The numbers are concerning; as of January 20, 2023, more than 46,000 tech workers were laid off. All of the big names are getting into a big tech layoff frenzy, from Amazon and Google to Microsoft and Cisco—all announced job losses. If you’re in tech and worried, you’re not alone.

If you feel layoff-vulnerable, what can you do to protect yourself? Is it the right time to team up with a tech staffing firm like Prosum to make your next big career step?

Steps To Protect Yourself in a Shaky Tech Job Market

CNBC recently spoke to several experts in the tech field to ask them how to shore up their skills when facing layoffs. They had a few suggestions, including:

• Invest in skills development. Tech is about keeping your stack modern, so a layoff could be taken as a sign from the universe to take a class or two. An unplanned layoff could offer the time and opportunity to pursue a certification. The layoff could also give you the space to do a career pivot and pursue a new field. If you’ve been a server admin, maybe it’s time to join the cloud revolution. Perhaps you’ve always been interested in mobile development. Maybe you want to go into management. The point is that a layoff can also signal an opportunity, especially if you are in IT.
• Time matters. If you’ve been laid off in IT, there are still many jobs out there. Don’t delay in getting your resume out there. The U.S. economy remains short-staffed across the board, including in IT. Just because you’re not working in the tech industry anymore doesn’t mean you can’t find an IT job in another field. (Hint: Look at healthcare. Look at mid-sized companies. Look at more traditional blue-chip companies like Proctor & Gamble, Capital One, or Caterpillar.) However, don’t delay your efforts to find a new role. Act fast to fill seats in these companies that still have plenty of tech job openings.
• Use networking. Be proactive in your efforts to pursue job openings aggressively. Start by reaching out to your network on social media. Make it a goal to reach out to several people in your network daily until you get hired. Join forums in your area of expertise. Then look around town and see what’s happening locally in the tech space. Upload your resume to LinkedIn and set your profile to Open to Work. Networking still works—but you must put in the time to make it work for you.

To these suggestions, we would also add one that should seem obvious—call Prosum at 1-888-318-4780. Prosum speaks the language of tech by connecting some of the best employers with IT talent. We are a free, trusted resource for some of the most skilled professionals in technology today. Send us a resume at info@prosum.com to start the conversation. We’ll set up a discussion to talk about your goals and where you’d like your NEXT career path to go.