The challenge, then, is to pick the right company to work for that is, the one that won't send you packing. Therein lies the trick. And that means if you're interviewing at a start-up, you should be extra cautious, because companies that are still developing products rather than selling them and quickly running out of financing will probably be doing more laying off, says Williams. I think people are definitely more wary of start-ups. A year ago, there was unbounded optimism that everything was going to work.
People understand that that's no longer the climate.
But just ask thousands of Nortel employees past and present whether established companies offer more security, and they'll scoff at the notion. A lot of people are reevaluating whether they want to be part of the bureaucracy. In any large organization going through times like these, there's a tremendous amount of negative energy. People aren't fighting for new technology. They're not looking forward.