Quitting During Layoffs was a Terrible Idea
Tags: javascript, react, programming, productivity
Published: 2023-12-09 16:59:28

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I have been working as a full-stack software engineer for a long time.

I usually never had problems finding a job as a full-stack software engineer with React+Node stack.

**But things have changed since I quit my last job….**

## Why did I leave?

I had my first daughter last November(2022). As a first-time father, the time was very exciting for me.

Unfortunately, I was working as a contractor for my company.

The manager was kind enough to grant me seven days off, but **that’s never enough**.

![Photo by Dominika Roseclay: [https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-man-raising-baby-under-blue-sky-1166990/](https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-man-raising-baby-under-blue-sky-1166990/)](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/6912/1*ntuBdBUMORsu01ViGuEDLg.jpeg)

I wanted to spend more time with my daughter and help my wife to manage everything.

But I couldn’t

I had a good amount of responsibility. I managed a small team and was responsible for the front-end application, which was large.

So, I inquired if granting me **90 days of unpaid leave** was possible. I knew I would not get paid leave as a contractor, so I asked for an unpaid break.

But it was against the company's policy.

## Now I have two choices.

First, I can **continue managing everything** in my job. I would have to underperform, but as I was remote, nobody would feel that.

Second, **I can leave the job.**

I am confident in my skill set and have never had any issues finding a job. Usually, I get job offers on LinkedIn regularly.

I know it’s normal for many people, but as I live in a **third-world country**, it is not so common here.

SO,

> I decided to quit

Aaaand, I thought to myself

> What’s the worst could happen?

As I was constantly bombarded with job offers, I thought getting another job would be a walk in the park. So why not?

>  Let’s enjoy this part of my life!

So yeah. I did exactly that. I enjoyed my time. I patted myself on the back for all my hard work and enjoyed the time with my family and my daughter.

## Now what?

So, after leaving the job, I started hearing news about layoffs. Google, Microsoft, Facebook….

I didn’t bother that much.

But after a couple of months, I started looking for jobs.

> The reality hit me

Now, my old company doesn’t need my service because I was a contractor, and now they are getting people locally who got laid off recently. So why would they hire me?

![Photo by Dominika Roseclay: [https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-man-raising-baby-under-blue-sky-1166990/](https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-a-man-raising-baby-under-blue-sky-1166990/)](https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/11786/1*Oyh4h9UEZ6RaE2evHC__cw.jpeg)

The remote job sites are overpopulated. There are huge numbers of people applying for the same position. (**Over 1000 applicants in some job posts**)

The competition is so high that people are applying at half their usual rate just to get a job.

As I didn’t want to reduce my rate, I got no job.

## Was it a bad decision?

Looking back. I did the right thing. I could’ve held to my position and underperformed for a couple of months.

Nobody would notice… mmm, maybe…

But it would create a deeper sense of guilt in me. Would it make me happy?

After all, life is a compilation of some times. And the time with my daughter will never come back.

So spoiling my time with my child wasn’t worth it for me.

I took the decision. And probably a very bad one.

**But I am happy about it. I would probably do it again.**

## What’s Now, then?

Now, I am actively looking for remote positions.

I know I can compromise my rate and get a job easily. But then, right after I joined, I would start searching for another role with a higher rate.

That’s probably legal but will not be ethical.

So, I am keeping calm and learning new things.

I have other plans as well. One of them is to grow [my blog](https://www.mohammadfaisal.dev/blog)

I know the economy will get better over time. Jobs will be there for me. But I will not get those if I am not prepared.

So, I am preparing and learning what I always wanted to learn.

I am expanding my knowledge horizon and creating personal projects that will give me more satisfaction.

## Sorry

This was a very personal story. I am sorry if you feel that you just wasted a bunch of time reading this.

I hope you have a wonderful year and make the best decisions for the rest of your lives.

Have a wonderful day!


**Have something to say? Get in touch with me via [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/56faisal/) or [Personal Website](https://www.mdfaisal.com/)**