---
title: 'On Getting Laid Off, and the State of Tech'
pubDate: '7/11/25'
tags: ['Tech', 'Life']
---

Sometimes it feels like I got into tech at the exact wrong time. The state of the industry in 2021 seemed like exact break I needed after years working in customer service. But the combination of post-lockdown market corrections and the explosion of LLMs kind of put a damper on all that, and so I felt like I had to just make do with the job I had.

For those who don't follow me on Mastodon or LinkedIn, I was recently laid off from my first tech job after nearly 3 years. I spent the last several weeks processing the massive change this caused in my day-to-day life, and figuring out my next steps. In some ways I've been happier, I've had more time to focus on projects that appeal to me personally, but, because we live in a capitalist society, I am hyper-aware of the fact that I need an income and, thusly, a job.

With all the aforementioned changes that have happened over the last few years, finding a new job feels like an insurmountable task. I'm left wondering if perhaps I would have been in a better position if it didn't take me over a decade to realize that software development isn't just something I can do, but can be pretty competent at. But it's undeniable that a resumé made up of mostly tech experience would work in my favor far more than one made up of customer service jobs, but that's my reality.

I am by no means fishing for sympathy, I know too well that I am far from the only person in this boat. I think that frustrates me more than anything, that this world I've loved for most of my life, and finally had the courage to break into and find my place in, is in the state that it is.

I want to stay in the tech world, not just because I would rather drop a bowling ball on my toes than go back into customer service, but because I truly love tech. It would be a lie to say I never woke up dreading work, but it happened far more rarely than it did in any previous job. And, even at its worst, the work has been far more fulfilling than serving obnoxiously complex coffee orders, or printing people's ugly pamphlets designed in PowerPoint (sorry, not sorry 🫢).

But, most importantly, I love the potential for tech to improve people's lives. To bring us closer together, to streamline or eliminate the drudgery of life, and allow us to express ourselves and our creativity. More than anything, I want to continue to be a part of that world.
