Groupon plans on laying off 1,100 workers and closing operations in seven countries. Hewlett-Packard will let some 30,000 employees go over the next few quarters. Even as the tech industry as a whole enjoys burgeoning growth and rising profits, there will always be companies going through rough times.
If you’re a tech pro at a company experiencing some turbulence, it’s a good idea to prepare yourself for a possible layoff, even if you’re reasonably sure that your job is safe. Here are some tips:
Update Your Résumé
Lots of people forget to update their résumé on a regular basis, which is an easy mistake to make when you’ve had a job for a long time. But regularly revising your résumé to reflect your latest skills and experience will pay off if you unexpectedly find yourself looking for a new position—at the very least, you’ll be spared the stress of having to quickly revamp your documents in order to present your best self to the job market.
Keep In Contact with References
Your references are always a key part of locking down another job, so don’t stay incommunicado for years: Make a point of taking them out to coffee or lunch on a regular basis, or shooting them a quick email or phone call once a quarter or so.
Polish Those Online Profiles
You want your online profiles to show you and your work in the best possible light, so make a periodic appointment to update them, rather than letting them gather digital dust.
Network, Network, Network
Even if you’ll never win an award for the chattiest person in the office, reaching out to network and build relationships with your colleagues could prove extremely useful in the long run.
Get a Status Update
How much vacation time do you have saved up? How much money is in your 401(k)? What sort of outplacement benefits does your company provide? Find out the answers to all those personnel questions—knowing whether your company pays out vacation time upon termination, for example, can save you stress and confusion in the first hours of a layoff.
These tips are ok as far as they go. I would also mention posting your updated resume to sites such as indeed.com and dice.com as well as updating your work history on LinkedIn. I had many recruiters contact me from finding my resume and work history on these sites.
Also, from a financial standpoint, being laid off for three months, I never had to touch my savings account as I had paid off all my debt. It’s a huge stress reliever to not worry so much about finances if you just have monthly maintenance (rent/mortgage, utilities, etc.) to take care of and put 9 to 12 months expenses away. I start a new job on Monday and am looking forward to it.
I liked Mark W.’s answers best.