DEV Community: Sam Jeet

What I Learned After Being Laid Off From My Dream Tech Job

Sam Jeet — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 19:59:27 +0000

A software engineer's journey through layoffs, job hunting, and rediscovering professional identity

One year ago, I was laid off from Pluralsight - my dream company where I'd spent three years growing as a software engineer. That day started a challenging four-month journey that taught me more about my career, resilience, and professional identity than I expected.

After sending 100+ applications and facing countless rejections in a competitive market flooded with laid-off tech talent, I eventually landed at a 40-person startup through a former colleague's referral.

For those navigating similar waters right now, I want to share some hard-earned insights from my experience.

Three Key Lessons From My Layoff

1. The Professional Identity Crisis

"Working with my therapist, I realized how much of my identity was wrapped up in being 'a software engineer at Pluralsight.' When that was suddenly taken away, I felt lost."

One of the most difficult aspects of being laid off wasn't just losing my job - it was losing part of how I defined myself. I discovered that building an identity beyond your employer provides essential resilience when facing career disruptions.

2. The Structure Survival Strategy

Job hunting is a full-time job that requires structure. I dedicated every morning from 9-12 to "job time" - either applying for positions or upskilling. Afternoons were for house renovations, meeting friends, or other activities.

Having this structure prevented me from spiraling into unproductive patterns or despair during an emotionally challenging time.

3. The Truth About Job Market Timing

Despite solid experience and referrals, I often couldn't get past initial screenings. Why? I was competing against candidates from Meta, Google, and other tech giants who had also been laid off in mass reductions.

I learned that timing and market conditions play a significant role in job searches—factors entirely outside my control. Understanding this helped me take rejections less personally.

Read My Full Journey

These three insights are just the beginning. On my personal blog, I share all ten lessons from my layoff experience, including:

How tracking my 100+ applications revealed surprising patterns
Why resume optimization is an imperfect science
The emotional resilience strategies that kept me going
How openness dissolves shame
Finding gratitude even after goodbye

Continue reading the complete post on my personal blog →

About Me

As a woman of color, lesbian, first-generation American, and software engineer, I write about tech careers, DEI issues, and navigating the industry from my intersectional perspective. My blog explores these topics alongside technical content and personal reflections.

Have you experienced a layoff? What helped you through it? Share in the comments below, and don't forget to check out the full article for all 10 lessons.

The Salary Games: Why I Advocate for Pay Transparency in Tech

Sam Jeet — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 18:59:54 +0000

Early Lessons on Compensation and Fairness in the Workplace

Early in my tech career, two defining moments completely shifted how I view compensation and fairness in the workplace.

The First Moment: Not Knowing the "Rules of the Game"

The first came fresh out of college when I accepted my first full-time job offer without negotiating. I was grateful for the opportunity and didn’t realize I could—or should—ask for more. Later, I learned I was the lowest-paid person on my team, simply because I didn’t know the “rules of the game.” Why should fair pay be a mystery or a secret?

The Second Moment: Being Undervalued for My Background

The second moment came after I graduated from a coding bootcamp. During an interview, I was told that if I were offered a position, my salary would be lower because I was a bootcamp grad. Never mind my Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and years of professional experience in another field. That single detail—where I learned to code—was enough to devalue my potential contribution. In that moment, I knew my answer would be “no thank you” if an offer came my way.

The Hard Truth

These experiences taught me a hard truth: Reducing someone’s worth to their education, their ability to negotiate, or their background isn’t just short-sighted—it’s harmful. Neither bootcamp credentials nor college degrees define intelligence or potential. Some of the most brilliant, capable people I’ve worked with never set foot on a college campus.

The Privilege of Negotiation

But here’s something else I’ve learned: **Knowing how and when to negotiate is a privilege. **Many people—especially people of color, immigrants, and those from vulnerable or underrepresented communities—are never taught the “rules” of salary negotiation. They may not have access to mentors, networks, or resources that others take for granted. This lack of access perpetuates inequities and creates systemic barriers to fair pay.

A Better Approach

Thankfully, not all companies operate this way. When I interviewed at Pluralsight, my future manager took a completely different approach. He was upfront and transparent, saying something like, “No games, no riddles. This is the best I can offer, and it’s mid-range for this level.” That honesty set a new standard for me in how compensation conversations should be handled. He became one of my favorite managers, and I’ll always be grateful for his integrity.

Advocating for Change

These experiences made me a strong advocate for salary transparency and equitable pay practices. When roles open at my company, I make it a point to reach out to talented people in my network who I know are being undervalued or underpaid elsewhere. Because while salary doesn’t define a person’s worth, it does reflect how organizations value their people.

A Call to Action

It’s time to stop gatekeeping pay ranges, undervaluing talent based on arbitrary criteria, and leaving employees in the dark about their worth. Compensation should be fair, transparent, and based on real contributions—not privilege, pedigree, or who knows how to play the game.

Let’s normalize transparency. Let’s value potential, not just pedigree. And let’s create workplaces where everyone has the opportunity to thrive—without guessing games. 💪

Unlimited PTO That Isn’t a Trap: A Love Letter to Actually Taking Vacations

Sam Jeet — Sat, 18 Jan 2025 00:01:42 +0000

As I pack my bags for a two-week trip to the Philippines, I find myself reflecting on something many tech workers might take for granted: the ability to truly disconnect from work without anxiety or guilt. While “unlimited PTO” has become a common phrase in job listings, the reality often falls short of the promise. But what happens when a company actually means it?

Beyond the Policy

In tech, we’re familiar with the pattern: companies advertise unlimited PTO, but the unspoken expectation is that you shouldn’t actually use it. Team members compete to show who can take the least time off, wearing their minimal vacation days like badges of honor. It’s a culture that ultimately leads to burnout and resentment.

My experience has been different. Here, unlimited PTO isn’t just a recruitment tool — it’s a lived value that starts at the top. Our C-suite regularly blocks off days for family time. My manager encourages the team to plan extended breaks. More importantly, when they’re off, they’re truly off — no “just checking in” or “quick questions” that blur the lines between work and rest.

The Impact of Leading by Example

This approach cascades through the organization. When leadership demonstrates that it’s not just okay but encouraged to take time off, it transforms the company culture. We see that our value isn’t measured by our constant availability but by our contributions when we’re present and engaged.

As I prepare to spend time with my family in the Philippines, I’m struck by how different this feels from previous roles. There’s no underlying current of guilt, no pressure to stay connected “just in case.” Instead, there’s an understanding that these moments — reconnecting with family, experiencing different cultures, or simply taking time to recharge — make us better both personally and professionally.

The Broader Implications

This isn’t just about vacation policy — it’s about trust and respect. When a company truly honors its unlimited PTO policy, it sends a clear message: we trust our employees to manage their time and energy. We respect that they have lives, relationships, and responsibilities outside of work.

It’s also about sustainability. In an industry known for burnout, having genuine support for work-life balance isn’t just nice to have — it’s essential for long-term success, both for individuals and organizations.

Moving Forward

As our industry continues to evolve, we need to move beyond seeing unlimited PTO as just another perk to list in job descriptions. Instead, let’s focus on building cultures where taking time off is truly normalized and encouraged.

For companies, this means:

Leadership actively modeling healthy PTO usage
Creating clear coverage plans so employees can disconnect completely
Celebrating rather than penalizing those who take time for themselves

For employees, it means being willing to actually take that time off, setting boundaries, and supporting our colleagues in doing the same.

As I head off on my trip, I’m grateful to be part of an organization that gets this right. More than that, I’m hopeful this approach becomes the norm rather than the exception in our industry. After all, we’re not just workers — we’re human beings who need time to live, love, and experience the world beyond our screens.

The Hidden Cost of RTO: Who Gets Left Behind?

Sam Jeet — Tue, 14 Jan 2025 18:50:48 +0000

The recent wave of "return to office" (RTO) mandates isn't just about changing where we write our code or attend our standups – it's about fundamentally reshaping who gets to participate in our industry at all.

As a tech community that prides itself on innovation and inclusion, we need to have an honest conversation about how RTO policies might be undermining the very values we claim to champion. Let's break down the real impact of these mandates:

The Diversity Dilemma

When companies limit themselves to local talent pools, particularly those headquartered in tech hubs that often lack demographic diversity, they're essentially undoing years of progress in building diverse teams. Remote work has been a powerful tool for including talented developers from different backgrounds, cultures, and communities who might never have considered relocating.

Consider Western Governors University (WGU), a primarily online institution that serves a diverse student body across the nation. Their recent return-to-office mandate presents a stark contradiction: while their virtual learning model has successfully created educational opportunities for students from all backgrounds, their employment policies now restrict staff to the Salt Lake City area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Utah's population is approximately 89% white (2023), significantly less diverse than WGU's national student demographic. This disconnect between the institution's inclusive educational mission and its restrictive employment practices illustrates a broader problem: how RTO mandates can inadvertently create workforce demographics that don't reflect the communities they serve.

By removing remote work options and hiring only locally, companies risk creating homogeneous teams that lack the diverse perspectives crucial for building inclusive products. This isn't just about numbers – it's about ensuring our codebase reflects the diversity of our users.

The Accessibility Factor

For workers with disabilities, remote work isn't a perk – it's an essential accommodation that levels the playing field. Working from home eliminates many physical barriers and allows workers to:

Set up their workspace exactly as needed for their assistive technologies
Avoid challenging daily commutes
Manage medical appointments without disrupting their work
Use their own accessible setup that they've already optimized

Mental health is also a crucial part of this conversation. Remote work has been transformative for workers managing conditions like anxiety, depression, or ADHD. The ability to control their environment, reduce sensory overload common in open offices, and maintain routines that support their mental well-being has helped many thrive professionally. Some workers find it easier to focus without the social demands and constant interruptions of an office, while others can better manage their energy levels and prevent burnout by working in a familiar, comfortable space.

When companies mandate RTO, they're effectively telling these valuable team members that their needs are secondary to an arbitrary requirement for physical presence.

The Caregiver Conundrum

Many workers are also caregivers – whether they're parents, supporting elderly relatives, or handling other family responsibilities. Remote work has allowed them to balance their caring duties with their passion for coding. This particularly impacts women in tech, who often shoulder a disproportionate share of caregiving responsibilities.

Forcing a choice between career and family responsibilities isn't just unfair – it's a sure way to lose experienced developers who bring valuable perspectives to our teams.

The DEI Disconnect

Here's where it gets interesting: many tech companies proudly showcase their DEI initiatives while simultaneously implementing RTO policies that directly contradict these efforts. The cognitive dissonance is striking.

If the rapid shift to remote work during the pandemic taught us anything, it's that developers can collaborate effectively, ship quality code, and build amazing products from anywhere. The notion that "presence equals productivity" feels particularly outdated in an industry built on digital innovation.

Moving Forward

Instead of reverting to pre-pandemic norms, we should be asking:

How can we create truly inclusive workplaces that accommodate all developers?
What metrics actually matter for productivity and team success?
How can we leverage technology to ensure remote team members are fully integrated?

The companies that will thrive in the future are those that embrace flexibility and focus on outcomes rather than location. Whether through hybrid models or fully remote options, maintaining inclusive policies isn't just about doing the right thing – it's about ensuring we don't lose the diverse perspectives that drive innovation in our industry.

What's your experience with RTO mandates in tech? How has remote work impacted your ability to contribute to the industry? Let's share our stories and work toward solutions that work for everyone.