We are joined by two data scientists who have firsthand experience with layoffs. We’ll talk about how to negotiate severance packages, how to handle stress, strategies for job hunting post-layoff, and how to reduce risks in full-time employment.

Working with Daliana on personal branding: https://forms.gle/heNuZzaHjaAMQwLu6

Her email: daliana@dalianaliu.com

Guests:

Susan Shu Chang:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-shu-chang/

Newsletter: susanshu.substack.com

Sundar Swaminathan

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sswamina3/

Website: https://www.sundarswaminathan.com/⁠

(00:00:00) Introduction (00:06:13) Severance Negotiation (00:20:29) Identity crisis (00:26:22) Job search after layoff (00:30:21) Networking (00:35:23) Risk at pre-seed startups (00:37:03) How should data scientists pick companies (00:40:43) What to ask hiring managers (00:45:01) Does GenAI change interview processes? (00:47:17) Are data science teams getting leaner? (00:48:56) Future of data science roles (00:50:37) Full time employment and job security (00:53:46) Benefits of full time jobs (00:58:14) Reduce risk of being laid off (01:00:43) How to sell yourself (01:02:43) How to plan your finances (01:05:09) How to become an independent consultant