Sonja Parsell’s Post

Hi 👋🏿 Wanted to update my network on current career status intentions going into the end of the year/new year! In March, I experienced an unexpected transition as I was laid off from my previous role. It's been interesting navigating employment amid seemingly global tech layoffs, but I've been to enjoy time off and reflect on coding as a career and growing outside/within the coder/tech context. I've traveled a lot and I've still been learning some code stuff too (Thanks Educative)! I've been deepening my knowledge of React and started playing with Next.js (want to play with Astro, Svelte, Vue too). I've also gotten into new hobbies like pickleball, old hobbies like reading and discovered that I'm fervently interested in UI design and building a company that can be run from a laptop. I've ✈ flown more times this year than (I believe) in my life and it's been quite an eventful year so far. And somehow it's brought me to this. My goal now is not just get a new job, but to be more open to new opportunities and connections. I think of the most exciting things this platform offers is a chance to connect with peoples of different backgrounds and roles. My goal is to learn and connect with interested minds. I've been wanting to learn what Product people do, how UI designers build component libraries to be used across services, how sales operates in bigger companies, just random things that I didn't really think about on the job. I also wanted to start sharing what I've learned as a means for connection. I know that everything I learned in my last two roles would have been immensely useful before taking the roles so I will write for me before I knew anything. In my last role, I learned what it really meant to be to be on a team and really collaborate and I miss that. So, what I hope is that this break's growth, learning and sharing can continue and if you feel like you want to be a part and connect, tinker, destroy, or build with me: reach out and don't be a stranger! 😁

Good Afternoon Linkedin Community, If you have looked at my profile these past few months you might have noticed the green “open to work” circle which has surrounded my profile picture a reflection of my journey since being affected by corporate layoffs last year. This unexpected turn of events caught me off guard, disrupting my day-to-day work activities in the middle of the week. Between my lay-off and now, I took some time off to process things and re-establish goals I have as a software developer. During that time-off I rested and spent time with the people I love and doing the things I care about has left me recharged and has given me a new vigor in tackling the job search. I have added new skills to repertoire and worked on keeping my current skills sharp. I have deep-dived into React Native, starting a project for my church to establish a new mobile application focused on communication and up-to-date event planning. Additionally, I have spent the last couple of months exploring UE5 and the new features it brings to game development. I even dabbled with my own project of designing an endless procedurally generated dungeon for D&D. I also brushed up on my Javascript and React skills but added typescript into the mix as well using it to build out web applications for any freelance clients that I had over the past year. Finally I've been learning more about python backend development which has been surprisingly fascinating to go deeper into, since in my last job I didn’t get to explore as intricately. Ultimately, I’m seeking opportunities in software development, mobile development, or even hopping back into game development. The past few roles I worked in were fully remote, but I’m open to working hybrid/in-person roles in the Nashville area as well. In the interim as I continue the job search, I’m open to connecting and grabbing lunch, so don’t hesitate to reach out! Let's connect, converse, trade experiences, and learn from each other. If you happen to know of any opportunities within the software world, kindly direct them my way. Your help is always appreciated God bless! #opentowork #layoffs #jobsearch #software #gamedev

Unemployment update: As someone who had been recently apart of the mass layoffs this past year, I admit to becoming a victim of the imposter syndrome. “Was my work not valuable enough?” “The market is so competitive, is it worth even applying?” This season of unemployment has fed so many negative thoughts into our minds that are simply NOT true. Your work is absolutely valuable at any level you perform - and you will certainly find a company honored to have you a part their team. These past couple of months, I have practiced redirecting my thoughts and turning them into productive goals. I have done so by learning to be a full stack engineer! As a frontend-focused engineer, I found a new passion for backend that I never knew existed! Learning is so important for personal and mental growth and I encourage those who are unemployed to push out of the “victim mindset” and towards a opportunistic one. This time is a perfect opportunity to find new passions, or grow in a direction you love 🤍 #LivingUpMyUnemploymentEra ✨ #frontenddeveloper #backenddeveloper #fullstackdevelopers #mernstackdeveloper

Embracing New Beginnings at 32 As I step into 2024 on January 1st, I'm not just marking a new year but celebrating my 32nd birthday. Despite unexpected twists in recent months, I've stayed positive, focusing on growth and learning. Since September, I've been proactively seeking new opportunities while balancing part-time work with Lyft. However, it's evident that job interviews increasingly prioritize comprehensive knowledge over specific technologies. Instead of mastering every detail of a single technology, the emphasis is on the ability to learn quickly—a fundamental skill at the core of a Computer Science degree. In a world where technology evolves rapidly, the true value of a degree lies in the capacity to adapt and absorb new knowledge, challenging the notion of reducing it to a mere checkbox, yet interviews are checkboxes. How have you navigated these changes in interviews? I'm eager for your insights on landing a job in this dynamic environment. How do you actively participate in or contribute to the broader tech community, and what benefits have you experienced from such engagement? How do you stay informed about the latest industry trends and technologies, and what sources do you find most valuable? What pivotal moments in your career journey have shaped your approach to continuous learning and adaptation? Your advice is invaluable! I welcome a chance to connect! Me at a glance: Experienced backend developer specializing in Java, Spring/Spring Boot, MySQL, and PostgreSQL for Restful API development. Proficient in AWS and front-end technologies such as React. Open to continuous learning and adaptable to new challenges. Ask for my resume for more details. #opentowork #layoffs #layoff2023 #softwareengineer #softwaredeveloper #CareerInsights #JobSearchAdvice #technicalrecruiter #recruiter #technical #TechJob #TechIndustry #layoff #newyear #birthday 

In these difficult times, with so many layoffs happening in the tech industry, it's hard to know if you'll be able to find a new job in this perpetual phase of hiring freezes. What are the chances of getting hired? I Don’t Know. . . But . . I know one thing for sure that your skills are something that no company can take away from you. Something that my mother has taught me & I will always be grateful to her specially for this one. "In tough times, when nothing goes your way & things are not in your control, there is only one thing that you can control, i.e. To keep working on your skills & personal development” So, today I decided to take one step towards my personal growth by focusing on my skills and development. I'm excited to share my latest project: a framework agnostic "Loading Percentage Bar Widget" built using Vanilla JavaScript, HTML & CSS. By contributing to my personal GitHub instead of a company's, I'm investing in myself and my future. As a Frontend Engineer, getting back to the basics and continuously improving is crucial. So, keep improving, keep growing, and keep learning. Here is the GitHub url: https://lnkd.in/dDp8X8_n #javascriptdeveloper #coding #frontendengineer #vanillajs #github #layoffs #backtobasics

Big Tech continues to layoff people by the hundreds, and the governments of Germany and Britain have recently officially declared their economies are in recession. More to follow, for sure. But let’s take a step back and stop worrying. This is not a time to be paralyzed by fear but to take action for yourself. And we are on a mission to help you equip with software engineering skills that are in high demand globally, regardless of economic conditions. Amid skill shortages and the search for stability, our modern, project-based educational approach cuts through the noise. We offer not just full-stack development skills but smart ways to land interantional jobs. Our next cohort starts on June 10th. Apply now: https://lnkd.in/e6PkJVx #RecessionNews #layoff #layoffs #BigTech #softwarebootcamp #fullstackdeveloper #SoftwareEngineeringEducation #softwareengineer #developerslife #programmerslife #careerintech #CareerShift #coyotivschool #coyotivity #careerchangers #onlineeducation #programminglife #fullstackdevelopment #DigitalNomad #RemoteWork #remotejobs #diversityintech #diversityequityinclusion #womenintech

Oh wow, it's crazy that it's been exactly a month since I was laid off from a job I'd been at for a year. I wanted to say thank everyone who has reached out, wanting to help, there has been no shortage of sympathy, empathy, and grit in helping me try to find my next gig. So far, I've managed to narrow it down to a few companies, and hopefully before the end of this month, I'll have a solid new job. I've been staying positive as much as possible through this, as hardships are something I think we are all used to, and the energy of anxiety, worry, and more are just that, energy, that can be utilized to find more, to go out and do more. So that's what I've been doing in my slight... vacation. Using my pent up energy to improve and seek out broader horizons. I've started learning two new languages (programming), have been brushing back up on my French and Korean, and am looking forward to whatever my next chapter brings. I hope everyone in my network has a great holiday season, especially to those of us on the struggle bus for a new job. We'll get there! And next year will be even greater than this one. Also, yeah, if you are hiring a full stack mid-senior level Rails role, I'm you're person! Hit me up. #opentowork #laidoff #programmer #developer #fullstackdeveloper #fullstack #hopeful

I’m a lover of travel. I go a lot of places all the time every year for any reason anytime. That’s why I think I’m gonna take today to look at opportunities in aviation and travel 🌞 I’m Willy B, and I’m coming up on almost five years of experience building high volume state of the art cloud native engineering applications in golang, rust, typescript, node, Python and more. I spend an inordinate amount of time out of the house and would make incredibly ridiculous usage of the standby flight benefit many airlines offer. Especially if remote. I was laid off in a reduction of workforce recently and I’ve got glowing reviews from my coworkers available at your request. Not only is my attitude, once touted to be one of the best Docker has ever seen, available to hire for your organization. It’s available to excel for your organization. I most recently fully managed an initial migration and rewrite of a core legacy service into modern rust for my previous employer. The original node service was just slow to build, start, and work with due to its age. It was an authorizer that worked on AWS to provide specific functionality to our cloud. Considering it’s high volume impact and performance, and custom requirements for future work, we elected to do a ship of Theseus rewrite a couple of pieces at a time. I’ve also been working on a graph based authorization scheme in my spare time since the layoff, looking at particular use cases for Simplified granular systems for access patterns in multi tiered “org of orgs” style organizations. I’d love to chat about these things with you and your organization. I’m also not neurotypical, and have decades of successful relationships and business conducted with my neuro-different brain. My fresh and completely different perspective as an individual with adhd is valuable. I often am the first person offering simpler options and solutions to crazy problems. I don’t like to complicate things, and will often do my best to make things easy. If I sound like your type of engineering professional, give me a ring or drop me a line. I gotta water my uncles flowers for like a week but other than that I’m totally free for now 😂💀 #engineer #softwareengineering #layoffs #golang #rust #available #opentowork

What layoffs in the IT industry taught us and how to increase your chances to avoid them/get rehired: 1. Diversify your skill set 📒 Sticking to the same technology and programming language will make you dependent on its future in the market. That is a fact. Instead, diversifying your skill set, by learning the principles that many technologies have in common, will make it applicable to various job opportunities ! 💪 2. Focus on what matters 💡 Ideas make changes and thus are most valuable. For your ideas to be valuable, you have to know how possible and how profitable they are. That’s where science comes in ! 💪 3. Build a solid knowledge base 🏛 Everlasting principles never change while technologies often do. Google the "Pythagorean theorem" if you don’t believe me. 😊 Instead of constantly re-learning the same thing over and over as tech changes, build a knowledge base. Learning the computer science and software engineering fundamentals will be your rock solid knowledge base to get you started. From that point onwards, just connect the dots whenever something new emerges ! 💪 4. Don't get replaced by AI 🛑 AI can replace tasks that are repetitive and jobs that predominantly involve following the same structure or steps. This, unfortunately, applies to many frameworks and scripting practices. Therefore, choose your field of expertise wisely and invest your time in what cannot be easily automated ! 💪 5. Learn to present yourself and your contribution 📈 The days where programmers were silent and smart folks behind the scenes are over. Start learning how to effectively convey your message and get noticed and appreciated ! 💪 Reading books on this subject and taking online courses are your best friends. 😊 6. You will get rehired eventually 🚀 🚀 🚀 Most people I have encountered who have been laid off were rehired successfully. The level of their expertise determines how fast they will be rehired and how smoothly they will get through that period. One thing is for sure - the more you know, the harder you are to be replaced ! 💪💪💪 #layoffs #itlayoffs #it #softwareengineering #computerscience #androiddev #android #androiddevelopment #kotlin #java #linux #mobile #mobiledev #ai #ml #programming

Know any companies needing a driven, exceptionally brilliant, empathetic, hilarious individual to work as a software developer/engineer? This man is legitimately the smartest and most hard-working person I know (and I don't just say that because he's also my husband), and has been through a really rough few months of searching for the next job with no luck. It's hard to see someone you love struggling, especially after 6 years of grueling work for a BS AND MS in Physics. Watching him work so much just to get a first interview is mind-blowing. It is a BRUTAL world out there for job-seekers. Any help anyone has to offer would be gratefully accepted! #opentowork #softwaredevelopment #softwaredeveloper #softwareengineer #physics #hardworking #brilliant #climatetech