I am not particularly smart
Intro and How to Survive Layoffs When You're Not Particularly Smart
I've heard that people do weird things when they hit a midlife crisis. Even though I'm only 29, I think I might be experiencing a mini mid-life crisis at the moment. So, here I am: starting a Substack, hoping someone out there will listen, and intending to write honestly. What's even crazier is that I want to start writing regularly. Good luck to me!
I did some soul-searching to figure out what I could write about. I think a lot of people are like me. Growing up, I had decent grades which helped me get into decent schools, and then I got a decent job after a little bit of struggle (looking at the job market right now, I wouldn't even call my first job search a struggle). I've been a lucky person. But I know, just by looking around me, that I'm not particularly smart.
If you are reading this, you are probably not particularly smart. (Please don’t be offended if you are very smart. I am glad that you are very smart.) We study, we work, and we get by with our limited talent. We achieve some things, but we wouldn't say they're great. We struggle once in a while, but we figure things out eventually.
I'm not pessimistic, though. “Not particularly smart” is just an honest statement about myself. It's okay to not be particularly smart. In fact, according to a study by the 2022 Ig Nobel Prize for Economics, success does not necessarily require intelligence, but rather luck.
In "Not particularly smart", I'll be writing about how to survive when you're, surprise, not particularly smart. I will express my honest opinions with a touch of humor. Please do not be offended or quote me. If you don’t like my sense of humor, please just leave instead of roasting me on the internet.
I work in tech, so a lot of the content will be related to the tech industry. I'm Taiwanese, so I'll also tell stories from that perspective.
How to Survive Layoffs When You're Not Particularly Smart?
There have been numerous high-profile tech layoffs. So far, I haven't been impacted by any layoffs (fingers crossed), but it does make me think more about job security. I've watched enough YouTube videos to learn what's going on:
Companies were too optimistic and hired too many people during the pandemic
Tech workers were blinded by high salaries and unrealistic company benefits and misjudged their job security
Inflation
Rising interest rates
blah blah blah
The list goes on. The bottom line is that the economic environment is bad, and we don't know when we'll see the other end of the tunnel.
If you're not particularly smart, how can you survive in this environment? The future seems even more uncertain when Large Language Model innovations automate tasks and write better code than I do. Hmm. I really need a plan.
I decided to make a checklist for myself in case I lose my job tomorrow.
Prepare for the Worst
This is simple math. I spend $2k a month, and I may need 6 months to find a new job. So, I should have at least 2k * 6 = $12k in my bank account. Think ahead even more. What expenses can I cut today? You might already have an emergency fund, but you may not need to use it if you prepare in advance.
Develop a Backup Plan
What do I need to do immediately after losing my job? I probably need to find another job soon. I'm not particularly smart, so OpenAI probably won't email me and offer me another job once the news gets out. Unfortunately, the news won't even spread unless I post a begging message on LinkedIn. If that's the case, I'm going to do the future me a favor and revise my resume today.
Develop a Backup Plan for the Backup Plan
Find other kinds of jobs if you need to. I see this often, especially with tech workers. They're so convinced that all their problems will be solved once they land a new job. They take on credit card debts. They expect a good offer to come to them if they excel in interviews, so they even bravely turn down lowball offers. I'm a survivor, and I'm ready to become a barista at Starbucks if they'd hire me.
Turn Crisis into New Opportunities
In the movie "Up in the Air," George Clooney played a character whose job was to lay off people for his client companies. In one scene, he was informing J.K. Simmons that he was being let go by the company. George noticed that J.K. Simmons had a degree in French cooking. He said, "I am not a shrink, Bob. I am a wake-up call." He suggested that J.K. Simmons could pursue his lost dream of becoming a chef after the layoff. (Watch the clip here)
I am not suggesting that anyone can turn a crisis into an opportunity, but it is an option if you have other talents that you can potentially develop further and start a new career.
After conducting a little thought experiment, I came to the realization that I am not particularly skilled in any area. Therefore, I may not be able to pursue a new career after all. 😟
Till Next Time
I'm soliciting ideas to write about. Send me an email if you'd like me to write about a topic.