Business

Silicon Valley Tech Titans Continue Laying Off Thousands of Employees

NBC Universal, Inc.

Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Google and Facebook are just some of the tech titans that have laid off thousands of employees in the past few months and the fear is those cuts will only get deeper as the year progresses. 

Eva Condron-Wells, of ComfortZones Digital, remembers the day she was let go.

“It does take the wind out of your sails if you're not expecting it,” she said. “When you get notified that you’re not needed, it can feel like a huge blow.”

It’s that same gut-punch feeling that’s been spreading all across Silicon Valley lately.

Bloomberg reports there were more than 97,000 job cuts in tech in 2022, the highest since the dot-com crash more than 20 years ago. And 2023 isn’t looking any better.

“There’s a lot of fear associated with being laid off,” said Sylvia Bonilla Zizumbo, who retired from Google to become a career coach.

Several laid off techies have been coming to her for advice and for clarity on what the next chapter might look like for them.

“It's a life-changing experience, absolutely,” said Bonilla Zizumbo. “So do what you need to do to take care of yourself. You wanna get back us sooner than later.”

She gives clients 10 tips on how to manage the chaos, and how to stand out in your next job interview.

They include leaning on professional organizations and to consider temporary solutions while you update your LinkedIn profile.

“Right now you may want to consider something that’s part time, consulting if you have experience that others can really lean into,” said Bonilla Zizumbo. “Be open to the in-between to know that this is only temporary.” 

NBC Bay Area's Raj Mathai spoke to Sylvia Bonilla Zizumbo, who retired from Google to become a career coach, about her tips for those that get laid off.

Gabby Chavez Lopez is executive director of the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley.

“I think there is a lot of financial stress,” she said.

The leadership group provides workshops and other employment-improvement programs, “to make sure they continue working and not jump on public assistance. That if they want to go back to work that they have those opportunities and resources in order to make them competitive for a new job.”

Condron-Wells now works at a startup and is enjoying it.

“I took a leap and did not pursue looking for another corporate job. Started to connect with people that I worked with in the past. And that sort of blossomed into a need they had,” she said.

Condron-Wells said the best advice is to not become complacent in your job and look for ways to add value to your profile every day.

Here are 10 things to do after a layoff, according to Bonilla Zizumbo:

  1. Take some time for yourself. Need to process and prepare for what's next
  2. Get back up sooner than later. Important for motivation and building momentum
  3. Lean into your community. Internal & external networks. Your internal relationships are key
  4. Build connections. Leverage LinkedIn. Reconnect with old contacts. Get curious about their career paths
  5. Talk about what you're looking for. Even with strangers. People want to help others 
  6. Practice your narrative. Know what you want and the value you provide: why you for what 
  7. Create a master resume. Capture what's important while it's fresh
  8. What can you learn? New skills, certifications, courses, interests
  9. Be open to temporary solutions. Explore part-time roles, contract work, consulting, new areas of interest
  10. Get help. Lean on resources. Join professional groups. Consider working with a Career Coach to support you
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