Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry this happened to you, OP. Layoffs aren't personal, they aren't about merit. They are about cost cutting (and sometimes reorgs). That's why some jobs are cut but the company is still hiring in other areas, or still hiring in your area for cheaper people.

If you were bad at your job they would have fired you for cause instead of paying whatever they had to pay to lay you off. You weren't bad at your job.

I hope you can adopt a "their loss" mindset and move forward with new opportunities.

Yes and no.

Most companies keep some people around even if they are subpar because they either want to avoid the hassle of onboarding a new person or because someone is protecting them out of loyalty, etc.

Rest assured the most productive people are retained during layoffs. We literally compare staff and determine who stays and who goes, and it’s not simply based on numbers.

My tip to anyone nervous about layoffs is to show up in the office, always be available/responsive, play nicely with others and add value.

I'm sorry this happened to you, OP. Layoffs aren't personal, they aren't about merit. They are about cost cutting (and sometimes reorgs). That's why some jobs are cut but the company is still hiring in other areas, or still hiring in your area for cheaper people.

If you were bad at your job they would have fired you for cause instead of paying whatever they had to pay to lay you off. You weren't bad at your job.

I hope you can adopt a "their loss" mindset and move forward with new opportunities.

Anonymous wrote:Please be grateful that you have a job offer and interviews! I got laid off and have not been hearing a peep from jobs I am amply qualified for. A lawyer I know who is an excellent worker got RIFfed from the government applied to EIGHTY jobs and only got three interviews. I completely understand the outrage about being laid off, but please, please spare a thought for those of us who are competing with hundreds of others in our fields who got laid off due to government nonsense and will likely face unemployment for awhile.

+1
I'm probably heading into forced retirement. Literally everything I'm qualified to do is caught up in government contracting and by the time (if ever) this all gets figured out I'll be old news.
It's been an incredibly tough pill to swallow. Never in my life did I think my career would end this way.

Anonymous wrote:Please be grateful that you have a job offer and interviews! I got laid off and have not been hearing a peep from jobs I am amply qualified for. A lawyer I know who is an excellent worker got RIFfed from the government applied to EIGHTY jobs and only got three interviews. I completely understand the outrage about being laid off, but please, please spare a thought for those of us who are competing with hundreds of others in our fields who got laid off due to government nonsense and will likely face unemployment for awhile.

+OP, read the room lol I'm only half kidding. My husband was also laid off. It's been so, so stressful. Feel your feelings because they're totally valid but don't sit in them for too long, be grateful you have new opportunities coming your way so quickly! Good luck to you, may your new ventures open doors you never imagined possible.

I had a meandering path after the pandemic. While the covid shuffle helped me break into a different sector and type of firm, the foray into the new has been volatile as I come in at mid-level from a completely different sector. But I'm getting my legs in the new area.

I was incredibly lucky to land a contract gig at a premium firm but in a way that tainted my resume because lower firms won't consider me and I only get called in to interview at competing premium firms. No offers have materialized except one from a wanna-be premium firm. The year I spent there was deeply depressing - the project was bad, my boss thought he was a genius, the team was mediocre, a few deaths in dh's family and my dysfunctional parent becoming even more so. I only accepted this job because it could lead to relocation for family reasons and that imploded.
As I predicted, the client did not renew the contract and several people on my team were axed. I had been looking for a job prior to this but the family events left the location issue in limbo.
It's been a year since the layoff, it was very hard to think about working for another company. The bad wanna-be firm with the bad boss and bad project was, I think, traumatic.
I worked on a few independent small projects but now need to go back to the big firm game because I need the corporate benefits. But I realize I need to either be in a premium firm or one that is honest with itself about delivering unexciting but solid work.

Please be grateful that you have a job offer and interviews! I got laid off and have not been hearing a peep from jobs I am amply qualified for. A lawyer I know who is an excellent worker got RIFfed from the government applied to EIGHTY jobs and only got three interviews. I completely understand the outrage about being laid off, but please, please spare a thought for those of us who are competing with hundreds of others in our fields who got laid off due to government nonsense and will likely face unemployment for awhile.

I’m sorry you lost your job, op.

There’s no way of knowing why you were laid off while others were not.

In my experience:

- Layoffs typically target teams (especially those that appear bloated)

- People who are highly productive, responsive, and visible (in the office and online when remote) tend to fare better.

- Layoffs can prompt the restructuring of positions, so it’s normal to see some new positions posted following layoffs.

- Money plays a big role in decisions. People paid well who aren’t working hard are typically labeled.

Try not to take it personally…even though it is very personal. Focus on finding a new job and making it work. Bring your A game.

Anonymous wrote:So why wasn't I good enough at my previous company?
Are you kidding? Have they ever heard of office politics?

+1. It could also be as “simple” as that you were making more money than your peers. I was laid off once in a similar scenario - several people my level got to stay - and years later my boss, with whom I’d kept up and who also eventually left, basically told me I was the highest paid at my level and that’s why I got axed.

So why wasn't I good enough at my previous company?
Are you kidding? Have they ever heard of office politics?

My DH was recently laid off and it really sucks. Rejection just hurts, especially when you know you've done a great job and gone above and beyond (lots of travel, early mornings, late nights, leading lots of initiatives, etc.). Then getting very little severance and getting screwed out of vested RSUs, there's no way to not be upset about it. Good luck in your search!

I’m really sorry OP. I know this probably doesn’t help much: but my company just did layoffs and many of them were high performers, well-regarded, etc. but were just unlucky (too expensive, no projects available in their geographic area). If anything, the people remaining were angry on behalf of these people and questioned the company’s judgement.

Take heart in the fact that you are clearly desired by other companies! That’s excellent you’re already hearing of an offer, and shows you and your skillset are valued.

Just let go. Drop the rope.
You might have been too expensive compared to who is filling the "new roles" and maybe the new roles fir different skillsets.

OP, I’m sorry you’re dealing with this.

Having been on the other side of this more than once, it’s often about the profitability of teams/projects rather than individuals.

There are tough decisions involved and in the downsizing I’ve been part of, they’re generally strategic choices based on keeping projects with the most potential.

I’m glad it sounds like you already have some options, which speaks to your qualifications. But your reaction is totally understandable.

Feel your feelings. Journal. If you’re still struggling after long, tell yourself to stop fighting reality. It doesn’t mean any of things, or maybe it does, but you’ll never know. Why don’t you just trust the universe sent you in T
This direction.

((Hugs))

I don't really know that I'm looking for help, just venting. I got laid off a few weeks ago and although my network has rallied around me and gotten me a few interviews already - I've been flat out told I'm getting an offer from one company - I have so many mixed feelings about my layoff. Idk how to describe it other than feeling rejected? It's like when you're in high school and the cool kids don't want to be your friend. There was one other person my title/level who got to stay, albeit on a different team, and now they are hiring new roles? So why couldn't I stay? Was I not good enough? Everyone interviewing me says I have an impressive resume and skillset so why wasn't I good enough for my previous company?

It's been a few weeks and I'm just having a hard time getting over it.