Reminder: If you're in a stable software engineering job right now, STAY PUT!!!!!!!

I'm honestly amazed this even needs to be said but if you're currently in a stable, low-drama, job especially outside of FAANG, just stay put because the grass that looks greener right now might actually be hiding a sinkhole Let me tell you about my buddy. Until a few months ago, he had a job as a software engineer at an insurance company. The benefits were fantastic.. he would work 10-20 hours a week at most, work was very chill and relaxing. His coworkers and management were nice and welcoming, and the company was very stable and recession proof. He also only had to go into the office once a week. He had time to go to the gym, spend time with family, and even work on side projects if he felt like it But then he got tempted by the FAANG name and the idea of a shiny new title and what looked like better pay and more exciting projects, so he made the jump, thinking he was leveling up, thinking he was finally joining the big leagues From day one it was a completely different world, the job was fully on-site so he was back to commuting every day, the hours were brutal, and even though nobody said it out loud there was a very clear expectation to be constantly online, constantly responsive, and always pushing for more He went from having quiet mornings and freedom to structure his day to 8 a.m. standups, nonstop back-to-back meetings, toxic coworkers who acted like they were in some competition for who could look the busiest, and managers who micromanaged every last detail while pretending to be laid-back He was putting in 50 to 60 hours a week just trying to stay afloat and it was draining the life out of him, but he kept telling himself it was worth it for the resume boost and the name recognition and then just three months in, he got the layoff email No warning, no internal transfer, no fallback plan, just a cold goodbye and a severance package, and now he’s sitting at home unemployed in a terrible market, completely burned out, regretting ever leaving that insurance job where people actually treated each other like human beings And the worst part is I watched him change during those months, it was like the light in him dimmed a little every week, he started looking tired all the time, less present, shorter on the phone, always distracted, talking about how he felt like he was constantly behind, constantly proving himself to people who didn’t even know his name He used to be one of the most relaxed, easygoing guys I knew, always down for a beer or a pickup game or just to chill and talk about life, but during those months it felt like he aged five years, and when he finally called me after the layoff it wasn’t just that he lost the job, it was like he’d lost a piece of himself in the process To make it worse, his old role was already filled, and it’s not like you can just snap your fingers and go back, that bridge is gone, and now he’s in this weird limbo where he’s applying like crazy but everything is frozen or competitive or worse, fake listings meant to fish for resumes I’ve seen this happen to more than one person lately and I’m telling you, if you’re in a solid job right now with decent pay, decent hours, and a company that isn’t on fire, you don’t need to chase the dream of some big tech title especially not in a market like this Right now, surviving and keeping your sanity is the real win, and that “boring” job might be the safest bet you’ve got Be careful out there