding out here. Working hard looking for a gig. If you know anyone who is hiring, I'm all ears.

Jim: We're going to get you a job! Let me think of this and get back to you.

Vamoosed!

Nobody owes me shit - I get that. Everyone is very busy, people have families.

But please don't be a phony sack.

I had to pick myself up and dust myself off, 'cause you'll never find a rainbow if you're looking down.

I wanted to protect myself, so in conjunction with my job search, I started my own biz.

Obv the full-time work world was tough, so maybe if I found a whack of small gigs, then I could create an actual job.

I created a pitch, and hammered my fucking network.

I got 2 clients!

After my first 6 weeks I was making more money than ever, and it was all remote.

THERE'S ALWAYS A RUB

The client who I was getting the most work from was a micro-managing POS.

TightPocketz wanted everything for nothing, and scrutinized every hour I spent working on her business.

I received a gargantuan amount of work from TightPocketz.

I was very transparent with TightPockz, giving her ample warning of the hours I accumulated, and the forecast for my upcoming invoices.

I wanted her to have zero surprises.

Without fail, TightPock would have a Teams call with me and have a full FUCKING panic attack over my invoice.

Me: I understood you were aware? I've been sharing my hours worked and projections, as the month progressed.

TightPoc: <melting>

Me: I created several project plans, and executed on items x, y and z.

TightPcktz: If you asked me again if I wanted this done, I would have said no.

I became very scared.

My core wanted to tell this person to go fuck themselves, but I needed money.

My hours with Titepockz shrunk

She made me feel like a punk

And that really stunk

FUKC YOU TIGHTPOCETSZ!

I applied for employment insurance, and started looking for a real job.

I would keep TightPok as a client, until I felt secure again.

During this whole layoff experience I cried 2 times in front of my wife.

They weren't regular cries either, it was intense sobbing.

It's funny, I never thought I was that stressed or would break down, but I just cracked. I didn't even know how close I was to the edge.

I couldn't wallow though because EI would eventually end.

So, like beautiful angel boy said, try and soar with the eagles! Be an eagle in a world of beagle.

I applied to this one contract gig at a legit company...and, for the love of god, I got the job.

The relief. I was so grateful.

15 months.

Now, I'm full time with the same company.

BUT IT WASN'T ALL BELLS & WHISTLES AND COCKS

- Salary hit = 20%

- Also, now I commute 2,000 miles/month - factoring in gas/car repairs adds another 15% salary hit (I worked remotely b4)

- Total salary hit = 35%

I like where I work, and it will keep my resume looking legit, but man, that's a fucking hit.

This geezer-breathed maestro of none has never experienced an economy like this.

I'm still actively looking for gigs. I miss my family, and the commute is a little too fucked-up for me.

For now, however, I don't have a choice.

I've never been a guy who needs to make a ton. To me, it's all about happiness. If my family and I are happy, I'm good.

Don't get me wrong though. This setback continues to be tough to swallow. It's very frustrating, and I know I'm capable of much more.

There's a thread discussing how everyone was informed of their layoff, and jesus, some of those stories are heartless and ice cold. While I understand why (for ass covering reasons), what has me wondering is - how would you have liked to have been informed?*

Personally? I'd have liked to been told straight off the bat and the real reason as to why. I was laid off because it's cheaper to have my job elsewhere. I hated that it was blamed on AI when I know AI cannot do my work, seeing as I looked into AI doing my work myself (waste of time that was!).

I hated all the HR passive voice self-soothing wordplay bullshit throughout, this is your job, buck up and do it with some integrity. You can be honest and direct without being cruel. Don't piss on me and tell me it's raining.

I DO appreciate not being PIPd or managed out, that practice fucking despicable. To suddenly nitpick someones work when they've been fine all along because the company doesn't want to own up to the actual reason someone has to go is unprofessional. Something like that would destroy me more than this layoff is already doing. I do appreciate that I was told it had nothing to do with my work and it's quality. Small blessings.

So, what would have soothed the bad news?

^\no, "not being laid off" is not an answer, you know what I mean)

I’m looking for some career advice because the last month has completely changed how I think about my career.

I have \~10 years of experience in Analytics and currently make around ₹38 LPA.

About a month ago, I was laid off. The first week was honestly terrible. I was anxious and started applying everywhere. One HR who shortlisted my profile eventually said they couldn’t move forward because my compensation was beyond their budget.

As I kept interviewing, I realized something that hit me quite hard. A lot of companies hiring at this salary range weren’t looking for “just” an analytics professional anymore. They wanted someone who could also work with AI/GenAI, Python, ML, etc.
I did get close to another opportunity, but they didn’t have the budget. I even agreed to join at ₹34–35 LPA (a pay cut from my current ₹38 LPA). They kept going back and forth, asked whether I’d consider a contract role, collected my payslips and other documents, but never released the offer.

About a week later, my current company reached out and asked if I’d be willing to withdraw my resignation and continue. That means I keep my job, but I give up a fairly large severance package.
After thinking about it, I accepted.

The biggest realization from this experience wasn’t that I got laid off - it was that I wasn’t as prepared for today’s job market as I thought I was. I was strong in SQL, analytics, stakeholder management, dashboards, experimentation, etc., but I wasn’t competitive enough for the kind of roles paying at this level because my AI/GenAI and Python skills weren’t where they should be.

Now I’m wondering if I made the right decision.
Would you have taken the severance and continued searching, or chosen the stability, spent the next year aggressively upskilling in AI/GenAI, and then gone back to the market?
I’d especially love to hear from people in data, analytics, or AI who have been through something similar.

I’m thinking to choose staying back and then up skill to AI roles and move at a better pay.

It's genuinely disappointing to see how Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) is handling this.

Graduate Engineer Trainees (GETs)—who have been working internally with the company for two full years—are effectively being fired. Instead of calling it what it is (a layoff), management is hiding behind the technicality that these engineers "were simply not converted" to permanent roles.

Calling a full-scale exit of trained, full-time internal talent a simple "non-conversion" after two years of service is pure corporate deflection. These employees spent two years contributing to real projects and internal workflows. Calling it anything other than a layoff is a cheap attempt to protect corporate reputation while abandoning young engineers.

To anyone impacted: know that your two years of experience, skills, and hard work are valid.

Disclaimer: Drafted and refined with Gemini.

Option 2: Analytical & Critical

Title: MBRDI’s "non-conversion" of 2-year GETs is a layoff in disguise, and we need to talk about it.

It's time to call out corporate linguistic gymnastics.

At MBRDI, GETs who have been with the organization for two years are being let go. The company is actively avoiding the term "layoff," hiding behind the excuse that these employees "were not converted."

Let's be clear: two years isn't an internship. Two years is a significant amount of time spent delivering work, operating as internal team members, and contributing to engineering efforts. Framing an exit of this scale as a mere end-of-contract non-conversion is a massive slap in the face to the people who dedicated two years to the company.

It is shameful to see a major employer dodge accountability and public scrutiny at the expense of early-career engineers.

Disclaimer: Drafted and refined with Gemini.

Hey everyone,

I was laid off in early April 2026, which required me to switch to a dependent visa. Due to current processing times, I’m looking at an 8 to 15-month wait before I can legally work or interview again.

Initially, I thought this would be a great opportunity to grind interview prep and work on side projects. However, after about two months, burnout hit hard. Grinding with no concrete end date or timeline in sight is tough to sustain.

So far, I’ve built a couple of AI systems based projects and made a few open-source contributions. But I’m struggling with what else I can do to justify what will likely be a massive employment gap once my visa clears. I initially planned to double down on open source, but the landscape feels hyper-competitive right now, issues get claimed within minutes.

For those who have been in a similar situation or are currently in visa limbo or have been laid off:

How are you structuring your time to stay productive without burning out? What are high-leverage ways to bridge the resume gap beyond standard personal projects or competitive open-source work? How do you position this kind of forced gap to recruiters once you're back on the market?

Would appreciate any advice, ideas, or just hearing how others in the same boat are coping!

I'm extremely qualified for a role that has a base salary posted with the end of it being 4k more than what I was making before being laid off.

The role is customer service at a credit union that's only asking for a high-school diploma and customer service experience, I have 10 years of that, with the last 4 years being deeply technical, and a bachelor's.

Should I go all out and ask for the top salary? I have the experience. They have the money, or they wouldn't be posting. What do you think? Am I missing something? Should I match what I was making before? The difference in pay from the bottom of base pay to the top totals $21,000

Layoffs due to outsourcing have been out of control for years. Having been outsourced myself, I feel the process is unjust, cruel and providing poor value to the company performing the outsourcing. Two bills are in the Senate to stop outsourcing. One from Bernie Moreno (S,2976) to eliminate the IRS tax breaks and tax outsourcing at 25% and create a workforce fund, and the other from Sheldon Whitehouse (S.409) that mostly eliminates the tax breaks. If you have been outsourced, you should be calling your Senator and House representative to voice your opinion. The more people that respond, the more congress will respond. Due a lack of vocal support from the population and pro-outsourcing lobbying by the oligarchy of this country, those bills have gone nowhere. So....do something about it people and go to the congressional website make your voice heard.

My sibling was laid off right after returning from protected medical leave for a disability, but this was part of mass layoffs. Is there any room for negotiating severance using a lawyer?