u/Then_Potential_0909

I resigned from my current company due to overload. Had to work across 3 projects involving different tech like java, powerbi, goLang, different sql langs etc. problem wasn't tech but parallel initiatives and capacity issues with no additional resources ( ai is a factor too).

I resigned and now giving kt to my replacement. Now the replacement is facing same issue. What to focus with 3 parallel initiatives. I took it up to PM, BA and lead. Ended up setting meeting with all stakeholders to discuss on this while giving kt, closing out existing work and answer to clients on deadlines.

My notice period doesn't feel like NP but draining out everything. Also, I hold 4 years of knowledge which is taking around 1 month of kt.

Our client cut the budget for current fiscal year by 35-45% and no surprises, all except 2 QAs were let go . Some BAs and Devs were also planned to be let go but ratio of QAs were higher.

The general reason for the ramp down was introduction of agentic AI few months ago and faster to release but this was not called out a reason.

Interestingly in a call last week, one of the client stakeholder was concerned of going into an initiative without QA. The person was confused on who will understand the product and be responsible for the quality gateway. They stressed out on risks of going into this program without an established role which they deemed not so important.

Silently I was smiling knowing I will be let go in few weeks.

I've been an above average student in school and college and struggled with landing a job where I cleared all hurdles except the final round. I joined a modest company with a very low salary and learnt a lot there by shifting to an MNC and earning a decent pay. While working in the services industry for a top product client, my conversion was stalled multiple times and finally when I got it, I was low balled not with the salary which was a 100% hike but the designation. I had a colleague/ manager who looked down at me at times since he was technically strong and as I already mentioned, I was an above average. Since I did not like the proposed conversation, I was let go back to my company to search for a new project.

During the farewell lunch, this colleague of mine spoke to everyone about their strengths and weaknesses. When my turn came, he shut down my technical skills and encouraged me to do a manager job. While I don't blame him for his assessment, I had a personal breakdown. I didn't pity myself much but I pulled myself up and 2 years after leaving the client, I got promoted and managed a team of 6+ while doing my technical individual contributor role. I didn't stick there but tried about after Covid and got an offer from a good company. When I resigned and discussed with my senior manager and director, this is what they had to say.

The senior manager said that I might not be fit to take up this technical work and she knew a colleague who actually died of a heart attack after moving to a tech company.

The director asked for the company name and I had 2 offers so gave one of the names which I was not planning to join. She mentioned how pathetic culture was there and that I was better where I was.

I brushed aside their words and finally moved on.

5 years later, I am planning to move to my 4th company and will hopefully be earning 3 times what I earned 5 years back for a role which grilled me technically in 5 rounds, made me study every night into 1-2 AM, had to struggle and push off competition which was happening parallelly and emerge as the best fit for the role.

TL;DR

What I learnt through all the years of working was, listen to praises and get motivated, listen to feedback and fix them but at the end of the day, listen to your heart and brain and make your right decision.

I've been an above average student in school and college and struggled with landing a job where I cleared all hurdles except the final round. I joined a modest company and learnt a lot there by shifting to an MNC and earning a decent pay. While working in the services industry for a top product client, my conversion was stalled multiple times and finally when I got it, I was low balled not with the salary which was a 100% hike but the designation. I had a colleague/ manager who looked down at me at times since he was technically strong and as I already mentioned, I was an above average. Since I did not like the proposed conversation, I was let go back to my company to search for a new project.

During the farewell lunch, this colleague of mine spoke to everyone about their strengths and weaknesses. When my turn came, he shut down my technical skills and encouraged me to do a manager job. While I don't blame him for his assessment, I had a personal breakdown. I didn't pity myself much but I pulled myself up and 2 years after leaving the client, I got promoted and managed a team of 6+ while doing my technical individual contributor role. I didn't stick there but tried about after Covid and got an offer from a good company. When I resigned and discussed with my senior manager and director, this is what they had to say.

The senior manager said that I might not be fit to take up this technical work and she knew a colleague who actually died of a heart attack after moving to a tech company.

The director asked for the company name and I had 2 offers so gave one of the names which I was not planning to join. She mentioned how pathetic culture was there and that I was better where I was.

I brushed aside their words and finally moved on.

5 years later, I am planning to move to my 4th company and will hopefully be earning 3 times what I earned 5 years back for a role which grilled me technically in 5 rounds, made me study every night into 1-2 AM, had to struggle and push off competition which was happening parallelly and emerge as the best fit for the role.

TL;DR What I learnt through all the years of working was, listen to praises and get motivated, listen to feedback and fix them but at the end of the day, listen to your heart and brain and make your right decision.

I was slow to adapt to AI or Gen AI but there came a situation where I was thrown into performance testing, an area I had least experience. Fast forward 6 months, I have learnt a lot, built multiple frameworks for L&P testing, understood dev code implementation by mapping user stories to actual code, derived test scenarios, cases and prepared test data. On the whole AI has helped a lot but -

How is the management going to take this?

As in that AI is helping us or AI can replace us?

AI is a good helper tool is what I feel but it is not always 100% right. Everytime I give a prompt there is surely some implementation which is incorrect or missing.

I feel it is a great tool to have at work but never will it replace our mind but again....we are not the bosses and I hope they understand.

I work for a servicing/ consulting company and usually the client has a year or 2 rolling contract. Usually things get settled before April but this year suddenly there has been a ramp down in May. There seems to be a 25% budget cut and unsurprisingly the first to let go are the QAs followed by BAs. When questioned on who does the QA work and the BA work, the answers are still being searched at both ends. As for BAs work it is to be shared by the remaining BAs but QAs are good to go except one person. A similar thing happened 4 years back before the impact of AI and they brought back 6-8 QAs due to a big hit on quality in production.

I have got an offer and am planning to switch company after 6 years. Reading posts in reddit makes me scared about layoffs etc as every other post is about that. There is no guarantee that my present job or future will be good or bad but how do we survive in this AI mad era?

Checked news about 11% layoffs in freshworks and LinkedIn shows lot of QAs/ sdet layoffs. Confused on what is happening. In news the CEO says it is about restructuring and eliminating redundant roles. How come so many QAs/ sdets be redundant? Confusing it is.

I've worked in the same team for more than 4 years from the date I joined the company and share good rapo with the lead. Recent developments in the company made me look for a new opportunity and I got an offer which is good. I do not have any issues with current team or salary but with the management attitude and workload.

I was nervous to talk to my lead but had to do it before resigning. I had a talk with her and informed the difficult decision and she was taken aback. I explained my reason and could only muster a slight laugh to hide my nervousness. She said she didn't have the slightest hint about me looking to move out and it came as a huge surprise. The usual talk of what can I do to retain you happened but I was clear of moving out. After the difficult conversation, I had a call with the manager and it was quick. There seemed to be no disappointment from him as I am just a resource who needs replacement. I have submitted my resignation and felt relieved..

But over the weekend, it made me think about the conversation I had with my lead. She is the person with whom I ve worked the longest and has always been supporting me throughout even though others moved out or were let go.

I felt a small guilt or sadness within me and whether I should have had a discussion about the work pressure or management disappointment with her. Then I remembered having a lot of callouts during team meetings and how despite her escalating things to the management, nothing changed.

The sense of practically kicked in and I brushed off things and told myself it was my decision and there is nothing to be guilty about for planning my future.

Do you think I should have handled it better or what I did was right considering the long working relationship between my lead and me?

I just realised ( very late lol) that the hike that we get when switching job or for a promotion actually covers the tax for your current pay.

Eg. If someone was getting 20 LPA, a hike of 30% actually helps the person reach the goal of getting 20 LPA in hand :)

My job change with a 30% increase = me finally able to get the ctc which I have now in hand in the new job