u/Artistic_Basis2714

Got laid off in March from a remote US company. Salary was good there, but it’s been almost 2 months now and I still haven’t landed another role.

I’ve had a couple of referrals locally, but some companies rejected my profile for being “too senior” or no vacany, while others stop responding after hearing my expected salary (~400k PKR with 5 yoe ).

Most of my previous roles came through LinkedIn, and right now I’m mainly using LinkedIn, Wellfound, and Indeed, but not getting much traction.

Wanted to ask:

What platforms are you guys using these days for software roles?

Are my salary expectations unrealistic for the current local market?

And how do you usually explain a layoff to recruiters/HR without it hurting your chances?

Someone I know graduated a couple of years ago and got his first software job after 1.5 years of searching. The company kept him in “training” for 6 months with no compensation, with 7pm–4am on-site timings.

Now they want him to sign a 2-year contract on stamp paper, saying he’ll have to pay 1 million PKR if he leaves early. They’re offering 30k–40k for couple months, then a little over 100k later.

This honestly sounds very toxic, especially after unpaid training, but the market is rough and he’s not from a top university.

Are these kinds of contracts even realistically enforceable in Pakistan? Or is it better to take the experience and move on later if needed?