Extract. Transform. Read.
Survive (Or Avoid) Data Engineering Job Loss
Develop a contingency plan and learn to identify factors that might indicate “soft layoffs” as a data engineer.
The following short read is an excerpt from my weekly newsletter, Extract. Transform. Read. sent to 2,000+ aspiring data professionals. If you enjoy this snippet, you can sign up and receive your free project ideation guide.
Winter in the western hemisphere is grim. Even in sunny Florida, where I write from, we’ve experienced weeks of gray skies and plunging temperatures. In the corporate world winter (Q1) presents another grim reality: Layoffs. Unfortunately, no position, no matter how “critical to the organization” is layoff-proof. Even your CEO can be let go; hence, the “golden parachute” many executives build into their contracts in the event they are unable to fulfill lofty annual goals.
In addition to the conventional “clean out your desk” immediate termination, there are other procedures that many consider to be “soft” layoffs:
- Restructuring; sometimes there’s an opportunity to pledge allegiance to a new team and sometimes it’s best to cut ties
- Return to Office (RTO); since returning to a physical office isn’t ideal for many (I remain a firm defender of the benefits, both for the worker and organization, for remote work)
- Constriction of Resources; pay freezes, withholding of bonuses and the unraveling of other one-time “perks” can be the catalyst that causes mass exodus from an org
- Buyout; depending on your stage of life and professional goals, this might be the best “soft layoff” scenario or it can be a sudden ending of a decades-long career
It’s tempting to shrug and say “What can you do?” To me, the answer is contingency. 40% of workers will experience a layoff at some point in their careers.
Understand that tech and high-paying data engineering roles (especially those that don’t directly generate revenue) can be targets in tough times. Once you accept that, you can create an escape plan that involves, broadly:
- A consistent but manageable dedication to upskilling (particularly this new-fangled AI thing); I’m personally brushing up on PySpark, since I don’t use this much at work
- Soft networking — make friends with those recruiters who reach out to you in good times; periodically check in with old peers and contacts, even if it’s just to share what cool stuff you’re working on; networking doesn’t always have to be transactional
- A financial cushion — I’ve been most nervous about being impacted by organizational change when I didn’t have a comfortable amount saved; try to keep some liquid cash so you don’t have to sell assets or pay penalties for dipping into retirement accounts during turbulent professional years (though I’m not a financial advisor, obviously)
Most importantly, it’s not a bad idea to conceptualize an “action plan” that can be triggered with the first hint of downsizing. I literally keep a folder on my personal computer called “in_case_of_layoff.”
For the contents of that folder and how to craft your own action plan, read “Break Glass in Case of Layoff.”
While there is a lot of optimism surrounding the bounce back of the technical market this year, there is also some turbulence ahead.
Just like you would on an airplane, take a minute to review your emergency plan and hang in there until you reach your next cruising altitude.
Thanks for ingesting,
-Zach Quinn
