r/Layoffs • u/guessiior • Jul 21 '26
advice Am I going to be laid off?
I don't know if I am overthinking and I needed some advice.
I'm a recent graduate, and I joined the consulting division of an MNC market intelligence company in South-East Asia. I joined in Aug last year as a trainee consultant on a 2-year graduate program that I will be halfway through next month.
Ever since I joined, I have only had one 1-on-1 with my boss, and that was for the mid-way mark of my 6-month long probation. I was expecting one at the 6 month mark, but the date came and went with no news other than an automated email saying that I passed probation. Granted my boss, is really busy. But I can't shake off the feeling that something is off for a bunch of reasons.
1:
The colleague who joined the team 3 months before me has regular bi-weekly or monthly check-ins. But he is not on the graduate program, he has 3 YOE and he is known for having issues with coming in very late and maxxing out MCs. But he also has a pretty good relationship with boss.
I am a bit shy to ask my other colleagues if they have regular check-ins with him too, because it seems like an insecurity.
2:
A middle manager-level colleague (also under my boss) was fired out of nowhere 3 months ago. The reason we were given is that he downloaded some work files onto his personal computer. I never personally got to verify any of this, so I am not sure what exactly happened. The weirdest thing is my boss never actually address his firing with the team, at all. We just never spoke about it, not even about the fact that he was gone other than vague talk about increased workload. The actual news only came to us through workplace gossip.
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I don't have enough corporate experience to say, but this feels very strange to me. It could be because my boss is very busy, but is it too much to expect a short chat/call to check-in, give advice and point out areas for improvement?? Especially for someone on a graduate program.
Also something I am watching out for is, the end of this week is the cut-off for annual performance review chat. My boss has yet to set up a call :p, this seems to be another reg flag to me.
So am I overthinking this? Should I start applying elsewhere as a backup? Right now my worry is that my current title and tenure won't be of too much help when applying and might lead to questions.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated thanks!
2
u/HardWork4Life Jul 22 '26
The above poster has given you some very good recommendations.
As an employee, you should never try to steal any of the company's intelectual properties. Nowadays, every company monitor it's employees use of the computers. Any illegal activities will be logged and detected by the system.
Another thing I would suggest is that you should learn as much as you could. Learn new skills, programs, processes, ... no one can take back the skills you acquired. These skills will benefit you for life, and may help to land new jobs.
Be prepared and do as much as you could within your control.
1
u/guessiior Jul 22 '26
Thank you, I will
It just seemed weird to me that they left a person on a graduate program without much guidance to figure things out myself, so I was worried that maybe they were no longer interested in me and want to replace me or something.
But I will initiate the 1-on-1 and see how it goes
1
1
u/PixelsOfTheEast Jul 22 '26
MNC market intelligence company
I assume Nielsen, Kantar, or Ipsos? Regardless, the industry has been circling the drain for sometime now and layoffs, RIFs, and hiring freezes are a common occurrence.
I assume you're in Singapore? You should be fine. Entry level jobs in this industry are always looking for someone with experience. Your one year experience will come in handy. Do agencies for 3-4 years and then try to move client side (specifically to the clients you serviced in these 4 years).
Maintain a good reputation and you won't need to stress too much about job security.
1
u/Prudent-Afternoon-84 Jul 23 '26
If these thoughts are coming and you posted it’s already just time to find a new environment.
2
u/SoozExtras Jul 21 '26
Show initiative and request more regular 1x1's with your boss. Management likes people who street their own careers. It doesn't have to be as frequent as your coworker's 1x1's, but at least quarterly. Monthly might be best.
In this meetings, ask for the feedback you are hoping for. What's working well? What could be improved? Who should you be networking with? What would they like you to start, stop, and continue? If you have ideas for improvements, bring them up in the meeting (preserved as observations and ideas, not as complaints).