In the current environment, hundreds of tech companies are letting employees go, stock options are “underwater” (due to the bear market, especially in tech stocks), and many employees face uncertain career prospects with their current employers, let alone other potential employers.
If you’re concerned your employer may be getting ready to reduce staff and wondering if your job might end up on the chopping block, there are many things you can do now to reduce your risk and mitigate the impacts of getting let go if that risk becomes an unhappy reality.
As my own experience showed when I lost my last salaried position, the longer your “runway” to get the next job or your first business revenue (that latter was what it ended up being for me), the less stressful it will be, and the longer you can spend searching without compromising on what you want and need.
When I lost my job, I didn’t really know how to network effectively. I hadn’t joined any professional groups or business clubs. And even when I reached out to (dozens of) contacts, I made the mistake of concentrating on me and what I needed, rather than them and what they wanted.