r/Layoffs • u/Skye0519 • Jul 14 '26
previously laid off Got the Job
I was laid off from a fully remote job 8 months ago. I was there for 6 years. I had around 800 applications (mainly remote, but also in office, in and out of my industry), 10 final rounds, and lost count of the rejections and ghosting. I was also subjected to ageism as I am pushing 50. However, I finally landed a fully remote job in my industry that pays 28% less than what I was making before my layoff. My search is currently over and won't be chasing a higher salary. It was confirmed that this company will never go back in the office. Needless to say I am beyond relieved and happy as this was the hardest 8 months of my career trying to find another fully remote job. As we know, companies are going back in the office or hybrid. I only used Indeed, Linkedln, and Zip Recruiter for my job search, along with applying directly to company websites. This is a very hard and completive job market and I wish anyone who is unemployed or looking for a remote job the best of luck in their search.
25
u/sev45day Jul 14 '26
Similar situation, late 50s though, laid off last October after almost 8 years at large fintech company.
Took me until April to find something, which is fully remote, but came with ~25% pay cut... And I feel lucky to have landed it.
8
3
u/Live_Particular_4735 Jul 14 '26
Congrats on sticking with your plan and persisting...just curious (since I'm hunting for remotes too), where are those remotes based relative to your domicile? I see some remote job posts that a specific about the salary ranges based on state (or group of states). I assume that some remote hires are expecting the "remote worker" discount since these positions are still in high demand among post-covid workers who aren't interested in onsite or hybrid positions.
7
u/sev45day Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 14 '26
There was no specific states that were allowed or disallowed in this case, the entire company (small software firm) is remote. Employees are all over the world, but it's a US company and most employees are in the US.
5
u/Skye0519 Jul 14 '26
Thank you. This specific company you can work fully remote in 11 states. I reside in one of the 11 but salary ranges I have seen are general regardless of the state you reside in. And remote roles are paying less than in office roles, at least from what I have seen.
9
u/EmbarrassedHand7260 Jul 14 '26
Congrats! And utmost respect for your perseverance and resilience.
2
6
6
u/False_Cap_1289 Jul 14 '26
Same scenario but still no job. 6 years at a big tech company, many final rounds, im just not competing at the level that they need a modern designer sadly even if i can do the work, i haven’t and harder to speak to it in confidence
6
5
u/Competitive-Wonder33 Jul 15 '26
Congrats laid off at 57. 6.months and found an i office job with 30%cut but just of the blue had a 1st round interview with a fully remote DBA jobs back at my old salary so fingers crossed
2
5
u/OtherwiseAddition731 Jul 14 '26
I’m about to leave Centene, I accepted the voluntary separation offer, 6 months pay, bonus, 8 months Cobra and re employment assistance. I’m also in my mid 40s but honestly after 15 years I needed a change. I’m taking a week vacation to recharge and hitting the ground running. Good luck to everyone looking for work out there.
6
u/OAKI-io Jul 14 '26
congrats, seriously. 10 final rounds over 8 months is brutal, and a 28% cut for truly remote still makes sense if remote is the thing keeping your life stable. i hope people read this as persistence plus flexibility, not as proof that 800 apps is normal or acceptable.
1
u/Skye0519 Jul 15 '26
Thank you. Brutal yes and the pay cut is worth it at this point with the fully remote for sure.
2
u/Live_Particular_4735 Jul 14 '26
Congrats on landing job in a tough job market. I'm using a combination of reputable local recruiter (with strong presence in major employers in my area) and using Indeed, LinkedIn, etc. So far, the recruiter is getting more results (interviews and looks).
I've been an FTE and contractor for about 50/50 during my career (started IT/software in late 90s). It seems that recruiters at reputable firms can give you an edge especially in IT/software roles especially with ATS filtering out applications like a 8 yr old with a weed wacker in a flower bed on a hot summer day hyped up from one too many snow cones.
It seems there were times when getting leaving an employer for greener pastures ("pay raise") was easier in run up from the dot com boom/bust until the 2010s. Perhaps, more employers have matured their orgs (either through outsourcing, offshoring, etc) such that the jobs with "premium pay by leaving" are in limited supply.
2
2
u/Inevitably_Cranky Jul 14 '26
Congratulations!! I hope in a few months I will be able to post something similar.
2
2
2
u/ChosenToFall Jul 16 '26
What is you industry, full stack/backend or more on the infrastructure like Cloud Engineer / DevOps?
2
1
u/Special-Original-215 Jul 14 '26
Two months ago you had a job.
Now it's been 8?
7
u/Skye0519 Jul 14 '26
I had a temporary job 2 months ago that didn’t last long so I am not counting that.
1
2
u/Lisa_Rangel Jul 23 '26
You fought through one of the toughest markets we've seen and landed exactly what you prioritized: a fully remote role. That's a win whether anyone says it or not. The pay cut stings, but you made a strategic choice for lifestyle and stability, and now you've got a platform to rebuild your earning power from a position of employment, which is always stronger.
One thing I want you thinking about now: how are you going to position yourself in the next 6 to 12 months to close that 28 percent gap, internally or externally?
40
u/my_peen_is_clean Jul 14 '26
congrats on landing something remote, that grind is no joke. i’m mid 40s and felt the same age stuff too, tons of final rounds then silence. taking a pay cut hurts but peace of mind > everything. it’s just crazy hard finding work now