While certainly not unexpected, it’s still disappointing. Just shy of 4 years in, I was laid off this week. This is the only time in my adult life that I’m leaving a job without something else already lined up. There are obviously various administrative tasks to complete, but that list is nearly complete.
So, now what?
Based on the experience of many excellent software engineers and engineering leaders that have recently found themselves in this position, it’s likely going to take a while to find that next role.
I need a new job and while I may end up happy just to find any position at all, I think it’s worth thinking about what that next role would ideally look like. The one thing I know would be on that list is some form of community. I like people. :) Collaborating with people working on projects that make life better for more people seems pretty great, doesn’t it? That’s not really a job description though, so I guess I have more thinking to do. Ha!
The other thing I’m wondering is how to make the most of this time. I mean that both in terms of finding that next role and also in terms of having never had time off like this before and wanting to enjoy a little sunshine. I’m grateful this happened at the start of summer. I’ve offered suggestions related to this to friends and family in the past so I suppose I’ll start with those ideas and see how well they work for me. Scheduling relaxation time is the one thing that I suspect may be the hardest to actually do.
