Layoffs Happen. Keep Moving.

How to Stay Confident When Everyone’s Scared of Layoffs

Don’t Just Do the Work — Bring Value

Layoffs have become the background noise of the tech world. Every few months, another wave hits.

In recent months, Amazon announced 14,000 job cuts, Meta laid off 600 people from its Super Intelligence team, and Salesforce cuts 4,000 roles as it rolled out more AI in the workforce.

These aren’t struggling startups. These are dream jobs, the companies everyone once thought were safe. But if even they are cutting, what does that say about the rest of us?

The truth is, no-one is completely safe from layoffs. But you can be confident enough not to fear them. Because when you build yourself around value and passion, not just your job title, you’ll always find a way forward.

I’ve Been on Both Sides

I’ve been laid off myself. It happened at a time when I thought I was doing great work: leading teams, shipping products, driving growth. I felt like I was at my peak. Then came the email. “Restructuring for efficiency”, “Flattening the org.” You know how it goes.

I was angry, frustrated. But once the emotions cooled, I realized something important: the only real control I had was over how I grew next.

Ironically, I’ve also been on the other side.

I’ve had to lay off my own team more than three times in my career. I wasn’t the one making the final call, but I was close enough to understand why it had to happen. Budgets tightened, priorities shifted, runway shortened.

It gave me perspective: layoffs aren’t always about performance. They’re often about timing, structure, or shifting focus. It’s never personal, but it always feels personal.

Layoffs Are a Cycle, Not a Verdict

If you stay in tech long enough, you’ll probably experience at least one layoff. It’s part of the cycle. The real question is: what do you do when it happens?

Do you let it define you, or do you use it to reset yourself?

The people who bounce back the fastest aren’t necessarily the smartest or most connected. They’re the ones who’ve been growing outside their job, people who invest in themselves, build relationships, and know what they bring to the table.

Build Real Leverage

Being good at your job isn’t enough anymore. The market rewards impact, not just effort.

That’s where leverage comes in, building habits and skills that multiply your value over time. It starts small, but it adds up fast:

1. Invest in your own learning.
   Take online courses that genuinely interest you, not just the ones that look good on your resume. If you’re an engineer, learn something that stretches your thinking, maybe system design, maybe product strategy.

2. Join communities.
   Surround yourself with people who share your curiosity. Good communities don’t just teach you new things, they open doors, surface opportunities, and remind you that you’re not alone.

3. Find a mentor or coach.
   Someone who’s been where you want to go. A good mentor won’t just give you answers, they’ll ask you the right questions, the ones that make you see things differently.

4. Stay accountable.
   Motivation fades, discipline compounds. Build small systems that keep you on track: weekly check-ins, learning logs, or even sharing your progress publicly.

Passion Keeps You Moving

When I got laid off, what kept me going wasn’t fear, it was curiosity. The urge to learn, to build, to keep doing something that mattered.

That’s when it clicked: when your work aligns with your passion, no layoffs can stop your progress.

Because your identity isn’t tied to your company anymore. It’s tied to who you’re becoming.

If You’re Reading This

Take this as your cue to start building your own leverage. Reflect what excites you, and invest in it: time, energy, maybe even a little money.

Find a mentor, join a community, keep learning.

You don’t need to wait for uncertainty to wake you up. The best kind of job security doesn’t come from a company, it comes from confidence in yourself.

And if you’re feeling stuck or unsure where to start, reach out.
I can’t help everyone due to time constraints, but I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction.