It’s been a little over two months since I was laid off. August 11, 2025 is etched into the DNA of this site. The posts are a bit of catharsis to go along with a lot of self promotion.
In the US, two months out of work starts to feel like a long time. Fortunately, I’ve got a bit of financial runway and some strong family backup if needed. The first month was a jarring mental transition on top of a spate of administrative issues to address. Didn’t really have a plan for month two. Was settling in to put together a strategy.
I had “pulsed the network”. Just letting personal relations know I was on the market. Posting content, some repurposed from here, to LinkedIn. The network rolled into action.
While I haven’t quite nailed down the next thing yet, one initial conversation led to rapidly advanced discussions and I received a real offer. Had to turn it down because the job location and start date timing just didn’t work out. Meanwhile, other discussions are generating what feel like good leads. My next step is to start throwing resumes into the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) threshers. And I’m pretty sure I’ve got a firm last resort, safe harbor if all else fails.
A World of DaaS podcast episode helped crystalize things into a couple of key points. First, finding the next work is the current work, full time. Another was having concrete results that can provide evidence. This blog and related projects are the development of that evidence. Writing code and narrating the process. But the biggest one was offer to help instead of asking for help. Defining a pain point and offering a solution, developed on spec, can set you apart. And I’ve added one of my own. Be ready with an “initial value proposition” (IVP). Here’s your upside from Day One of us working together.
There’s a lot of personal stuff that needs managing through November. My hope is to have the next thing secured by the end of that month at the latest. Maybe ease into the gig through December, but definitely full on back at it after the new year.
Who knows what the future will hold, but I’m feeling pretty confident at the moment. We shall see what we shall see.