The Unraveling Of Big Tech & How Black Women In Tech Can Bounce Back From Layoffs
As industries around the world took devastating hits during the COVID-19 pandemic, the tech industry skyrocketed, growing at an accelerated speed and reaching record-breaking profits. From Google to Amazon, tech giants scaled up their workforces, some upwards of 50 percent, to meet the rising demand stemming from the pandemic.
It was the 21st-century version of the Gold Rush. Thousands of professionals from every field flocked to Silicon Valley for the promise of higher salaries, remote work, and better benefits. That era has now quickly spiraled and with it, nearly 60,000 tech jobs were eliminated in less than 30 days at the start of the new year.
For months, calls to quit your job and go into tech and narratives like “I went from making $50,000 to $120,000 a year after switching to tech” spread like wildfire. Yet, today the silence is almost deafening as the fallout from a crushing layoff wave continues day after day.
The impact of the layoffs has been especially devastating to women in tech. Women only make up 26.7% of the tech industry and that number drastically shrinks when accounting for Black women who only make up 1.7% of the tech workforce according to a 2021 report from AnitaB.org.
xoNecole spoke to four Black women in various sectors of tech on navigating the once presumed promised land, now on the heels of historic layoffs that show no signs of slowing down.
Alana's Story
From Education to Tech: Senior Social Media Manager
For Alana, her transition into tech was the final puzzle piece to living life on her terms. Her departure from education and entrepreneurship and into Silicon Valley gave her the stability she needed to reach other milestones in her life including making a cross-country move with her husband, purchasing a home, and growing her family. Like thousands of others, Alana joined the tech industry after promises of greener pastures.
Initially hesitating because she did not have a background that aligned with traditional tech roles, it was after a friend's encouragement that she explored the growing and varied needs of tech companies and secured a role that fit her strengths.
But recently, when an irregular meeting suddenly appeared on her calendar with no details and other attendees blocked out, Alana immediately felt like something was off.
Twenty minutes later, she was blocked out of every company device. Five months pregnant, and two weeks after closing on her new home, Alana’s world was turned upside down as the leadership announced company-wide layoffs.
Despite her first job in tech also being her first layoff she intends to stay in the industry after her maternity leave and says she is using the role as a springboard to new opportunities in tech.
Key Advice:
“So many people talk about a villain origin story, but it doesn’t have to be. [A layoff] can just be your origin story. Let it trigger new insight, new passions, and new interests. Let it trigger rest. In Western society, we don’t often get the opportunity to just sit down and do nothing. Let a [layoff] spark fresh energy and fresh creativity.” - Alana
Temicka's Story
From Customer Service to Software QA Engineer
Temicka was always interested in all things tech since she began coding in high school. Despite her early interest in the field, it was still years later when she returned to tech to try and land a job. Temicka participated in programs and completed training and certifications. But it was not until the pandemic that she was able to get her foot in the door and land a full-time job in tech.
Almost a year into her new role, a recruiter called to congratulate Temicka on her contract being renewed early. Five minutes later, all of her access to company programs was shut down.
It turned out her contract was instead ending effective immediately and no one had reached out to inform her. It was not until she reached out to her manager that she was told the news. She didn’t have time to reach out to anyone before her privileges were revoked and the next time she heard back from anyone in the company, it was HR asking her to return the laptop.
After being laid off, she immediately began to apply for jobs with the total number of applications submitted reaching into the hundreds. Despite the many talks with recruiters and interviews, she still has not been hired and fears the continued layoffs have drastically reduced her options.
Right now, Temicka has dusted off her old resume, returning to customer service until she can return to her first love, tech.
Key Advice:
“Network. Network. Network. Utilize all the social media platforms to make connections including LinkedIn and the Metaverse… It gets you in the door quicker.” - Temicka
Teryn's Story
From Fashion to Tech: Category Experience Analyst
For Teryn, her journey into tech started with a layoff in another industry: fashion. As retailers began to shut down operations and close their doors she used that as inspiration to pivot in her career and look for a field with more stability and flexibility and set her eyes on tech. Terri was working as an apparel product designer and after multiple courses, she transferred her design skills to websites and apps.
In an industry where thousands were seeing their jobs eliminated with little to no notice, she carved out a role that combined her love of fashion with her newly acquired skills. But, she says the pandemic calls to get into tech painted a false reality of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into securing a tech role including networking, referrals, revamping your resume, and the constant interviews.
Just 90 days in her new position, Teryn says she still keeps her resume updated to always be prepared for the unexpected.
Key Advice:
“Always keep an eye on the overall [performance] of your company. I always look in Google News to see if there are organizational announcements. That's always a tell-tale sign for me; if there is restructuring, executives leaving and hiring freezes. Those are things that I look for." - Teryn
Jessica's Story
From Insurance Recruiting to Tech: Senior Sourcing Specialist
Jessica was part of one of the tech superpowers, Meta. She’d recently joined the industry in hopes of career stability and a better work-life balance. That stability was short-lived when just after nine months she was laid off in the first wave of tech layoffs at the end of 2022.
The layoff combined with standard reduced hiring in Q4 put Jessica on a waiting list for jobs in what has fast become an oversaturated market. The name, Meta, on her resume helped get her in the door for interviews and talks with recruiters but nearly months later she still found herself on a never-ending merry-go-round of futile interviews.
The process of finding a new role was essentially a job within itself. Jessica completed a total of 276 applications over the course of three months. Those applications led to countless rejections, six “ghosted” scheduled prescreens, 33 rounds of prescreens and interviews across 15 companies, two take-home projects, one presentation, and seven positions put on hold due to the economy.
The journey was an eye-opener on the etiquette gaps between recruiters and applicants. As a mother, she frequently rearranged her schedule to accommodate interviews, but would often be met with no-shows from hiring managers and recruiters.
After 77 days on the job hunt, she now has a start date for a new role and encourages others impacted by the layoffs to stay the course.
Key Advice:
"Being laid off, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. People want to help you secure your next role and they can’t know what you’re looking for, or that you are having a hard time unless you talk about it. Be open and honest about your experience and network.”- Jessica
Unexpectedly losing a job in a layoff can bring your life to a screeching halt. But, it’s not an indication of who you are or your quality of work. So, after you dust yourself off and give yourself time to grieve the loss, remember bills must still be paid.
When you’re ready to rejoin the job market, remember the following tips from Shannon Morales, founder and CEO of Tribaja, a talent marketplace and community to support underrepresented communities in tech, on the steps to take after a layoff and how to keep your skills current and in demand.
5 Tips To Revamp Your Career After a Layoff in Tech
- There is opportunity outside of Big Tech. Civil tech is seeing an uptick as well as healthcare, fintech, and banking.
- Reposition your career and focus on industries that are doing well in today’s market.
- Look at skills that are in high demand right now and continue to learn; take additional courses and learn new skills.
- Stay ahead of the trend and don’t always be reactive to what’s happening in the job market.
- Become your own boss. Not all companies can afford a full-time employee, but there are many who could use your skills on a project basis. Freelance and contract your skills out for an hourly rate to multiple companies at a time.
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
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Colman Domingo’s Career Advice Is A Reminder That Our Words Shape Our Reality
When it comes to life, we are always here for a good reminder to shift our mindsets, and Colman Domingo just gave us one we didn't know we needed.
In a resurfaced clip from an appearance at NewFest shared as a repost via Micheaux Film Festival, the Emmy award winner dropped a gem on how he has navigated his decades-spanning career in Hollywood. The gem in question? Well, Colman has never identified with "struggle" in his career. Let that sit.
Colman Domingo On Not Claiming Struggle
"I’ve never said that this career was tough. I’ve never said it was difficult. I’ve never said it was hard," Colman said. "Other people would say that—‘oh, you're in a very difficult industry. It's very hard to get work and book work.’ I’m like, I’ve never believed that."
Instead of allowing himself to be defined by other people's projections about their perceptions of what the industry is or was, Colman dared to believe differently even if his reality was playing catch up with his dreams:
"Like Maya Angelou said words are things. And if you believe that, then that's actually what it is. Actually I've just never believed it. Someone told me some years ago, they said, 'I remember you were, you're a struggling actor.' I'm like, 'I don't.'"
"I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living..."
He continued:
"Even when I was bartending and hustling and not having opportunities or anything, I never believed that I was struggling because I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living and creating and being curious."
Colman’s philosophy of attaching to living instead of struggle has blossomed into an enduring career. He first made his mark on stage in acclaimed Broadway productions before transitioning to the screen, where his star began to rise in the 2010s following his role as Victor Strand in Fear The Walking Dead. From there, his presence only grew, landing memorable supporting roles in If Beale Street Could Talk, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the hit series Euphoria.
In more recent years, Colman has stepped fully into the spotlight with standout leading performances in Rustin and Sing Sing, both of which earned him widespread critical acclaim and Academy Award nominations for Best Actor.
With all that said, Colman's advice is no doubt powerful, especially for those who are chasing their dreams, building something from the ground up, or have question marks about what's next in their careers. Words shape our realities, and how we speak about our journeys even in passing matters.
Words Create Our Reality & Colman Is Living Proof
"I tell young people that. To remember the words that you say about yourself and your career are true. So, I choose to make it full of light and love and it's interesting and every day I'm going to learn something new even if it looks like I don't have what I want but it's important to be in the moment... you really build on the moments moment to moment.
"And you're looking back at your career as I've been in it for what 33 years and you're like, 'Wow, that's what I've been doing.' And I've stayed strong to that so I think that is truly my advice."
Let this be your sign to give your path a reframe. When the path you're on feels uncertain, the journey is still unfolding. Like Colman said: "I wasn't attached to a struggle. I was attached to living."
That's a Black king right there.
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