How to survive if you get fired in tech

Google, Amazon, Facebook, Salesforce, countless cryptocurrency startups, Microsoft: these are tech companies, big and small, that fire people in droves until 2023. And these are not only the roles of marketing and middle managers, but also the roles of analyst and engineer. No job is 100% safe, as many of us have learned from our own experience.

Being fired is stressful and can leave you feeling destabilized and insecure. Is this your first layoffwhich probably hits a lot harder) or you’ve been down this path before, finding a job and figuring out how to meet your needs without that steady income can be intimidating. There are many creative solutions to help you find your next big breakthrough.

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best

Whether you’re looking for a job out of necessity, or you’re riddled with survivor guilt and worried you might be next on the block, refresh your resume and start looking for other opportunities. Bulletin board sites such as LinkedIn, ZipRecruiterAnd Really are great places to start your search, but also think about the companies you’d like to work for and scroll through their job pages.

If you hit a roadblock, look for tech recruiters and reach out to them directly. If the economists are right and we are indeed looking deep into a recession, there is a good chance that these layoffs will not be the last.

Whether you have received the long or short end of the consequences of being fired, protect your information. I definitely made the mistake of creating files on my Google work drive that should have been on my personal drive, but luckily I shared them with myself. Make copies to ensure you don’t get banned, and if there are any important contacts or emails you want to keep, make copies of those as well, as trying to track them down after being fired can be difficult if not. impossible.

Check your benefits

This may seem obvious to some, but when I got fired earlier this year, unemployment insurance was the last thing on my mind. Each state in the US has its own set of requirements that determine if a person can qualify for benefits, how much, and for how long. For example, in New York, you must work 2 quarters to be eligible to claim unemployment benefits; The maximum you will be granted is $504 per week and the term will extend up to 26 weeks. In Florida, you are likely to earn less, and the state has a maximum of 12 weeks to apply for unemployment insurance.

This is almost certainly a lot less than what many tech people are used to doing, but something is better than nothing. Also, many programs allow you to freelance between jobs and that income won’t affect your weekly allowance, meaning you can view unemployment as a kind of baseline to build on.

In the USA you can use this Seeking Unemployment Benefits to learn about your state’s regulations and apply online or by phone. You can apply for benefits on the day you quit, but be aware that if you received severance pay, you may not be eligible until your severance pay expires.

Check your insurance

In the United States, health insurance is often tied to your employment, which adds another layer of anguish to being fired, especially if you have dependents covered under your plan. Your employer is required by law to cover your insurance premiums by the end of the month your job ends, but that time moves quickly, especially if you get fired towards the end of the month.

If your benefits included health insurance, look into COBRA (Consolidated Consolidated Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) to find out how long your group rate will be available to you. You should receive a package in the mail about a week after you were fired, which will include the full cost of your premiums (usually about double what you previously paid) and the period of time you may be covered by that premium. . plan. Some employers will cover your premiums long after your job ends, but make sure you complete the paperwork to ensure your coverage doesn’t end before you find a new job or a new plan.

You can also view the government sponsored insurance plans available to you using this Looking for plans. Plans vary from state to state and are highly dependent on your income status. For example, when I was an adjunct professor and making less than $30,000 a year, I was eligible for a $40/month plan with a $0 deductible and a very good network of doctors. However, now that I need a family plan that considers both my income and my household partner’s income, our plan offer actually amounted to more than my COBRA insurance, with worse rates and a weaker network of doctors. Be sure to check which plans you qualify for, but don’t be surprised if your current group rate is cheaper and better.