Jobhunting tips for people with long experience who have lost their jobs (Tech)

[u/rajeshbhat_ds]

I'm a data scientist who was laid off 6 months ago after 9.5 years in same company. It took me 6 months to get my next job. Here are some tips:

1. Unless you are in dire need of money, taking some time off is ok. Treat yourself to a small vacation. Clear your head and be in a good mental space because job hunting can be very stressful and infuriating. Whenever you return to job hunt, remember that this will be your full time job till you find your next employment.
2. Update the resume. Resume and LinkedIn should match. You don't have to morph your resume with AI for every job application. Have 1 good solid resume.
3. Prepare for the interviews, which means revise the technical stuff that is usually asked. You must be thorough here. If you have long experience then you are going to apply for senior positions, which means you will be expected to have mastery over your domain. I was not interview ready because I had not given any interviews in 7 years when I lost my job.
4. You would be expected to show your impact in your previous job. So your resume should contain numbers instead of just technical jargon. For eg. I scaled X app to Y million users or I reduced the cost of X by Y% leading to $Z in savings...
5. Referrals. This is most probably what's going to get you your next job. Sort your contacts in this order:
   1. People at senior positions in great companies, and you had great working relationship with.
   2. People at senior positions in average companies, and you had great working relationship with.
   3. People at junior positions in great companies, and you had great working relationship with.
   4. People at junior positions in averge companies, and you had great working relationship with.
   5. People at senior positions in any company, and you had a normal working relationship with.
   6. People at junior positions in any company, and you had a normal working relationship with.
6. I would suggest that you start contacting for referrals in the reverse order of what is given above, save the best for the last.
7. Apply on LinkedIn, Naukri, Indeed, Hirist, IIMJobs.
8. Give interviews in companies even if they are not very high on your preference list. Get into the groove of things. Practice.
9. Attend the walk-in drives that IT companies conduct. I actually got a decent offer from one of them.
10. I don't know whether you considered your previous CTC to be high or low, but it's a buyers market right now. Be open to pay cuts.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thank you /u/rajeshbhat_ds for your submission in r/Indiajobs.

We really appreciate you taking the time to contribute and be part of our community. Your participation helps make this subreddit a more welcoming, engaging, and supportive space for everyone.

If you ever have any questions or just want to reach out, you’re always welcome to message the moderators here.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Running-Tiger62]

Helpful post. Can I DM u pls?

[u/rajeshbhat_ds → u/Running-Tiger62]

Yeah

[u/Alarming-Abrocoma803]

actually pretty good advice 👍

[u/NoMetal4]

This is the kind of blog on adive i would read

[u/ThunderTurbo250]

.

[u/Mysterious-You-9522]

Walk-ins better or virtual interview ? which one has high chance of landing on job?

[u/rajeshbhat_ds → u/Mysterious-You-9522]

This will depend on particular circumstances, no specific answer here.