Got laid off recently, but I don't feel the urge or the tension to find another job, have the safety net of spouses income and sufficient savings, but that aside I just don't feel like preparing for interviews, I am sleeping , watching YouTube and movies and then sleeping again, is this what they call a burnout?#severance #layoff EDIT : I am not rich nor close to being FIRE, I still have responsibilities towards my spouse and my kids. Please honest advices only. EDIT 2: I sincerely appreciate all the valuable advice and encouragement from everyone. Your support means a lot to me. I regret not seeking help sooner, but I am now focused on regrouping and tackling meaningful tasks, one step at a time. While I may not consider myself an exceptional engineer or a natural self-promoter, I firmly believe that with enough effort, I can achieve significant outcomes. I will keep you all updated on my progress.
Sounds more like depression bro. It’s not burnout. That’s not what burnout is
Looks like I have it all the time. I feel the same way no interest to do anything in life. I feel like i'll do whatever it comes. Moving like a dead fish in the sea
What's the difference between depression and burnout here ? Seems like one can mimic the other
how was severance? 6mo?
Don't fall in that trap. You'll regret. Don't stop working hard - difficult to come back and the only path ahead would be depression
Well, I know that. How does one come out of it though? Is there something I can do
Don't listen to the Bloomberg guy. Just relax and enjoy life. You are dual income and still had one income. After 6-12 months, you will get bored and will start working
Start small. Prepare resume. However many times you get distracted, keep coming back. Then you’ll get into it. Then apply. Then the calls will come and you do interviews.. that’s all.. you just need to keep doing it. Don’t torment yourself with the anxiety for preparing for interviews, apply to smaller companies for practice, just give the interview - you’ll know where you stand. Good luck! Went through the same thing and have a job now. Just keep moving, keep doing. That’s all worked for me. Nothing else. The stress was crippling in the beginning to even start. But baby steps helped.
Thank you so much man. I don't understand, my colleagues whom I took for friends and who have been closer to me until I have a job suddenly see me as untouchable. I don't know if I am looking too much into it or if it's the way, I surely feel that feeling is more debilitating than the actual job loss
My third level told me I was out of job and my manager said he had no idea. I don’t believe that for 1 sec. So I understand. At the end of the day - they are co-workers. Some were amazing and are still friends, some not so much. Let’s move on! Keep the friends that you made and let go of the ones that didn’t cut it. I wish you the best of luck!
Op, I went through it two times in the last two years, I kinda felt the same, there was somehow comfort, lack of urgency, panic. The situation didn't seem bad and no strong urge to change it. here is what worked for me : - set simple goals: I said I am going to bike 10 miles, eat healthier and learn gen AI - this got me excited and started learning without any pressure, there was Joy in learning without expectations - start applying to jobs - this is a lot harder than people realize - blindly applying won't get any response and lead to frustrations, select few targets and reach out to your network asking for references, be very specific with ask and provide a tailored resume (Claude/chatgpt will help the tailor) and succinct background to send to hiring manager. - it helps to go through the job application process without much expectations or pressure (like how you are feeling now) - this way you are not rejected when you won't get calls in 90% of the job you apply even when you believe you are the right candidate. - once you get the call or interview is scheduled, competitive spirit kicks in and you will do your best prepping but try to have min expectations on the outcome. - try any pet projects - I built a gen AI tool to do homework and learn things with my daughter, lot of fun. - want to emphasize learning without pressure and workout (challenging yourself). Good luck!
Thank you so much, did the project help you secure your next job? How long have you been out of a job? Only asking to see if you were worse off than me but still managed turned it around, if yes, that actually adds a lot of confidence to me
I got impacted two times in the last two years - the first time it took 8 months and the 2nd time (most recent) it took 2 months. The project did help in reinvigorating the spirit and joy of learning, and building. So in addition to technical knowledge, you also build genuine interest and passion that really shows up in interviews. Also adds to your confidence.
Go back into your cave, troll.
Did you recently get a green card?
Same happened with me, slowly I passed period of severance pay time getting over, then insurance getting over and I woke up suddenly as I had to pay costly cobra. I updated resume, applied and took a position with pay cut.
Congrats on getting a job! Where did you join and what’s the pay cut if you don’t mind me asking?
That’s what I call freedom and having so much fun.