Waiting around for a potential LR package is ridiculous.
Did you work this hard to finally get here, only to constantly think about when your LR cycle will come?
Actively look. Spend an hour a day. Interview. Sharpen your skills. The market is paying top dollar.
I was LR’d almost two years ago. I am making almost double what Cisco paid. The market is hot. Get current. Move on. Push yourself. There are no guarantees. Stop procrastinating.
Pro-Tip (US Employees): Even if you don't plan on leaving, keep all the PTO you can on the books. Max it out and just take what you will potentially lose at year-end. When you do get hit by the Shadow Sniper or decide to voluntarily head for the door, 240 hours (?) of salary is a nice 'parting gift'.
Op is right. Get off the ship before it sinks
Ditto - it took me 8 months (in large part because I was blind sided, in part because the Cisco experience actually hurt me, in part because i am older than many in the market.)
Still, I was able to get my skills back where I needed and land a great job making 50% more. (Don't think you can wing the modern tech interview - experience with emails and meetings won't cut it.)
Now, I am making something again - something I can take pride in – more than the money that gets me up in the morning.
My only regret is that I didn't leave that toxic hellhole 10 years ago. Don't wait for the package, it is not worth what the place does to you.
It's interesting how you react when laid off. Even with the equivalent of 7 months full severance, I couldn't really relax for a couple of months as I originally thought. It was all about the next position. It took 6 months to find the right one. (I am in a secondary US market).
So that's the wild card to factor in. What will you mindset be like when you go through it, and how long will it really take to land the position that gives you a career path forward?
I think a lot of people go right to a competitor, which may or may not be the right long term move.
Good luck to anyone contemplating a change. There is life after Cisco.
OP is wise.
Rolling layoffs have become a signature aspect of Cisco's culture. Is this an environment in which you can meet your career goals?
Assess for yourself, and act on YOUR timeline, not Cisco's.
Words of wisdom here. Listen to him!