Brian Rinaldi is a Developer Experience Engineer at LaunchDarkly with over 20 years experience as a developer for the web. Brian is active in the community running CFE.dev and Orlando Devs.
I am sorry to hear about that Robert. As someone who has had a long(ish) career as a developer, it is almost a right of passage in our business. Things change so fast and layoffs are so common that I rarely talk to anyone who hasn't been hit at some point. Though, I doubt that makes you feel any better right now.
I, myself, have been laid off multiple times. In some cases, those companies no longer exist (though they did at the time I was laid off...but it was a sign). I've also been at big companies where I thought I would be laid off and wasn't somehow and not necessarily because I was the best. I learned that in many cases - especially at the big companies - it's less about your ability and more about where you were on an org chart. I've seen many hugely talented, smart and hard-working people laid off at places where others who were far less deserving stayed.
My point is, don't let it define you. Don't let it dissuade you from doing what you enjoy. If you truly love learning, that is a key skill for being a successful developer and you'll have other opportunities in no time.
I am sorry to hear about that Robert. As someone who has had a long(ish) career as a developer, it is almost a right of passage in our business. Things change so fast and layoffs are so common that I rarely talk to anyone who hasn't been hit at some point. Though, I doubt that makes you feel any better right now.
I, myself, have been laid off multiple times. In some cases, those companies no longer exist (though they did at the time I was laid off...but it was a sign). I've also been at big companies where I thought I would be laid off and wasn't somehow and not necessarily because I was the best. I learned that in many cases - especially at the big companies - it's less about your ability and more about where you were on an org chart. I've seen many hugely talented, smart and hard-working people laid off at places where others who were far less deserving stayed.
My point is, don't let it define you. Don't let it dissuade you from doing what you enjoy. If you truly love learning, that is a key skill for being a successful developer and you'll have other opportunities in no time.
Thank you so much for the advice!