In my first week of work, our department”s senior partner took the new employees out to lunch. Someone asked what is one advice you can give us starting off? He said, take care of yourself first. When it comes to the job world, everyone is expendable including himself. It’s just business. So if you’re going to work, work for yourself first. Company comes second. This means taking care of your long term personal career goals and finding ways to balance your value and professional desires the company can provide u. This means taking care of your health and mental being. And more. 15 years later, I still remember that lunch.
That senior partner sounded like a great person, and that lunch sounded like a blast. Thanks for sharing your advice! (Pinning this great comment so more can see it too)
I'm an 85 year old retired aerospace engineer who worked both as a direct employee and as a contract engineer who essentially worked for himself. For what it's worth, I made a Whole Lot More Money as a contract engineer who was paid time and a half after 40 hours vs. when I was a salaried engineering mgr. Plus the tax code was and still is written to benefit an employer vs. an employee.
I have always lived my life as though I could be let go tomorrow. I never felt any type of security and always saved just in case of this scenario. I have been at the same company for almost 30 years now. I still feel as though they could let me go at any time.
He quickly learned that 'work friends' are usually just 'acquaintances'. They're nice when you're there, and once you're gone you'll never see them again.
The funny thing is some of the new guys I was mentoring at my last job dropped communications with me, even though I still see the old salty dogs for beers. Guess what, my employer is hiring now, and the pay is much better, with a more relaxed culture. Guess who isn't getting called about the opening. You stop talking to me, it's your loss. Dumb zoomers.
@@aluisious Don’t take it so personally. People can’t really be expected to keep up relationships with everyone they meet along the way. Or is it you just that you like enacting your revenge fantasy dreams.
That's why cold approaches + skills of talking to strangers is life cheat code (If u have no ego of cos lol) Someone's waiting to meet/collaborate with u out there, and trust me its a skill that even my CEO ex-bosses from 10 previous companies deprived of LOL. Cos they be thinking they're too high up to make friends with anyone 😂When they're outside, they're jus another Tom, Dick, Harry nobody cares about
As a Googler until recently (left voluntarily though, after 18 years) who saw many great colleagues let go, love the pragmatism and future-looking optimism of your message. Looking forward to more of your videos!
I got laid off. Below is what I did. 1) Re-evaluated myself such as health. 2) I decreased my expenses. 3) Told myself to NOT apply for job until 6 months, which I did. 4) Re-opened my self businesses (2). Loan business and IT business. 5) I learned new tricks. 6) After 6 months, I began to look for a new job. 7) It took me 4 to 5 months to find a new and better-paying job. 8) I am thinking of building a home abroad. 9) I am not stressing out about my job. 10) When building abroad is complete, I am leaving the US for good. No return. Stay positive and in control of your life. We are architects of our lives and designed it better or else we will be working for someone.
That's a great list with so many to unpack and learn for our careers. #3 was the toughest for me though, just because of all the emotions and knee jerk reaction. Thank you for your encouragement, I am truly positive and I am excited to be the sole architect of my life too. Take care!
Getting pushed is the best thing that can ever happen to you! Good luck on your journey, sir. Greatness is just around the corner. Thanks for sharing your story with us!! :)
I had no skills, network, or reputation. So I started my own business. Best decision ever. Lol. By the way, sorry about your loss. Don't know how I stumbled upon your video, but I enjoyed it. Take care.
I would argue that because you started your business, you have valuable skills, network, reputation and MORE! Thanks for reminding me there is a life and paths outside working. Thanks for watching as well, I wish you all the best too!
I also got laid off from Tesla Giga Texas. Job market seems extremely cold these days. Is that the case for y'all out there? I hope we all get a job soon. This video was helpful to "sooth my pain". Thank you!
I worked at Google for 7 years. My final salary was $725,000. They laid me off and I did not get a clear answer why. I am retired now and will not be looking for work anytime soon. I am currently 45 years old.
It sucks that you didn't get a clear answer why, but I am happy for you that you get to retire so early! That itself is a milestone and an aspiration for others to make the most of their job while they have it. Thanks for sharing!
Exactly! 😂 Haha I too wish I knew all these years ago. It's so crucial yet no one taught us these at school or mentioned it at the dinner table. Hence one of my goals of creating this channel is to provide that "real working world" perspective.
Really good advice, although I'd suggest a different view to #1. The 1st wave layoffs for our company is ALWAYS performance-based: Poor performers are laid off 1st because doing so eliminates the need to create a 'justification folder' on a worker's poor performance or past rule violations to steel the case for their firing for cause. Secondary or subsequent waves of a layoff are often about projected value relative to the team's needs & new hires/paid interns are often the least integrated & have the least established value. The final wave is the weirdest and echos what 9-to-5 said: This wave can be seemingly randomly selected & unfair. This is because, in our case, there can't be any sense of bias or discrimination for these layoffs, so they can literally make the selection randomly. These are the folks that confuse viewers. What ISN'T random however are the number of layoffs & what orgs or depts or teams that are req'd to layoff those people. The lost headcount is not evenly distributed. There may be teams with 6 lost headcount vs. other teams have just 1. There's many reason for that but that's for another post.
Wow that is really such a deep break down of an analysis. Am I right to guess that you were personally involved in designing and/or implementing a wide scale layoff, either in in house HR or from a redundancy consultancy? Either way, thanks for shedding light on this so more folks can understand and move on.
Even when I appreciate that your goal is to encourage people that might have been laid off or are going to inevitably be lay off in the near future, I just can´t stop thinking that to wrap up big companies have all the right to laid people off as they were disposable, but be kind to others and just embrace your system. Do not even think that it might be something wrong with it.
Very sincere, practical and truthful advices! Thank you for sharing this so we can be psychologically prepared whenever stuff like this happens in our lives 👍
My experience with the layoff process is to get rid of someone who costs you more if you have someone who can do the same job for less. If you get a raise and no real increase in the amount of work or responsibilities, then it will put you at the top of the list. BTW, there is no such thing as friends at work. If you think you have friends in the workplace, then wake up right now. You have colleagues, and they do not care what happens to you once you are out the door.
I've always avoided working for large companies / corporations. Not that you can't be laid off at a small one but in gle you'll see the companie is not doing well. During the 2008 crisis, the boss called all of us, 20 or so. Instead of lay-offs, we'll be taking a pay cut. Some employees didn't like it and decided to move on just to try to come back a few weeks later. The door was closed!They've made it easier on the payroll, and the company survived. Also, large companies in gle need big contracts to stay afloat. Smaller ones can survive on a bunch of small ones. Also, always save your $$$ to be able to survive at least a year or two. Good luck to you.
This works for divorce too: 1) Its not your fault she is "unhappy." 2) Divorce is never fair to you 3) Lawyers clean up the more divorcing there is 4) Be kind to yourself (because not one else is required to be) 5) The family and friends that you had due to her will ghost you and start hanging out with her and her significant other 6) Make sure your have your own friends 7) Finding the next relationship sucks and will probably be a downgrade. I told you these truths work for divorce too.
Biggest lie people tell themselves is that layoffs are not personal. Make no mistake about it. They did reject you and they decided to go with another person. Don’t fool yourselves people.
On no. 1, that's why I didn't want to know what happened to my department not even my staff. I didn't want to speculate based on what I'd learn. But I would have never left (vanish?) without saying a word to them but the circumstances made me think that I just wanted to log off and do nothing. I just told my former boss that since the termination was immediate, i would log off and do nothing and told him to notify my staff. And there was a reason for that. Logging off immediately, was a way to demonstrate that I seek no harm and left everything untouched as I had no reason to hide anything. Tough experience, I know.
I’m sorry this happened to you, brother. Managed to dodge three rounds of layoffs since 2024 right after an acquisition. Morale is in the dumps and the culture is completely toxic. Burn out is rampant among the survivors and spreading like wildfire. Never seen the landscape so bad…
Thank you for your support, and sorry that you are going through a similar situation. It is indeed a tough situation out there. What industry are you in? Do you think things will get better soon?
Yes. Work friends are non-friends. It's the hard truth. Those who did contact me often left the conversations with "Hey, let's catch up again. It would be great to stay in touch and hear how things are on the outside." You need to stay away from that when you leave these big companies. That's not a friendship.
@@9to5MillionaireMindset yeah it's hard. I was a Googler... a very transactional culture. Don't regret the experience, but very few real friendships out of the place.
You can indeed price yourself outta the market. I lasted 40 years fully employed by getting solid but not super high raises. Being mid-level is perfect, decent money but not the crazy pressure of high up management
You can always get a job at Costco like I did. They treat their employees well and the starting salary is around $21/hr in the SF Bay Area. They even give part-timers health coverage. It's really hard to get laid off at Costco. You'll get used to drinking water instead of wine and eating burritos instead of steak. Oh, and of course, there's always the $1.50 Costco hotdog.
2 years ago, I had a career chat with my manager at Google, and he asked me "if you were not working in Google, where would you wish to work at?" Without hesitation I told him Costco because you know you are always getting a good deal, they treat their employees as well as their customers and the sense of freedom I always get when I buy toilet paper in bulk.
You work friends , if they are really friends will stand for you on helping go through the process of getting new opportunities, which should be your immediate focus. That is how "friends" act.
Yes quite a few (and some very senior ones) really went out of their way to help find me a way to stay. And I understand why the rest chose to give me space as this is really a difficult and awkward situation that nobody trained us for.
But also it may not be anything you said on this video! It could be simply a new boss or new planning that doesn’t suit what you do generally as a manager. Singapore is great for business, but mentality is different to how things are done perhaps. I don’t know. But thanks so much for sharing! You’ll be great in doing your own business in Singapore! As you said, a great opportunity now for your life to start again…
Thank you for your encouragement! Indeed we cannot control what life throws at us but I am very excited to see where this TH-cam channel will lead me to :)
The term looking out for number 1 always stands. Also everyone is replaceable so never feel entitled or that your company needs you. Good luck with your future employer.
you forgot to mention, the higher your salary and your age, the more likely is a layoff. You make a career in a company, you think you are important, but for your employer you become a burden. 45 years or more are dangerous.
Oh yes I definitely missed that, and it is perhaps the harshest truth of them all. It's counter intuitive because in school we were taught that the more skills and experience you have, the more valuable you are. But no one prepared us for a world where ageism may be the biggest decision factor. Thank you for sharing your insights, I wish you only the best.
My advice to anyone earning 250k. Live like you earn 125k and save the rest. On the day you get laid off feel good that you still have all that money from your high paying job to keep you going. Don’t be that person who goes from living 250k lifestyle to zero in one day and have to start worrying about paying bills and keeping a roof over your head. Edit: I just watched one of your other videos and realised you did exactly this!
Thank you for sharing very sensible and valuable financial advice, and yes I was very fortunate to have access to great teachers and financial content to build up so much buffer. (and thank you for spending even more of your precious time watching my other videos too!)
@@chuntong6290 When i wrote the comment I was thinking of USD but it’s the same concept in any currency. Live on less than you earn, save and invest for the future. I didn’t make this up, I borrowed the idea from others.
You can try Malaysia. The Malaysia government always seem to have problem with brain drain and Malaysians here generally value foreigner talents more than the local talents. So I think you can try your shot here. Good luck.
It's sadly true, the most painful time is also when we learn the most. :/ I guess it's just part of being alive, pain drives us forward to be in a better future.
@@slimjimjimslim5923 I would argue that it is never "pain" in and of itself, but an array of factors that, when combined with that pain, can make all the difference!
@@LevilleFon either way right .......how many businesses dont make it a year....and of couse you didnt address the fact that 20M people cannot do that.
@@LevilleFon so are you ignoring my other statements ?....i think when people say starting your own thing to the masses is short sighted and reckless because you dont say the negatives or the low chance of actually surviving ...instagram reel is all you give.
@@9to5MillionaireMindsetUs older IT workers from the Dotcom crash know not to work at Big companies more than 1-2 years as they often to mass layoffs. Explain this point to young workers, NEVER stay at a big company long term.
Hey Shao, I seldom comment on YT - but this video really resonated with me. I got laid off almost a year ago, immediately started job hunting and went through the exact same emotional roller coaster you have described. Even after landing a new role, I could never quite shake off that feeling of inadequacy and low self worth. I thought it was just me, but hearing you describe your own experience made me realise how we are all so alike. Thanks mate, I hope you've landed your next adventure already and are enjoying life again 💪
Thank you Tariq for being so open. I also hesitated to share my experience so openly, but your sharing has affirmed that so many of us are indeed alike going though the same pain. And we should continue to share and encourage others so that one day, they will bounce right back up just like you did.
With a BS degree in Electrical Engineering, I was unemployed in both my 30's and again in my 40's, and can relate that the emotional feeling are real. But also, so is the hard work needed to secure a new position (smile...smile).
I resonate with your comment, was also laid off, and I thought with my exp and field it was going to be easy but hiring its crazy and once you get a new job you always feel it can happen again
The sad reality is that the tech field is going through AI restructuring. From 2021-2023 they have laid off 500,000 positions. In 2024, 321 tech firms have lost 96,551 and the projected 2026 laid-off may reach a 5-year total of 1,000,000 jobs. The coming real estate crash will cause high-tech firms to lose up to 50% stock value. The new book The Bubble that Broke The Bank sees the magic year to be in 2026. You are in a survival race.
Well, there is no strong reason for real state market to crash. I also missed the rally, but that doesn't mean I'll wait for dream for a crash unreasonably
The ripple effect is also scary. $250k a year salary meant having the disposable income to travel, hire babysitters and pet sitters, renovate houses, have a cleaning lady, etc There is an entire mini economy that runs off upper middle class white collar workers
As someone in the Recruiting and Staffing Industry this video is brilliant. Life sucks sometimes, it's hard to pick yourself back up, at the end keep pushing forward, one small step at a time...just move forward
Thank you for watching! And yes folks in recruiting and staffing do such a crucial job, but it's often misunderstood or unappreciated (especially during a layoff or tough period). Keep doing what you do so we can all be matched with our dream jobs!
I was laid off from my dream job at AWS last April. It was tough, but I realized that hard work and networking are crucial when searching for the next opportunity.
Shao, I really admire your positive approach towards layoffs. Life can be tough, but it's not necessarily difficult. One thing I've learned from this experience is the need to constantly work on yourself and try to build a world outside of your work circle as well.
Yes life is gonna be tough no matter what happens (getting laid off is hard, finding a job is also hard). But we can choose which "hard" we want to focus on.
2:29 -- "exhibited strong leadership through a tough layoff period". That is soooooo courageous. lol. And "saving the company money" by laying off the actual talent that made the money, just to give it to those goons at the top to siphon into their own yachts? Pffft.
It's wonderful to share your experience. One of the issues in corporate america is that majority of the people getting laid off don't get a huge severance packages like Google/Meta provides. So, your words of encouragement is cute but very hard for someone to process who have little savings, and have been living paycheck to paycheck. If all of us did not have to worry about health insurance, car insurance, rent/mortgage, auto mortgage, kids, and other things in life, no one would get hit hard by layoffs. If you look at other countries in Europe/Asia, cost of living/health/auto/travel is very low. Literally one person could work and take care of 4 people. So, if one person in the family gets laid off and other household members still have a job, it doesn't hit them as hard. But in the US, two working people can't even take care of a single household. So, one person getting laid off is close to a death sentence. Just look at the housing cost in California, who in their right mind allowed it to happen and continues to let it happen?
That is why one needs to have an education in how to plan one’s finances for their lifetime. The USA is terrible in that way. Very-few people know how to budget for things. It is a sad country when it comes to that skill even being taught, let alone being implemented in individuals lives.
The company doesn’t care about the employees best interests. Anything that has a salary is an expenditure even though you probably generated 10x the value of what they paid you. They basically owe you the employee money because when you factor the surplus salary they pocket by pillaging it from your pay check, you were basically working for free.
Having just joined the thousands of people that have been laid off, this is a brilliant video. The stressful part for many people might be the financial impact, sometimes finding the next role, is just the next role for 'now' while you regain a level of financial security while finding the right job.
It highlights the importance of prioritizing our personal lives before the company. Your insights remind us of what truly matters in life. Thanks for sharing mate!
Amazing video dear Shao, it makes me clear so many circumstances that I also went through, and I believe that we share the same ideas, but you make them so easy to understand! I love the structure of your wise words.
I was fired in my 20s (not laid off). Best thing to happen to me. I was an accountant and miserable. I saw the department heads and didn’t aspire to become them one day. I went back to school and got an MBA and then a law degree. I honed in on the industry that inspired me (tech), and that has taken me on a magnificent 25 year journey so far serving in legal and business roles, including roles as Chief Legal Officer and one as CEO. 5 years ago I struck out on an entrepreneurial journey and that has brought a new dimension to my career. Use every inflection point in your life to your advantage. You will have many forks in the road.
Thank you for your assurance! I indeed believe there are many forks down my road too! And great career advice too; asking yourself if you have the aspirations to become the current leaders of your current role.
Good to hear, but for most people, getting laid off is just bad, no silver lining. You got lucky, most just have to take the hit and whatever job they can find at that time and start building again from there
I quit Google coz my manager and the product suck ass. I then retired before 40 and lucky to not having to worry about the money. I still miss being part of the team though.
Hey thanks for your support! I actually shared about becoming financial free even after being laid off in my first video in this same channel. Do check it out!
Thank you for sharing this. This is a really well-articulated video and might help everyone who faced layoffs. We all are part of this survival race and the community should help each other in this tough time.
It isnt the layoff that is hard, it is the lost of income. When one has grown accustomed to living off of $250k and then you face the reality of having to accept a $100k reduction in pay in order to stay employed is very very hard. You arrived, you worked hard for it and thought you were on your way, had secured your bag. And, now you just like all the rest...poor and struggling.
I've kept in contact with many friends from past jobs, whether I resigned or was let go. Remember, most people in the workplace really aren't your friends.
Not your fault bro. Google has been a $hitShow for sometime now. The search blows, their AI is light years behind the competition and the TH-cam algorithm doesn't work. - Good luck!
The hard truth is that you did not get the right rapport with your direct manager. And they select you to get retrenched over others. Its not about performance but it's you are considered not to be your managers boy or maybe you could be threatening your manager position
nice video. May i suggest a better camera and better sound. I find more compelling to view a video till the end, if the major point are shown in the first minute.
Thank you for the feedback! I acknowledge my video skills are really poor and I know so little but I am still learning. I hope to do better so you can see the progress with my next few videos.
In my first week of work, our department”s senior partner took the new employees out to lunch. Someone asked what is one advice you can give us starting off?
He said, take care of yourself first. When it comes to the job world, everyone is expendable including himself. It’s just business. So if you’re going to work, work for yourself first. Company comes second. This means taking care of your long term personal career goals and finding ways to balance your value and professional desires the company can provide u. This means taking care of your health and mental being. And more.
15 years later, I still remember that lunch.
That senior partner sounded like a great person, and that lunch sounded like a blast.
Thanks for sharing your advice!
(Pinning this great comment so more can see it too)
I'm an 85 year old retired aerospace engineer who worked both as a direct employee and as a contract engineer who essentially worked for himself. For what it's worth, I made a Whole Lot More Money as a contract engineer who was paid time and a half after 40 hours vs. when I was a salaried engineering mgr. Plus the tax code was and still is written to benefit an employer vs. an employee.
He's absolutely right.
@@travisbickle1455 yup valuable advice for me as a 22 year old at the time.
I have always lived my life as though I could be let go tomorrow. I never felt any type of security and always saved just in case of this scenario. I have been at the same company for almost 30 years now. I still feel as though they could let me go at any time.
He quickly learned that 'work friends' are usually just 'acquaintances'. They're nice when you're there, and once you're gone you'll never see them again.
and once the so-called work friends leave the job, you never see them again, etc..
The funny thing is some of the new guys I was mentoring at my last job dropped communications with me, even though I still see the old salty dogs for beers.
Guess what, my employer is hiring now, and the pay is much better, with a more relaxed culture. Guess who isn't getting called about the opening. You stop talking to me, it's your loss. Dumb zoomers.
@@aluisious Don’t take it so personally. People can’t really be expected to keep up relationships with everyone they meet along the way. Or is it you just that you like enacting your revenge fantasy dreams.
Work friends gone, family is what matters. Family stays…the guy should get married and have kids…he wouldn't need work friends.
@@accidentalfarmer1877
A wife can leave you AND take the kids, AND your house!
This is an amazing take on being laid off. I admire your positive and level-headed outlook.
Thank you for your kind words and support. No matter what happens, if we stay positive and kind, we will always find our way.
Getting laid off really sucks, but to avoid the worst, build a network outside of work! 💼🔗
💯 at the very least we have diversification of networks, at the very best we have more great friends 😁
That's why cold approaches + skills of talking to strangers is life cheat code (If u have no ego of cos lol) Someone's waiting to meet/collaborate with u out there, and trust me its a skill that even my CEO ex-bosses from 10 previous companies deprived of LOL. Cos they be thinking they're too high up to make friends with anyone 😂When they're outside, they're jus another Tom, Dick, Harry nobody cares about
Always gather corporate secrets so you can sell them when getting laid off.
best to stay on Linkedin others that were laid off might be your network or people who left and went somewhere else you can contact them.
Sometimes layoffs target the higher paid employees to reduce cost.
yea layoff the big boys and bring in some minimum wage people. Totally unlivable in the bay area. you could not even live in a car for minimum wage.
As a Googler until recently (left voluntarily though, after 18 years) who saw many great colleagues let go, love the pragmatism and future-looking optimism of your message. Looking forward to more of your videos!
Thank you for your support! And excited to hear back from you again on your next chapter!
Thank you for sharing that. I wish you all the best!
Thank you! You too!
I got laid off. Below is what I did.
1) Re-evaluated myself such as health.
2) I decreased my expenses.
3) Told myself to NOT apply for job until 6 months, which I did.
4) Re-opened my self businesses (2). Loan business and IT business.
5) I learned new tricks.
6) After 6 months, I began to look for a new job.
7) It took me 4 to 5 months to find a new and better-paying job.
8) I am thinking of building a home abroad.
9) I am not stressing out about my job.
10) When building abroad is complete, I am leaving the US for good. No return.
Stay positive and in control of your life.
We are architects of our lives and designed it better or else we will be working for someone.
That's a great list with so many to unpack and learn for our careers. #3 was the toughest for me though, just because of all the emotions and knee jerk reaction.
Thank you for your encouragement, I am truly positive and I am excited to be the sole architect of my life too. Take care!
Oh and #9 - where are you thinking of moving to?
Thanks for sharing and all the best with your search!!!! The next best job is waiting for you! 🎉
Thank you! I aim to live joyfully! 😉
Getting pushed is the best thing that can ever happen to you! Good luck on your journey, sir. Greatness is just around the corner. Thanks for sharing your story with us!! :)
No doubt! Thanks for your confidence! Greatness is upon all of us, we just gotta work for it!
I love this video. I left my job as a Manager during the pandemic and found this very helpful
I am glad you liked it! Please subscribe so you may find my other videos too!
I had no skills, network, or reputation.
So I started my own business. Best decision ever. Lol.
By the way, sorry about your loss. Don't know how I stumbled upon your video, but I enjoyed it. Take care.
I would argue that because you started your business, you have valuable skills, network, reputation and MORE! Thanks for reminding me there is a life and paths outside working.
Thanks for watching as well, I wish you all the best too!
I also got laid off from Tesla Giga Texas. Job market seems extremely cold these days. Is that the case for y'all out there? I hope we all get a job soon. This video was helpful to "sooth my pain". Thank you!
I am glad you found the video useful. All the best in your job search, keep fighting and come back here to let me know when you find your next role!
I worked at Google for 7 years. My final salary was $725,000. They laid me off and I did not get a clear answer why. I am retired now and will not be looking for work anytime soon. I am currently 45 years old.
It sucks that you didn't get a clear answer why, but I am happy for you that you get to retire so early! That itself is a milestone and an aspiration for others to make the most of their job while they have it. Thanks for sharing!
The only purpose of working is retirement. You've fulfilled the purpose of working.
Exactly, we work to live, not the other way round
Thank you! So true. Took me a while to learn this on my own. Wish you've could have just told me this 10 years ago 😅
Exactly! 😂 Haha I too wish I knew all these years ago. It's so crucial yet no one taught us these at school or mentioned it at the dinner table. Hence one of my goals of creating this channel is to provide that "real working world" perspective.
Really good advice, although I'd suggest a different view to #1.
The 1st wave layoffs for our company is ALWAYS performance-based: Poor performers are laid off 1st because doing so eliminates the need to create a 'justification folder' on a worker's poor performance or past rule violations to steel the case for their firing for cause.
Secondary or subsequent waves of a layoff are often about projected value relative to the team's needs & new hires/paid interns are often the least integrated & have the least established value.
The final wave is the weirdest and echos what 9-to-5 said: This wave can be seemingly randomly selected & unfair. This is because, in our case, there can't be any sense of bias or discrimination for these layoffs, so they can literally make the selection randomly. These are the folks that confuse viewers.
What ISN'T random however are the number of layoffs & what orgs or depts or teams that are req'd to layoff those people. The lost headcount is not evenly distributed. There may be teams with 6 lost headcount vs. other teams have just 1. There's many reason for that but that's for another post.
Wow that is really such a deep break down of an analysis. Am I right to guess that you were personally involved in designing and/or implementing a wide scale layoff, either in in house HR or from a redundancy consultancy? Either way, thanks for shedding light on this so more folks can understand and move on.
Sorry to know. Thanks for sharing the tips.
Even when I appreciate that your goal is to encourage people that might have been laid off or are going to inevitably be lay off in the near future, I just can´t stop thinking that to wrap up big companies have all the right to laid people off as they were disposable, but be kind to others and just embrace your system. Do not even think that it might be something wrong with it.
when you fail, you have no story... only when you succeed... everything you say will be gold...
Very sincere, practical and truthful advices! Thank you for sharing this so we can be psychologically prepared whenever stuff like this happens in our lives 👍
Glad it was helpful! Keep striving for the best!
My experience with the layoff process is to get rid of someone who costs you more if you have someone who can do the same job for less. If you get a raise and no real increase in the amount of work or responsibilities, then it will put you at the top of the list. BTW, there is no such thing as friends at work. If you think you have friends in the workplace, then wake up right now. You have colleagues, and they do not care what happens to you once you are out the door.
Work friends are not friends, they are just co-workers. This lesson I learned decades ago. You are the only friend of yours.
I've always avoided working for large companies / corporations. Not that you can't be laid off at a small one but in gle you'll see the companie is not doing well.
During the 2008 crisis, the boss called all of us, 20 or so.
Instead of lay-offs, we'll be taking a pay cut. Some employees didn't like it and decided to move on just to try to come back a few weeks later. The door was closed!They've made it easier on the payroll, and the company survived.
Also, large companies in gle need big contracts to stay afloat. Smaller ones can survive on a bunch of small ones.
Also, always save your $$$ to be able to survive at least a year or two.
Good luck to you.
Thank you for sharing your story. I wish you only good luck and good vibes too!
You were not laid off bro. Your job went to India.
So he was laid off
@@Maruman_man😂
Exactly. Bingo..for $2 an hour.
CECA was replaced by him and earning same like him also...
I totally agree with this comment, I git laid off, and they hired someone from India (offshore resource) at a much cheaper price.
This works for divorce too: 1) Its not your fault she is "unhappy." 2) Divorce is never fair to you 3) Lawyers clean up the more divorcing there is 4) Be kind to yourself (because not one else is required to be) 5) The family and friends that you had due to her will ghost you and start hanging out with her and her significant other 6) Make sure your have your own friends 7) Finding the next relationship sucks and will probably be a downgrade. I told you these truths work for divorce too.
Biggest lie people tell themselves is that layoffs are not personal.
Make no mistake about it. They did reject you and they decided to go with another person. Don’t fool yourselves people.
On no. 1, that's why I didn't want to know what happened to my department not even my staff. I didn't want to speculate based on what I'd learn. But I would have never left (vanish?) without saying a word to them but the circumstances made me think that I just wanted to log off and do nothing. I just told my former boss that since the termination was immediate, i would log off and do nothing and told him to notify my staff. And there was a reason for that. Logging off immediately, was a way to demonstrate that I seek no harm and left everything untouched as I had no reason to hide anything. Tough experience, I know.
Great sharing and fully agreed with your points. Do maintain a positive mindset and mental health.
thank you for your concern and encouragement! Wishing you the best too!
It’s tuff to be laid off period. Best thing to do is get resume ready call people get back in the loop
I’m sorry this happened to you, brother. Managed to dodge three rounds of layoffs since 2024 right after an acquisition. Morale is in the dumps and the culture is completely toxic. Burn out is rampant among the survivors and spreading like wildfire. Never seen the landscape so bad…
Thank you for your support, and sorry that you are going through a similar situation. It is indeed a tough situation out there. What industry are you in? Do you think things will get better soon?
Thanks for sharing , Wish you the best!
Thank you for watching too!
Really great advice for pp in this situation. Good luck in the future
thank you for your watching and also subscribing! Best wishes to you too!
Yes. Work friends are non-friends. It's the hard truth. Those who did contact me often left the conversations with "Hey, let's catch up again. It would be great to stay in touch and hear how things are on the outside." You need to stay away from that when you leave these big companies. That's not a friendship.
That's literally what I received today "hey let's catch up soon some day" 😂
@@9to5MillionaireMindset yeah it's hard. I was a Googler... a very transactional culture. Don't regret the experience, but very few real friendships out of the place.
Lesson number four is a very good one. Work friends are not friends, in fact, they are less than facebook-type friends.
You can indeed price yourself outta the market. I lasted 40 years fully employed by getting solid but not super high raises. Being mid-level is perfect, decent money but not the crazy pressure of high up management
That's actually a smart career progression strategy 😃
You can always get a job at Costco like I did. They treat their employees well and the starting salary is around $21/hr in the SF Bay Area. They even give part-timers health coverage. It's really hard to get laid off at Costco. You'll get used to drinking water instead of wine and eating burritos instead of steak. Oh, and of course, there's always the $1.50 Costco hotdog.
2 years ago, I had a career chat with my manager at Google, and he asked me "if you were not working in Google, where would you wish to work at?"
Without hesitation I told him Costco because you know you are always getting a good deal, they treat their employees as well as their customers and the sense of freedom I always get when I buy toilet paper in bulk.
Also anyone who stops contacting you if you're laid off was never your friend.
You are positive, you will succeed
Whoever you are, thank you for your kind words
Thanks for your story.
Glad you liked it, thank you!
I hope you managed to save lots of $ while employed, financial buffer is important. Best of luck, good things will come your way ❤
Thank you for your faith and confidence in me. Wishing you only the best as well
People who are employed think they are invincible and entitled.......once you get laid of you get schooled you are expendable.
You work friends , if they are really friends will stand for you on helping go through the process of getting new opportunities, which should be your immediate focus. That is how "friends" act.
Yes quite a few (and some very senior ones) really went out of their way to help find me a way to stay. And I understand why the rest chose to give me space as this is really a difficult and awkward situation that nobody trained us for.
It could happen to ANYONE, Just the way it goes sometimes, It really sucks but think of it as an opportunity.
But also it may not be anything you said on this video! It could be simply a new boss or new planning that doesn’t suit what you do generally as a manager. Singapore is great for business, but mentality is different to how things are done perhaps. I don’t know. But thanks so much for sharing! You’ll be great in doing your own business in Singapore! As you said, a great opportunity now for your life to start again…
Thank you for your encouragement! Indeed we cannot control what life throws at us but I am very excited to see where this TH-cam channel will lead me to :)
The term looking out for number 1 always stands. Also everyone is replaceable so never feel entitled or that your company needs you. Good luck with your future employer.
you forgot to mention, the higher your salary and your age, the more likely is a layoff. You make a career in a company, you think you are important, but for your employer you become a burden. 45 years or more are dangerous.
Oh yes I definitely missed that, and it is perhaps the harshest truth of them all. It's counter intuitive because in school we were taught that the more skills and experience you have, the more valuable you are. But no one prepared us for a world where ageism may be the biggest decision factor.
Thank you for sharing your insights, I wish you only the best.
Take it easy, mate! it is normal in life of 9 to 5!
Thanks for your encouragement; I am super excited for my new life now!
@@9to5MillionaireMindset Great to hear that! I am sure it will open other opportunities for you as same as mine! Take care!
Imagine if you are the head of the household, supporting house wife and two kids in school....
Indeed that is the real stress and pressure of life
a honest video. thank you
My advice to anyone earning 250k. Live like you earn 125k and save the rest. On the day you get laid off feel good that you still have all that money from your high paying job to keep you going. Don’t be that person who goes from living 250k lifestyle to zero in one day and have to start worrying about paying bills and keeping a roof over your head.
Edit: I just watched one of your other videos and realised you did exactly this!
Live way less....honey...125k is above the National medium income!
Thank you for sharing very sensible and valuable financial advice, and yes I was very fortunate to have access to great teachers and financial content to build up so much buffer. (and thank you for spending even more of your precious time watching my other videos too!)
One year in a 250k job would last me 10 years. He must have worked many years, enough to retire 🤔
250k USD or SGD?
@@chuntong6290 When i wrote the comment I was thinking of USD but it’s the same concept in any currency. Live on less than you earn, save and invest for the future. I didn’t make this up, I borrowed the idea from others.
"The only people that will remember all the late nights and weekends you put in at work are your wife and children" - from "A life engineered" dude.
Realest words
@@9to5MillionaireMindset realest? never seen that word.
Boy, that's the hard truth!
@@brightonchou1393 You saw it at least twice. First when you read his comment, second when you typed the word yourself in yours. Stop lying.
I regret the late nights and weekends for sure
This is the first most calm, logical, and compassionate thinking of layoff I have seen in TH-cam. Hope you find something new and maybe better soon!
Thank you that was exactly the vibe I was hoping to bring to the world!
You can try Malaysia. The Malaysia government always seem to have problem with brain drain and Malaysians here generally value foreigner talents more than the local talents. So I think you can try your shot here. Good luck.
Even ex google employee having a hard time finding a new job, yup my life is over.
Hang in there mate! 💪
@@GeorgiaMade404 maybe tough to find a similar job with same salary
I'm an ex Google employee and having a hard time as well. I have an interview with amazon next week, so hoping this gonna be my big break.
It always depends on your job type. He was Head of Sales for Small Companies. Maybe they just merged it with another position.
Oh Woe is me
"Sometimes in life we don't jump, we get pushed!" - beautiful
It's sadly true, the most painful time is also when we learn the most. :/ I guess it's just part of being alive, pain drives us forward to be in a better future.
Pain is also the most effective teacher 😊
@@slimjimjimslim5923 I would argue that it is never "pain" in and of itself, but an array of factors that, when combined with that pain, can make all the difference!
@@9to5MillionaireMindset But only after.
I was laid off from Google, and that was the best thing that happened to me
Never trust corporations, work for yourself first
yea because 20 million people can do that ....geez
@@Hard_Qs you will be poor and laid off until you die
@@LevilleFon either way right .......how many businesses dont make it a year....and of couse you didnt address the fact that 20M people cannot do that.
@@Hard_Qs start as a contractor and later create your LLC
@@LevilleFon so are you ignoring my other statements ?....i think when people say starting your own thing to the masses is short sighted and reckless because you dont say the negatives or the low chance of actually surviving ...instagram reel is all you give.
That’s so relatable, thanks for sharing this so openly Shao! Much respect!
Thanks Grace for your support so many miles and timezone away!
@@9to5MillionaireMindsetUs older IT workers from the Dotcom crash know not to work at Big companies more than 1-2 years as they often to mass layoffs. Explain this point to young workers, NEVER stay at a big company long term.
Hey Shao, I seldom comment on YT - but this video really resonated with me. I got laid off almost a year ago, immediately started job hunting and went through the exact same emotional roller coaster you have described. Even after landing a new role, I could never quite shake off that feeling of inadequacy and low self worth. I thought it was just me, but hearing you describe your own experience made me realise how we are all so alike.
Thanks mate, I hope you've landed your next adventure already and are enjoying life again 💪
Thank you Tariq for being so open. I also hesitated to share my experience so openly, but your sharing has affirmed that so many of us are indeed alike going though the same pain. And we should continue to share and encourage others so that one day, they will bounce right back up just like you did.
With a BS degree in Electrical Engineering, I was unemployed in both my 30's and again in my 40's, and can relate that the emotional feeling are real. But also, so is the hard work needed to secure a new position (smile...smile).
I resonate with your comment, was also laid off, and I thought with my exp and field it was going to be easy but hiring its crazy and once you get a new job you always feel it can happen again
@@julissadc6303seems like regardless of where we are and the type of work we do, we all go through similar aspirations and insecurities 😊
They only let go the losers
The sad reality is that the tech field is going through AI restructuring. From 2021-2023 they have laid off 500,000 positions. In 2024, 321 tech firms have lost 96,551 and the projected 2026 laid-off may reach a 5-year total of 1,000,000 jobs. The coming real estate crash will cause high-tech firms to lose up to 50% stock value. The new book The Bubble that Broke The Bank sees the magic year to be in 2026. You are in a survival race.
Thanks for sharing! We gotta keep adapting and improving!
Well, there is no strong reason for real state market to crash.
I also missed the rally, but that doesn't mean I'll wait for dream for a crash unreasonably
The ripple effect is also scary. $250k a year salary meant having the disposable income to travel, hire babysitters and pet sitters, renovate houses, have a cleaning lady, etc There is an entire mini economy that runs off upper middle class white collar workers
@@lg206great point.
"AI" is the curtain. Behind the curtain it's really the H-1B restructuring.
As someone in the Recruiting and Staffing Industry this video is brilliant. Life sucks sometimes, it's hard to pick yourself back up, at the end keep pushing forward, one small step at a time...just move forward
Thank you for watching! And yes folks in recruiting and staffing do such a crucial job, but it's often misunderstood or unappreciated (especially during a layoff or tough period). Keep doing what you do so we can all be matched with our dream jobs!
@@9to5MillionaireMindset89
Very honest speech. I appreciate you for opening up and being kind! I hope you will get your new job soon and have a happy life ahead.
Thank you for noticing that! I was indeed hoping to portrayed my honest self and thoughts as best as I could. I wish you a happy life too!
Painful experience. Looks like you're doing good mentally, which is good.
Good luck and keep pushing! ;)
I have learned that pain is the most effective teacher. Let's keep pushing!
Here is the best piece of advice that anyone could ever give you: set up your own business and never look back again.
Yes, it's so easy to set up ur own business, become a solo trader 😎😂🤣😃😄
Doing what exactly?
Most businesses fail.
I was laid off from my dream job at AWS last April. It was tough, but I realized that hard work and networking are crucial when searching for the next opportunity.
Shao, I really admire your positive approach towards layoffs. Life can be tough, but it's not necessarily difficult. One thing I've learned from this experience is the need to constantly work on yourself and try to build a world outside of your work circle as well.
Yes life is gonna be tough no matter what happens (getting laid off is hard, finding a job is also hard). But we can choose which "hard" we want to focus on.
A better word is colleague or acquaintance instead of work friend.
I also learned that "we are a team, not a family"
@@9to5MillionaireMindset
We sit close; we're not close.
-Stanley Bomanly
Perfect video! Very constructive and clear ! Thank you:)
Thank you for watching!
2:29 -- "exhibited strong leadership through a tough layoff period". That is soooooo courageous. lol. And "saving the company money" by laying off the actual talent that made the money, just to give it to those goons at the top to siphon into their own yachts? Pffft.
It's not your fault in mass firings or redundancy.
Thank you for the affirmation; the more people impacted know this, the better!
Hey, thanks for sharing your learnings from what must have been a very painful experience. A lot of wisdom in this video.
I was just wondering if I did the right thing in sharing so openly, so thank you for your encouragement
You got laid-off because you're not using a Chromebook lol😂
😂😂😂 you are too funny! Indeed when I was working there my customers would always ask "are they ok with you using a Mac?"
😂🤣😂
It's wonderful to share your experience. One of the issues in corporate america is that majority of the people getting laid off don't get a huge severance packages like Google/Meta provides. So, your words of encouragement is cute but very hard for someone to process who have little savings, and have been living paycheck to paycheck. If all of us did not have to worry about health insurance, car insurance, rent/mortgage, auto mortgage, kids, and other things in life, no one would get hit hard by layoffs. If you look at other countries in Europe/Asia, cost of living/health/auto/travel is very low. Literally one person could work and take care of 4 people. So, if one person in the family gets laid off and other household members still have a job, it doesn't hit them as hard. But in the US, two working people can't even take care of a single household. So, one person getting laid off is close to a death sentence. Just look at the housing cost in California, who in their right mind allowed it to happen and continues to let it happen?
That is why one needs to have an education in how to plan one’s finances for their lifetime. The USA is terrible in that way. Very-few people know how to budget for things. It is a sad country when it comes to that skill even being taught, let alone being implemented in individuals lives.
The company doesn’t care about the employees best interests. Anything that has a salary is an expenditure even though you probably generated 10x the value of what they paid you. They basically owe you the employee money because when you factor the surplus salary they pocket by pillaging it from your pay check, you were basically working for free.
Put yourself in the company's position😂
How do companies expect loyalty from their employees nowadays - Google or not.
Having just joined the thousands of people that have been laid off, this is a brilliant video. The stressful part for many people might be the financial impact, sometimes finding the next role, is just the next role for 'now' while you regain a level of financial security while finding the right job.
Thank you for your support and encouragement! Let's keep fighting!
Wow.. that was amazing..!! You articulated it very well..!! All the best.
Thanks for your kind words! Please subscribe if you like to see more!
If you are really good, you don't work for someone else, you are wasting your time, wasting your life.
That’s another level of stress a lot of good engineers don’t want to deal with.
It highlights the importance of prioritizing our personal lives before the company. Your insights remind us of what truly matters in life. Thanks for sharing mate!
Great honest talk and helpful to all of us.
Thank you for your support!
If you haven't figured out how to make yourself indispensable to the company, your job is by definition vulnerable.
Amazing video dear Shao, it makes me clear so many circumstances that I also went through, and I believe that we share the same ideas, but you make them so easy to understand! I love the structure of your wise words.
Thank you my dear friend. I always know you are there for me
Thank you very much for sharing! Excellent advice! 👍
Glad it was helpful!
250k? I assume you are not struggling that much. With that salary, you should be extremely comfortable.
He was comfortable. Past tense bro. And $250k could be average depending on where you live, cost of living varies aronnd the world.
I was fired in my 20s (not laid off). Best thing to happen to me. I was an accountant and miserable. I saw the department heads and didn’t aspire to become them one day. I went back to school and got an MBA and then a law degree. I honed in on the industry that inspired me (tech), and that has taken me on a magnificent 25 year journey so far serving in legal and business roles, including roles as Chief Legal Officer and one as CEO. 5 years ago I struck out on an entrepreneurial journey and that has brought a new dimension to my career. Use every inflection point in your life to your advantage. You will have many forks in the road.
Thank you for your assurance! I indeed believe there are many forks down my road too! And great career advice too; asking yourself if you have the aspirations to become the current leaders of your current role.
Good to hear, but for most people, getting laid off is just bad, no silver lining. You got lucky, most just have to take the hit and whatever job they can find at that time and start building again from there
Excellent content!
I quit Google coz my manager and the product suck ass. I then retired before 40 and lucky to not having to worry about the money. I still miss being part of the team though.
If you would like to share this information: how did the layoff look like financially? How high Was your severance package?
Hey thanks for your support! I actually shared about becoming financial free even after being laid off in my first video in this same channel. Do check it out!
Amazon is hiring.
Take what you can get, hard times are here for long time.
🕯️🕯️🕯️
The jobs are most likely replaced by Indians from India with their work visa.
Thank you for sharing this. This is a really well-articulated video and might help everyone who faced layoffs. We all are part of this survival race and the community should help each other in this tough time.
Yes tough times are always gonna be there, but kindness and resilience is something we can always strive for. Thank you for watching!
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Best information I ever seen on TH-cam
Hello bots we finally meet on TH-cam
It isnt the layoff that is hard, it is the lost of income. When one has grown accustomed to living off of $250k and then you face the reality of having to accept a $100k reduction in pay in order to stay employed is very very hard. You arrived, you worked hard for it and thought you were on your way, had secured your bag. And, now you just like all the rest...poor and struggling.
"Your work friends will no longer cntact you" - some might, but it can take a while.
I've kept in contact with many friends from past jobs, whether I resigned or was let go. Remember, most people in the workplace really aren't your friends.
Thanks for sharing that, indeed some will reach out, others won't. And either way everyone is just doing the best in a difficult situation.
Not your fault bro. Google has been a $hitShow for sometime now. The search blows, their AI is light years behind the competition and the TH-cam algorithm doesn't work. - Good luck!
Thank you for your support.
The TH-cam algorithm did bring you to my video and allowed you to show your support for me. So I am grateful for that ☺️
I don't need mental preparness... Don't work for big tech!
I owned 2 laundromats in low income areas.....working 25 hours a week with a steady income and will neve be laid off. Glad I don't work for a company
Well done you have found your version of success and freedom! All the best!
Work friends are just friendly associates they are not actual friends, dream job isn't a real thing
Haha! This is a fact!
The hard truth is that you did not get the right rapport with your direct manager. And they select you to get retrenched over others.
Its not about performance but it's you are considered not to be your managers boy or maybe you could be threatening your manager position
人走茶涼，人前人後，這種事情我遇多了，當你有能力給別人幫助的時候，會有一堆人來巴結你。After you're gone and needed help, those who still keep in touch and care about you are the real friends.
"人走茶凉" such wise words thank you for your support
nice video. May i suggest a better camera and better sound. I find more compelling to view a video till the end, if the major point are shown in the first minute.
Thank you for the feedback! I acknowledge my video skills are really poor and I know so little but I am still learning. I hope to do better so you can see the progress with my next few videos.