narenarya

I am a senior engineer working in a mid-size company in the Bay Area. I hope this post gives ideas to people who have been impacted by uncertainty in life, encouraging them not to worry but to embrace it. I've been working at my current company for over 2.5+ years on an ambitious project. Unfortunately, the project didn't kick off as expected and had to be shelved suddenly due to a high project burn rate.

I was laid off, but I have to say, the company treated me well. They provided me with a decent severance package and 4 months of paid health insurance. I am truly thankful to them for that. Surprisingly, the news articles and LinkedIn posts about layoffs didn't hit me as hard as I thought they would. Instead, it gave me some time to take a breath from constant work and focus on the important things in life. It was helpful that I had saved up 6 months of living expenses and had significant work experience from around the globe. So, my advice to my fellow engineers is to always keep some money aside and maintain good connections from your past and present to navigate through uncertain times. The only thing that worries me a bit is the visa transfer (H1-B) for those in my situation, but I'm not desperate because I have global connections who can help me find new opportunities.

Now, for those who have been laid off like me, I have a few tips on how to make the most of this opportunity in life:

* Take a break and enjoy the period of not having to work. Use this time to relax and recharge. * Start working on something that you've always been scared of doing before. Maybe it's building a product that will be used by people or raising capital for a new venture. Embrace the challenge! * Explore different work opportunities. Consider going remote or even moving to a different country. This could open up new doors and experiences.

With that being said, I would love to hear your thoughts on how you see the positives in your own life.