🚀 Safeguarding Your UX Career: A Guide to Protect Against Layoffs in 2024 ☔

Layoffs can strike anyone, and it's not always about your performance. Often, business or personal factors come into play. In the fast-paced world of layoffs, decisions are made hastily, and they can affect even top performers.

Here are some reasons that are often beyond your control:

✅ Priorities shift, leading to project cancellations.

✅ Companies undergo restructuring and team reorganizations.

✅ Executives aim to avoid strong unions.

✅ Changing local laws can be costly to comply with.

✅ Managers may hold grudges against dissenting opinions.

✅ Entire product lines can be abandoned.

✅ People leave, and their initiatives may be dismissed.

✅ Businesses need to reduce costs and expenses rapidly.

✅ The business impact of design work may not always be evident.

Sometimes entire teams are laid off, and senior designers, despite years of service, maybe let go first due to their higher salaries, only to be replaced by new hires at lower salaries later on.

So, as Matej Latin suggests, protect yourself as much as possible:

1. Keep a running record of your achievements in a Google doc.

2. Understand your rights and consider legal insurance.

3. Create a 3–5 minute weekly progress tracking video.

4. Centralize your work artefacts in one place.

5. Maintain local copies of your designs and processes (including Figma).

6. Cultivate relationships with allies and supporters.

7. Network within the industry.

8. After a successful project, request a review or endorsement.

9. Explore passive income opportunities early, such as books or courses.

10. Be visible through articles, side projects, and posts.

Most importantly, start a running document to track your projects. Include:

• A brief problem description and how you identified it.

• Your actions and how you overcame challenges.

• Results and next steps.

• Links to design artefacts, screenshots, sketches, Figma/Miro designs.

By preparing for various scenarios, you can fortify your career against unexpected challenges. Remember, layoffs aren't always about performance; being proactive can make a world of difference. 🌟📊 #UXCareer #CareerTips2024