‘That was quick’: Bengaluru programmer laid off a day after expressing concerns about IT industry

In a twist of fate, Jishnu Mohan, a techie based in Bengaluru, saw his concerns about the state of the IT industry materialise into reality when he was abruptly laid off just a day after sharing his unease on social media. Mohan, who had been employed as a programmer for Forma (formerly Twic), found himself without a job on February 8, mere hours after expressing his dwindling confidence in his career trajectory.

Having served as a software engineer for Forma since 2019, Mohan operated as a remote employee from Kochi, Kerala. His unexpected dismissal came as part of a broader company restructuring initiative.

On February 7, Mohan took to Twitter to voice his apprehensions, stating, “The whole recession situation in tech making me unease. May be at the lowest confidence level in my career.” Little did he anticipate that his candid admission would lead to such swift consequences.

Barely 24 hours later, Mohan shared a follow-up tweet, announcing his sudden termination: “That was quick. I got laid off today, as part of reorg. So actively looking for a job now. Please let me know if anyone is hiring.”

The power of social media swiftly came into play as Mohan's plea for job opportunities garnered an outpouring of support. His comment section flooded with offers of assistance, job openings, and promises to forward his resume to potential employers.

This unfortunate incident adds to the ongoing wave of job losses in the tech sector, which has been marred by the lingering effects of the funding downturn experienced in 2023. Major players such as Meta, Google, Microsoft, and most recently Snap, have all implemented workforce reductions in 2024, underscoring the industry's continued struggle to navigate challenging economic conditions.