Twists, turns, and making change

What to do when change happens

Over the last year, big tech companies have laid off employees faster than during the dot-com bust in the early 2000s. In 2023, 260,000 tech jobs were cut. Already this year, Amazon, Meta, Google, TikTok, and Salesforce have announced layoffs of over 25,000 jobs collectively.

These numbers are significant, even if they’re not a huge percentage of the total number of people working for large tech companies. Amazon alone still employs 1.6 million people, and Facebook employs around 160,000.

What’s concerning is that, unlike in the early 2000s, there is no recession right now. In fact, every statistical indication is that the economy is doing great. These layoffs are due to one big factor: they increase profits and, therefore, stock prices. But, the current layoffs are enabled in many cases by a shift of focus toward artificial intelligence.

At this point, the layoffs are generally a result of shifting business towards artificial intelligence-related products and services and away from other areas, rather than directly replacing human workers with AI. Many of us worry, however, that the next round of layoffs will be massive replacements of human workers. This isn’t a “what if” scenario; it’s a “when” scenario.

Whether you’re replaced because the company has shifted focus or because the company thinks it can replace you with a chatbot, you have to figure out what happens next.

The best scenario is that you get mad, and then you adapt. This is a touchy subject to talk about because losing your job is traumatic. In the immediate aftermath, and often for a long time afterward, you’re angry, scared, and even depressed. After having some time to process what happened, you’re faced with the reality of needing to get to work and find a new source of income. My experience, and that of many people I’ve talked to, is that things often eventually work out for the better.

Finding another job isn't normally very difficult for many people who work for big tech companies. They’re highly skilled people with experience working in jobs that generally pay well and are in high demand. But, at a time when every big tech company is either laying people off or considering it, things may be significantly more difficult.

Often, feeling burned by a company that doesn’t feel the same loyalty to them that they felt to the company, people will change careers to do something they find more satisfying, or they’ll go into business for themselves. Both options can involve significant sacrifices, but nothing focuses a person’s attention on making the change they need or want like a crisis.

In the heat of making a career change or starting your own business, it’s easy to be so focused on the millions of things you need to learn or do that you get caught up in making the same mistakes millions of people before you have already made. If you’re going through such a transition right now, take the time to reach out to people you know who have made similar changes or who have started businesses and ask them how they did it and what they wish someone had told them.

If you are considering starting a new career as a writer, teacher, or programmer, or if you’re thinking about starting your own business, please reach out to me, and I’ll be happy to help in any way that I can.