tl;dr Got laid off 6 weeks ago but just accepted a new offer with an awesome company with a 55% pay bump and I wanted to share this to spread a bit of inspiration.
I got the dreaded layoff call about 6 weeks ago that ended 5.5 years with the same company. I certainly wasn’t expecting it, but who does? That aside… I was on the phone immediately with recruiters I’ve been in touch with via LinkedIn over the past few years trying to find my next opportunity. Over the next few weeks, I put out tons of applications and made tons of phone calls… got lots of phone screens and a few interviews, but thing seemed to go anywhere. I’ve always been a “jack of all trades”, whether in IT or security, and I started to think that it was hurting me. Out of the blue, I got contacted by a recruiter from one of the technical staffing firms I’ve been working with and was told there was an opportunity that she would send over than she thought might be a good fit. Lo and behold, the job description specifically stated they wanted a broadly-experienced, security jack of all trades!
Fast forward a week later and I’ve got my first phone interview for the position. It only took 15 minutes into the call for the manager to tell me I was already going to move on to the next and last interview… and they wanted to talk with me fast! Three days later, I walked into the company headquarters and met with the management team. An hour and a half later, we wrapped everything up and I was told it may take 24-48 hours to hear anything back, but it looked like they really did want to move fast…. I was extended an offer an hour later! The recruiter also mentioned at the end of the call that my new manager would be getting me a ticket to our local security conference next Friday (Triangle InfoSecCon in Raleigh)… a nice way to finish out my first week!
After 5.5 years with a company that clearly doesn’t value their people… I’ll be starting with a company that – from everything I hear and see – couldn’t be more different. On a personal level… this is also a game-changer for my wife and I: a 55% raise putting me over six figures at 26, fully employer-funded pension, 100% employer-paid health premiums, annual bonuses, and paid training (SANS, etc.)… I still can’t believe it.
My point in posting this is to convey the following points:
- If you are ever in the position of a layoff or termination… try your best to not get discouraged. Keep at it with all of your might and you will get back into the saddle… it just may take a bit!
- Don’t let job postings deter you If you don’t have everything they want… even if something says “mandatory”. If I had only applied for jobs that I was truly qualified for… I’d still be searching. The role I accepted stated that a bachelors degree was mandatory, as was experience with firewalls and network infrastructure… of which I have neither.
- Piggy-backing off of the last comment… if a topic comes up that you’re not knowledgeable about, be honest. I was honest about my lack of experience with firewalls and network infrastructure during the interviews, and the consensus among management was “we can teach you that stuff!”
- In today’s day and age, you’re just a number… so don’t be afraid to jump ship for a better opportunity if one comes around. Loyalty doesn’t mean anything anymore. I didn’t realize it until a few weeks after I was gone, but I was starting to get seriously numb to everything going on within the company…. Mainly the typical corporate crap, but it totally starts to wear you down. Despite my transition coming as the result of a layoff… had I not received that dreaded phone call 6 weeks ago, I’d still be in the same role, getting more numb as time went on. Always keep your feelers out there for the next opportunity.
- Finally... the "six figure" comment. There are posts on here all the time about getting to that threshold, and all I can say is... keep at it and you'll get there. There's no magic combination of education, certifications, or experience that'll get you there.
Thanks for listening, y'all!
