u/Legal_Audience_4931

Prior to being laid off back in January, we had just dumped 105K out of pocket into a backyard pool, with the full intention of recouping a good % with an upcoming annual bonus.

Was laid off a week before the bonus paid out…

I always thought save, spend, save spend. Never before had it occurred to me in this current economy I’d loose my job and be unable to do so.

Just started a new job this week, 195K.

But man do I have PTSD from this past year of surviving.

What advise or best practices should I put into place moving forward?

Edit: Folks keep asking, I’m a mid 30s IT guy, senior role, individual contributor. Passionate about what I do, and I’ve done it since high school, no college.

I’ve worked in this industry for 17 years. From help desk to cloud infrastructure, and cloud security.

What I’ve found, is that earlier in my career as a jack of all trades sysadmin. Who did UCASS phone system implementations at the same time designing and managing azure environments, to Intune management, and so on while earning less than 70K.

Then, when I moved on to just Azure, like Azure only. The jobs all paid 130-150K.

My day to day, is literally a 1/5th of what I used to do for half the pay. It’s been like that at the last 3 companies I’ve been at over the past 6 years.

As a senior cybersecurity engineer, I just want to highlight how backhanded and slimy this corporate stategy is.

I've received three separate emails from State Farm in regards to the Dividend Payment. Totalling over $100 between all three emails over the course of the last week here.

Ensuring that these emails go into SPAM is a default tactic taken by these sort of payouts. In the hopes that folks don't actually act on them.

This is accomplished by a number of different methods by companies (State Farm).

* Choosing a new domain for payouts such as sfdividendconnect.com which was created/registered under 3 months ago. This action in of itself ensures that emails end up in Spam.

* The domain looks spammy, ensuring folks question it and don't take the payout.

Check your inbox and spam for emails from "donotreply@e.sfdividend.com" and State Farm...do better. There's zero reason these aren't simply sent as automated checks and/or credits on existing accounts.

Link to actual news release:

https://newsroom.statefarm.com/state-farm-mutual-begins-issuing-dividend-payments/

I’m ready to move on, mentally. Legally my stuff is all done and a few years behind me. I know the articles will always be there, but it gives me so much apprehension to go out into the world, to meet new people, to try and find a job.

My spouse has paid all of our bills since I was laid off after being googled. I feel so fortunate for their support. Because of them we kept our house and our life stayed mostly intact.

But I can’t find the energy to leave the house most days. I haven’t left my house all week. Usually just grocery shopping…

How did you find purpose again despite it all?

I’ve lost 30-70lb at least 3 times in my life 34M.

I’m currently 192, I’ve been up to 255. Last year I was 162 and the best shape of my life.

When stress arrives in my life I cope by eating…I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink excessively, but I snack like crazy.

I’m mildly successful in life professionally but when stuff comes and goes with family or drama or work I just eat.

Then when times are good I can diet and maintain.

Those who had similar issues how in the world do you maintain it again during the stressful times?

I have an interview this week at a community reentry support organization for a Director Position, interviewing with the CEO.

I’m really excited because I feel if any organization would be understanding of lessons learned in life after a conviction it would be this one. For reference I served no time, paid restitution in full, etc.

I’m a white collar felon, and it happened 6 years ago.

My intent was not to disclose immediately but after an offer (if I land one).

Anyone here ever interview at these kind of places with your past? If so what was your experience?

Making $78/hr for the last 4 years felt like a fever dream.

It’s been almost 8 months since I was laid off.

I’ve tailed my resume to dozens of roles outside of Cloud Infrastructure (physical security, insider risk, compliance roles, even project management).

Hell I was the guy that was both hands to keyboard and the guy who presented cloud strategy to senior leadership across the banking industry.

My experience tells me I can take on and tackle just about anything.

I’m at the point where I’m going to start making up job titles and responsibilities that I know for a fact I can do, just to get noticed on these alternative positions.

I’ve been in IT since 9th grade when I took 4 years of vocational computer technology.

I spent my childhood, bullied beyond the norm due to my ADHD. It set this “inside out 2” anxiety driven core believe that I wasn’t good enough in this world.

My skillset in IT broke that believe as I grew up.

At my peak I hit 160K for the last 4 years as a cloud architect.

I lost my job 8 months ago, and cannot find another one.

I’ve never worked in another field, in my entire life. I’ve done this since I was 18 at one company or another. No college.

I’m neurodivergent as all hell, and it’s the only thing I’ve ever found that keeps me hyper focused.

I don’t know who I am as a person without working in this industry. It’s the only thing in my life that ever made me feel like every child, parent, or adult from my youth was wrong about who I was.

I’ve been in IT since 9th grade when I took 4 years of vocational computer technology.

15 years later, due to some unforeseen circumstances, there’s a good chance I’ll never do it again.

At my peak I hit 160K for the last 4 years as a cloud architect.

I’ve never worked in another field, in my entire life. I’ve done this since I was 18 at one company or another. No college.

I’m neurodivergent as all hell, and it’s the only thing I’ve ever found that keeps me hyper focused.

Past IT peeps, where did you transition ever?

I'm 34M, my husband and I have been together since we were 15 in HS.

We own a home we bought in 2020, love our life together. We live on 5+ acres in the middle of the woods, and you can't see our house from the road.

I'm super outdoorsy, I own snowmobiles, ATVs, I cleared a 1/4 acre and put in our in-ground pool and 2500 sq ft patio last year myself (plubming, electrical, concrete, pavers, etc). I split all of my own wood for the woodstove in winter out of enjoyment, not necessecity.

All of this to say i guess i'm pretty masc when it comes to my hobbies and things i enjoy. My husband is not into any of them lol.

But, I don't know how to make friends that are as like...vulnerable as i am as a person, but also love things like quads, guns, and cars. Like my idea of a fun weekend with a buddy is like...pulling the engine out of some busted project they found...helping demo a house they're flipping, riding quads, etc.

All of his friends are women, and they're all super girly...if they have husbands, they're basically the same. We aren't parade people or like involved in anything.

I love my life, but i just feel kind of alone, and i don't know how to find or make friends.

Are there any career coaches that work alongside someone with a felony background?

Professional careers, not just entry level.

Navigating the variations of charges and individual circumstances with viable long term career opportunities is absolutely god awful.

32M, bullied as a kid, had to switch schools in 4th it got so bad. High school it settled, met my now husband sophomore year, been together like 19 years. Both neurodivergent as all hell.

Found my knack in IT for 15 years. Eventually being around corporate folks long enough (after getting fired rom every other job, I picked up on more and more social quos. Ended at 160K a year as a cloud architect.

We had these things at work that were $0.00, like I had a portal I could order them, and they were like 100% free, my manger said it was fine if I ordered some so I was like, oh, ok cool.

Well, 400K in product later and I got hit with a fraud charge…it was a whole FBI thing. It’s done, it’s in the past, but when I reflect…my brain was just like (how is this stealing if it’s $0.00). Judge even ordered no restitution because no one lost any money.

Raised a broader questions for me as I traversed the legal system. There’s an expectation that everyone’s neurotypical in every aspect and there is zero room for the typical neurodivergent (huh? Wait? That wasn’t ok?) moment.

So, if anything, to my fellow neurodivergent friends…think twice, just because it makes sense in your brain, it very well may not be.

Wondering if anyone else ever got into weird trouble for like, thinking about things the wrong way?

Reflecting back on my time working with a lawyer some years ago.

At the time, I was a veteran Cloud Architect. Incredibly poor ability to read between the lines.

Made working with an attorney exceptionally difficult, as it was criminal defense related.

When I look back, every interaction I had with my attorney felt like those congressional hearings where one persons asks for a yes or no question, and the other person talks for 5 minutes, but doesn’t answer the question….

Lawyers, how you do typically handle these sort of client interactions?

Location: CT

I’ve posted here so many times, and honest to god I feel like I’m drowning.

When I got a knock on the door from the FBI 5 years ago, I decided honestly and integrity was the answer.

I was never arrested, I served no time, paid my restitution in full the day I got out of court, grew more than I ever thought possible, and I’m honest to god truly proud of the man that came out the other side.

As awful as the experience was, I carry an immense amount of pride in how I handled it.

I continued working a corporate job, with that sense of pride driving me, for several years. That newfound sense of self pushed my career to new heights.

Then I was googled and i was let go.

I’ve been unemployed and home for 7 months.

I’ve called every state agency and asked for guidance, I’ve called every reentry program in the surrounding states, and no one seems to have any real guidance outside of a CDL, trades, or other mindless work.

It feels as though (to me) those are cop outs. The easiest answers, a one size fits all recommendation.

I find myself wanting to challenge the system as it is. I made a mistake, I literally documented my growth from it. That growth has actual performance metrics associated with it at work.

How in the world am I supposed to leverage all of that growth, all of those lessons, all of the passion I have in my industry, if not one person will look past Google.

I’m reminded of that experiment, where a man in a suit collapses in Manhattan. Everyone rushes to ensure he’s alright, everyone comes to his aid.

The same man, dresses in almost homeless clothes and does the same action, in the same spot. Everyone just keeps walking.

I can’t help feeling like that now. As though I’m some subclass of human, I don’t know what to do anymore.

Is this a legit company? I found 3 LLCs in CA. Random miss spellings across the US.

As a buyer, is it even something to be worried about? Like I feel for the misguided sellers for sure, but hell it’s a good deal.

Interviewed for a 100% remote Senior Azure Engineer job today. Was picking the screeners brain a bit (as I had a referal from someone internal).

She said, that almost every role they post over the last several years gets an internal refferal. They're interviewing 4 people for the role (including me), all from refferals.

Said the position has 500+ applications, none of which will be viewed at all.

So applying is basically a dead end process in the tech industry now....just aweful.

Been laid off 6 months now....fingers crossed.

Made 200K last year, and for the past 3 years. Got laid off back in January. Can’t bring myself to face reality I think?

I’ve applied to hundreds of jobs. Make it through most interviews.

I’ve been in IT progressively since graduating high school in 2010.

It’s not just a job for me, it’s a passion. A deep deep passion. I’ve gone from help desk, to help desk manager, to sysadmin, to cloud infrastructure engineer, to cloud security architect. Across 7 different companies.

Always moving up, always forward. I will not take a $20 an hour job in a warehouse.

We put in a 120K inground pool and 2500sq ft patio last year out of pocket. People come over and ask “omg what do you do for a living”, and I can’t say like “Amazon warehouse associate”.

Lifestyle wise, financially we’re fine for like at least 3-4 years. But I’m 34, planned on doing this for the next 30 years.

Other IT folks, are you truly thinking about moving industries at this level? I’m honestly debating going and getting my doctorate in psychology.

I was definitely charged in federal court, how in the world did my checkr $100+ dollar background check come back with nothing on it at all?

I was just doing one on myself to see what it actually says so I can speak to it better while interviewing.

Curious as to other experience if any.