I was laid off at the end of January and after a tough four months of searching, I finally accepted a new job offer last week. I'm grateful to have found something in such a challenging market, but I had to take a 20% cut on my base salary. If I factor in the bonus, it nearly matches my previous salary, but since the bonus is performance-based and tied to the company's success, it's not guaranteed that I'll receive the full amount. I have over 20 years of experience in product design, and while I'm excited about this new opportunity, I can't help but feel uneasy about the pay cut. I've heard so many horror stories from peers who have been out of work for over a year or who have had to accept even larger pay cuts just to get back on a payroll. With the ongoing wave of layoffs in big tech, it seems like companies are prioritizing hiring ex-FAANG talent, which made me anxious about losing my offer. Is this the new norm? Are others experiencing similar situations where taking a significant pay cut has become a baseline reality for job hunting in 2026?
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