My Journey Through the Layoff Apocalypse, pt. 1
Tags: career, devjournal
Published: 2023-06-01 08:54:26

Hello, World! And welcome to the latest and greatest chapter of my life. Brace yourselves, because we're about to venture into world of post-layoff life. That's right, as of yesterday, my status switched from 'Fully Employed Software Developer' to 'Unemployed'

Now, before you gasp in horror, let me assure you: I'm doing just fine. I have my trusty company-issued laptop, which they graciously let me keep (silver linings, am I right?) and an endless supply of optimism to keep me from throwing my router out the window.

Besides, it's not like I didn't see it coming. The word 'layoff' is such a hot buzzword in the industry these days, it practically sizzles. I'll soon be giving seminars on it, right between the 'Decoding Web3' and 'Demystifying AI' talks. 

My workplace's situation didn't help either. Let me paint you a picture. I was playing my coding symphonies at a seed-stage start-up, where profitability was as mythical as a bug-free software launch. The balance sheets had more red ink than a 'Game of Thrones' script, and our workforce saw more chopping and changing than a reality cooking show. 'Strategic shifts' they called it.

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But, fear not, dear readers. This is not the end. With three months of severance, I'll have plenty of time to upgrade my personal software - with a healthy dose of upskilling. No, I'm not taking up knitting (though I've heard it's a fantastic way to enhance finger agility, essential for speed coding).

Sitting on my table, half-devoured, are two books that I've been reading lately. First up, we have [Zero To Production](https://www.zero2prod.com/), an intro to the world of backend development in Rust. I must say, using Rust has been a joy and I can see why it is the punk rock star of programming languages. I've never been able to produce code that works so well on the first run (after 100 slaps on the wrist by the amazing compile-time checks). Now, this book is not only about Rust and backend development, but mixes in great software engeering practises. I highly recommend.

Next to it is [Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces](https://pages.cs.wisc.edu/~remzi/OSTEP/). Now, don't be fooled by the title. You see, during my studies, the course on Operating Systems was the one that got away. But the itch to learn it remained, silently nagging at the back of my mind. After all, understanding operating systems is like having the blueprints to the labyrinth of all things computing.

And speaking of OS, guess who's installing Arch Linux on their machine? This guy. Why, you ask? Two words: Bragging rights. Plus, a small side benefit is that nothing gets you acquainted with an operating system quite like rolling up your sleeves and getting down and dirty with it. Soon, I'll be able to flash a smug grin and say, 'Oh btw, I use Arch,' and it will be true.

You might be wondering, 'Are these the most in-demand skills for landing your next job?' The short answer is, 'Perhaps not.' But here's the catch. This journey I've embarked on isn't just about plumping up my CV with buzzwords.

In the ever-evolving landscape of tech, fundamental knowledge often proves to be the unsung hero. It's less about chasing trends and more about developing a robust base from which I can adapt, learn, and grow. And in the grand scheme of things, no knowledge is ever a waste. So, here's to learning, exploration, and the exciting road ahead!

Stay tuned for part 2...