When Seema Gupta (name changed at the interviewee's request) lost her job as the result of layoffs at a large, East Coast technology firm last November, she had little trouble finding another one. A software engineer with two years of industry experience, she immediately sent her resume to potential employers. “There were plenty of positions available,” she explains. “Within two weeks, I had three very good offers from other companies.”
What a difference a few months make. As the giants of the tech industry have fallen, so have many workers’ hopes and expectations for the future.

Why Me?
“Deepak” (name changed at the interviewee’s request) lost his job at a leading handheld technology firm in late April. A former director of business development with more than 10 years of experience in the IT industry, he cautiously watched as the dot-com bubble burst, but felt secure working for a well-established technology firm. He was not expecting the economic decline to hit so close to home. “The layoff was a surprise to everyone at my company,” he says, “because the sales declined dramatically in a very short time.”

Understanding the economic conditions behind a layoff does little to lessen the feeling of unfairness surrounding the loss of a job. Like many recently-displaced technology workers, Deepak finds dealing with the layoff to be harder than expected. “I’ve taken it personally,” he says. “Everyone told me I was doing a great job, and I think I did a great job.”