We have a baby due in just a few months and I've never been this scared about job security. I can't afford to be laid off right now. Not with hospital bills coming and a new mouth to feed. Every rumor about cuts makes my stomach drop. I don't know how I'll be able to deal mentally with constant layoff rumors through all of this.
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It’s easier to find a job when you have a job, not cliche. Find a more stable company to work for. I am not bashing OT. Just the reality
@OP You won’t be. Open Text is hiring around the globe and the company is returning to growth.
HQ has been in pure chaos the past few days. The company has a massive queue of people outside of customers paying in straight cash. It’s so crazy we had to hire about 500 finance personnel just to count it all. Thats 500% bonus and is basically locked in.
Google and Nvidia should watch out next because Open Text are lending to them next!
Congrats on your baby. Enjoy the time and try to ignore the anxieties. Your family loves you for you and not what you can provide. Stop coming to this site and start investing in the future by using the magic of compounding.
Then, don’t wait and find side job. Welcome to capitalism…
My husband got laid off one week after our first son was born. I was a wreck, but we got through it. Enjoy this time while you await your baby's arrival. Watch as mom's tummy moves when the baby moves, watch for hiccups (was my favorite part of pregnancy), feel as many kicks as you can. All will work out one way or another. Do as others have said: get training, look for another job, save as best as you can, but don't let this magical time of your life be taken away by this company...not worth it. All will work out...trust me.
Its just so sad that the company most of us are so dedicated to, can make us feel this way.
@OP
Sounds like you are having a lot of anxiety. This is perfectly normal given you have a baby on the way..Even if you worked at a stable company I think you would be nervous. What is needed to ease your anxiety is a plan:
First- if you are in the US you will be eligible for COBRA if laid off (this is the same health plan you are on now..you will just have to pay the entire premium) Though this will be a temporary increased expense, you won't be bankrupt by medical bills.
Second, the best thing you can do is save as much $ as you can.
Third-Put a job search plan together-
A) Update your CV
B) Update your LinkedIn profile
C) Flip the switch in LinkedIn (only visible to Recruiters) that you are looking for a job (Not the green sign ..
do not add that to your profile)
4) Network with old College friends let them know (privately) you are looking.
5) Network with former colleagues, let them know you are looking
6) Let Friends and Family know.
7) Actively start applying for jobs
8) Carve out 15 or 20 minutes a day to apply, send out resumes, ..reach out thru your network.
Lastly, the most important thing...having a child is one of the most exciting times in your life.
Focus on your family, jobs come and go..your baby will grow up fast, don't miss a minute of it.
If you put a solid plan together you will regain some control that you think you lack which is causing your anxiety.
Good luck and congratulations on the baby!
I'm so sorry. I went through something very similar a few years ago, and it was extremely stressful. This economy and job market make it almost impossible to financially plan for big life events. At the same time, we can't put our lives on hold just because of uncertainty.
My advice: obviously get as much runway as you can in your savings accounts and cut expenses now before it's dire. But also be kind to yourself. You have no control over a future layoff and trolling these sites will do nothing except make you anxious and miserable.
Also take comfort in knowing that humans have been suffering hardship for thousands of years and continue to move forward. You are not alone, you are not the first person to face this situation, and your family loves you whether you're employed or not. Things may become more difficult temporarily, but it will work out. And that's not some woowoo bullsh-t, it will work out because you will make it work, because you have to. Trust yourself and lean on those you love.
I can't imagine how that feels, but I can empathize.
Unfortunately it's a rough time. Even if you survive layoffs, something else can happen that makes it untenable to stay. RTO increasing CoL, taking on additional work or training. It's all a lot.
And until AI sorts itself out, it's not a guarantee to get something safe elsewhere.