Maybe We Were Wrong About Job Security

Whenever someone gets laid off, we hear the same advice.

“Keep learning.”

“Upskill.”

“Learn AI.”

“Build projects.”

“Stay relevant.”

And honestly, none of this advice is wrong.

But something uncomfortable is happening at the same time.

The AI tools replacing parts of people’s work are often being built, trained, and improved by the same professionals who are being told to learn faster.

You spend months learning a new skill.

Then your company introduces a new AI tool, automation system, or smaller team.

Suddenly, the calculation becomes simple.

If 10 people can be replaced by technology that costs much less, companies will look at the numbers.

That is business.

We can talk about loyalty, experience, dedication, late nights, and spending eight years at the same company.

But when the spreadsheet says one option costs X and another costs Y, emotions usually don’t get a vote.

And the hardest part is what happens to the person on the other side.

Someone may have planned their entire life around that salary.

EMIs.

Rent.

Parents.

Children.

Loans.

Savings.

Lifestyle.

Then one email changes everything.

For freshers and people on lower salaries, it can be brutal.

For experienced professionals, finding another job after months of searching doesn’t completely remove the anxiety either.

Because somewhere in the back of your mind, there is always another question.

“What if I get another layoff email next year?”

That is why I have started thinking differently about careers.

I am not saying everyone should quit their job and start a company.

I am talking about something much smaller.

If you have the financial ability and enough experience, consider building something on the side with one or two people you genuinely trust.

Not 10 people.

Not a fancy startup.

Not millions in funding.

Just a small business or another source of income that you can build alongside your job.

For example, some people are building AI-powered virtual call center operations for US businesses using small freelancer or remote teams.

The point isn’t that everyone should start a call center.

The point is having something that isn’t completely dependent on your employer’s next quarterly numbers.

If that side income eventually becomes bigger than your salary, you have another option.

If it doesn’t, you still have something.

Of course, there are risks.

You can lose money.

You can choose the wrong business.

You can trust the wrong partner.

So start small.

Learn the business.

Get proper guidance when needed.

Invest carefully in real assets and operations instead of chasing random “work from home” schemes.

Maybe this sounds like strange advice for developers.

But we are living through a strange period.

There was a time when IT layoffs were breaking news.

Now they happen so often that the breaking news is usually meaningful only to the people who received the email.

For everyone else, it becomes another LinkedIn post.

Maybe that’s what we need to accept.

The career strategy that worked 10 years ago may not be enough for the next 10.

Keep learning.

Absolutely.

But maybe also start building something that gives you a little more control over your income.

Not because your job will definitely disappear.

But because your entire life shouldn’t have to depend on whether your company decides to keep your role next quarter.

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This post was previously published on Sushila Devi’s blog.

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