I was part of 2021 SAP layoffs and have since been laid off two additional times by tech firms. It’s a really tough market and am curious what folks impacted this year are doing to secure new roles. I’m contacting people in my network at AWS, Google, MSFT, Deloitte, niche firms, etc. and the scenarios there are uncertain. Applications for many roles seem to go into a black hole of oblivion. Referrals and having an existing relationship with someone on the hiring team is helpful, but even then, competition is massive. Applying to roles I am overqualified for is another interesting experience — almost no traction with this approach. I was a top-performer at SAP for many years, and the reality of the current state of the tech industry is resulting in me second-guessing my capabilities. Is anyone else experiencing this post-SAP?
6 replies (most recent on top)
@1oad+1s5MbyOn, thank you for your feedback. Unfortunately, not all states offer 26 weeks unemployment. Similar to your experience, while it seemed for years that there were abundant tech opportunities, things have changed. Contract work is an absolute welcome -- no pushback there. My severance covered transition to a role I was laid off from in a LIFO construct -- layoffs.fyi demonstrates how tough this space has been for the last three years.
Beyond that, I was a T4L2 at SAP, so an expensive (albeit valuable) resource. What I, and many, can do out of the gate from a value-add perspective is less expensive than the KT required for folks who haven't been in the SAP ecosystem for 20 years. In my mid-40s, I'm not old. I'm slightly older than CK and have much more worthwhile experience than he does.
My job search focus has been within the SAP ecosystem and with SAP competitors, but perhaps it's time to leave enterprise software behind.
SAP: Your lasting mark is your mediocre software and negative impact on people. Without people, there is no SAP. Shame on you CK, JW, and other useless "leaders" who serve only to push the people who make you millions into unemployment.
Sorry you are going through this. I was laid off last year (2023) and for the first time in my life, have found it difficult looking for jobs in Tech. It was so easy for me to find any job I wanted for so many years. So it is not you, it is the mass layoffs in Tech.
I suggest you file unemployment if you have not done so. That is 26 weeks of free cash, and you also get another 26 next year (26 paid / 26 not paid / 26 paid) if you had jobs in between.
I also suggest you pursue contract work, those jobs should still be plentiful.
I ended up using the severance package to allow for time to discover a new career, which I'm so happy for, going into business for myself.
Good luck!
A few years back in my region there was a mass downsizing of engineers (construction, civil etc..) across many firms (around GFC). I knew very talented engineers who went from big pay checks and projects to driving Ubers. Competition would have been pretty ruthless and from what I gathered many of the cheaper and lower skilled engineers seemed to retain their jobs.
Fair to say it took many years for the market to recover, I think that the software tech industry will be in a bad space for a few years, be prepared to look at different fields, contracting or whatever else pays the bills.
I'm going to drive a school bus...can't ship that out
Si’
YOU DON'T EVEN GO HERE!