Silicon Valley tech titans continue to lay off thousands of employees

Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Google and Facebook are just some of the tech giants that have laid off thousands of employees over the past few months, and there are fears that these cuts will only deepen as the year progresses.

Eva Condron-Wells of ComfortZones Digital recalls the day she was fired.

“The wind blows out of your sails if you don’t expect it,” she said. “When you are notified that you are not needed, it can feel like a huge blow.”

It’s the same feeling that’s been spreading all over Silicon Valley lately.

Bloomberg reports that more than 97,000 tech jobs were lost in 2022, the highest since the dot-com crash more than 20 years ago. And 2023 looks no better.

“Firing comes with a lot of fear,” says Silvia Bonilla Zizumbo, who left Google to become a career coach.

Several fired technicians have turned to her for advice and guidance on what the next chapter might look like for them.

“This is a completely new experience that changes lives,” said Bonilla Zizumbo. “So do what you need to do to take care of yourself. You want us back sooner rather than later.

She gives clients 10 tips on how to handle chaos and how to stand out in your next interview.

These include leaning on professional organizations and considering workarounds while you update your LinkedIn profile.

“Now you might want to consider doing something part-time, asking if you have experience that others can draw on,” said Bonilla Zizumbo. “Be open to the in-between to know it’s only temporary.”

Raj Mathai of NBC Bay Area spoke with Sylvia Bonilla Zizumbo, who left Google to become a career coach, about her advice to those who are being laid off.

Gabby Chavez Lopez is the Executive Director of the Silicon Valley Latin American Coalition.

“I think it’s a lot of financial stress,” she said.

A group of leaders run workshops and other employment improvement programs “to make sure they keep working and don’t jump on public assistance. What if they want to go back to work, they have these opportunities and resources to make them competitive for a new job.”

Now Condron-Wells works at a startup and enjoys it.

“I took the leap and didn’t look for another corporate job. I began to communicate with people with whom I had worked before. And it turned into a need that they had,” she said.

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

Here are 10 things to do after being fired, according to Bonilla Zizumbo:

1. Find time for yourself. Need to process and prepare for what comes next
2. Come back sooner rather than later. Important for motivation and momentum building
3. Join your community. Internal and external networks. Your inner relationships are key
4. Connect. Use LinkedIn. Reconnect with old contacts. Take an interest in their career
5. Talk about what you are looking for. Even with strangers. People want to help others
6. Practice your storytelling. Know what you want and the value you provide: why you are what
7. Create a basic 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. Rely on resources. Join professional groups. Consider working with a career coach to support you