#13: Neurodivergent and Unemployed, Need for Unemployment Preparedness
I am Neurodivergent with Autism and ADHD. I was laid off from my job with Microsoft on July 11, 2022. It has been one week. Here are my thoughts and some tips for others to prepare in case of unemployment.
Axed
A week ago, I was called into a meeting with some other members of the team. There we were told by our manager that our positions were eliminated effective immediately. There was no warning. I was shocked and devastated. We were told that it was due to a reorg and changing business priorities, not due to performance. It did not make me feel any better. It was also the first time I lost my job like this.
Security Mindset
One of the oldest sayings often used in security: Hope for the best, plan for the worst. It will definitely help folks like me who lost their jobs. Because of the famous Cybersecurity Skills Gap, many have assured me that I will be able to get a new job quickly. Indeed, many reports indicate that millions of security jobs are unfilled and that there is no reason for that to change.
However, given the multiple challenges facing the world today, things might be changing. War in Ukraine, companies leaving Russia, COVID-19, political chaos in many countries, the highest inflation in the US in 40 years, high gas prices, rising interest rates, and much more. All this will continue to impact earnings and profits, which historically leads to layoffs as we are seeing at some organizations today.
Will the security job market be affected? Most people say no, but for me and others who lost jobs in security, we are evidence that change is coming. I strongly believe that the number of available security jobs will see a reduction. Because at the end of the day, it all comes down to money. If an organization is struggling financially due to reduced sales, revenue, and profits they will need to cut costs, which by default is often job cuts and layoffs. In a perfect world, organizations would reduce headcount when needed, but today most organization use forecasting models to predict future cash flows. Those forecasts are what drives decisions and determines our future.
Unemployment Preparedness
So, what to do? Hope for the best, plan for the worst. I truly hope I am wrong and security jobs will be plentiful for years to come, but it is better to prepare for potential unemployment and have multiple backup plans in case one loses their job, similar to creating a BCDR (Business Continuity Disaster Recovery) plan in security. Sometimes losing one’s job at a bad time can have a devastating impact on other areas of life: Relationships, being able to afford a house, being able to take a vacation, being able to afford childcare, and more. So where to start?
First, identify your risks and threats. What possible scenarios would impact your job or might lead to job loss? One might be vigilant and keep track of the organization’s financial status. Organizations with less profit and lower stock price might be an indicator of trouble. Whereas some organizations in specific industries are performing better than other industries. For example, organizations around Cryptocurrencies and Real Estate took a hit in the past few weeks. Another risk would be the time it would take to find a new job. A higher-level job would take longer to replace than a lower level one. Other risks might be physical or mental health problems leading one to work less or getting burned out from mental exhaustion.
Second, create a business impact analysis. Basically, ask yourself, if you lost your job today, what would be the impact to your home, family, and finances? Do you have enough money saved up? How long can you afford to be out of work? For some people living paycheck to paycheck, job loss can be very devastating. Other things to consider are the timing of significant life events. For example, buying a new home, getting married, going on a long dream vacation, or having kids. If you lost your job during one of these events, what would you do? Some have side businesses, if business dried up and you lost your job, what would you do?
Some examples that friends shared with me where they got into trouble. One was working in security on a H1B work visa and suddenly lost their job, very difficult to find a new employer to sponsor a new H1B visa. Another relied on their side business as their primary source of income until COVID-19 hit and clients left, they had to get a regular job. Others such as myself felt comfortable in their jobs and never expected layoffs, but it happened even though I worked at one of the largest software companies in the world.
Third, plan for risk prevention and mitigation. For example, do you have other streams of income to help pay the bills if you were unemployed? Does your spouse or partner work? Do you have a side gig to earn money on the side? Do you have money saved up? Do you have assets to sell? Are you able to cut back on expenses? If things get really bad, could you move back in with your parents?
Biggest risk mitigation of all, you can keep learning new skills to keep your security skills up to date and in demand through training and certifications. The key is to keep up with the latest security trends and keep up with changes and to be agile enough to take advantage of new opportunities, keep your knives sharp so to speak. If not, it is easy to fall behind and it may take longer to find the next job. It is also an opportunity. If you did not care for your last job and want to try something else, losing your job might be a blessing in disguise. Because for many of us, we can be so focused on our jobs and working long hours, we often do not have the time to consider other possible career paths. Take the opportunity when it comes knocking, they do not come often.
Finally, you cannot really test for job loss, so instead periodically review and improve your plan just in case a storm hits and layoffs happen. You can also run test scenarios and see how you would react if you lost your job. Also keep thinking ahead and keep planning as life changes, global events change the business environment, and bad luck just happens sometimes.
My Status Today
A week after my surprise layoff, I have recovered from the shock and being caught flat footed with no plan in place. So, I have to essentially create my own plans after the fact. I do have a few job leads and remain hopeful as I apply for new roles. I am grateful to people who have reached out to me in support. I still plan to batten down the hatches and try to ride out this storm of unemployment but considering the multiple challenges affecting the world right now, it is best to make your own plan just in case of unemployment as multiple large tech companies will report their earning and layoffs over the next few weeks. Be ready!
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company.
