You are or will be a laid off programmer - what do you do a year ago, right now, tomorrow, and next week?
- by Adam Davis
Many programmers, software engineers, and other technology professionals are out of work, facing layoffs, or are unprepared for layoffs though they feel secure right now.
What should every programmer do right now (even if secure in their current job) to prepare them for layoffs down the road?
If your boss came to your cubicle while you read this and laid you off:
What would you do immediately after?
What would you do tomorrow?
What would you do next week?
It obvious that one should always have an up to date resume, always get recommendations from people when they see you at your best (not when you're looking for a new job), etc.
What are the things, step by step, that every programmer should do (or should consider doing) long before they are laid off, when they're laid off, and shortly after being laid off?
This is a question with many possible facets. While I want to encourage discussion to center around programming career based answers, please reconsider before downvoting someone because they're thinking in terms of how they're going to prevent going into debt.
Bonus catch-22 type question: You can study a new language or technology while out of work, but most places want you to have more than 1-2 months experience in a working environment, not just from a learning exercise. Is it worthwhile to place a priority on new (ideally in demand) skills, or should you instead hone existing skills?
