Got laid off again this week — number four, if we’re counting. Two as a mechanical engg in 2020, and now #2 as a SWE.
I’m back on the grind with Leetcode, getting ready for a FANG interview coming up. Have already extended it a month, will extend another couple months. Don't get many chances so I can't blow it.
In the meantime, maybe time to dive into an AI hackathon in SF.
My usual strategy’s pretty simple: fire off applications, tap the network (not much in tech), and take it one move at a time.
The first transition — from Mech Eng to SWE after that 2020 layoff — was wild. I’d already started rebuilding a web app with the Spotify API — Python, Flask, Heroku, OAuth, the works. Entered a hackathon, technically “won” because no one else finished — my kind of win.
Personal project opened the door to a remote gig in Europe, from Canada, as a QA Automation Engineer. Moved into DevOps and junior SRE work… until the company went under. Landed another remote role a few months later.
And now? Back to the drawing board — but with a bit more experience.
How do you approach this?
MilnerRoute•1h ago
My generic advice for job-seeking is always "work your contacts." Maybe spend time on LinkedIn? That's where some jobs get announced first, and you'll sometimes hear news about who's doing what. But also it's an easy way to connect/reconnect with people you've known at past jobs/etc.