UK-based Indian techie says he was laid off after 15 years in IT

He said his company had been removing employees gradually over the past three years.An Indian IT professional based in the UK shared his experience of losing his job after 15 years in the technology industry, saying the experience made him rethink how secure a job can be in an industry being reshaped by artificial intelligence. In a video posted by creator @travelwithsravan, the professional spoke about being laid off after years of working in IT. He said his company had been removing employees gradually over the past three years before he eventually became one of those affected. “15 years of IT experience gone in just like that. AI is real, guys. Don't think you don't get affected,” he said.He said the situation had been developing inside his company for some time. “For the last three years in my company, they have been slowly removing so many employees. Now it is my turn and finally it is happening,” he said.“It is not about why did they fire me”Rather than focusing on why he was laid off, he said he was thinking about what he should do next. “It is not about why they fired me. It is about what I do now after they fired me,” he said. He also urged people working in areas of technology that can potentially be automated to think about the possibility of their roles changing. He said he did not believe the same situation was affecting India in exactly the same way at present because salaries in India are comparatively lower than those abroad. “They are not coming to India yet because Indian salaries are comparatively low if you compare with abroad. It is a little less,” he said.However, he added a warning for people working in technology-related roles that could be automated. “But trust me, if you are in testing, AI or anything related to the IT industry which can be automated, I'm sure your job is at risk,” he said.“Anybody can be affected”The professional said the experience should serve as a reminder for people to prepare for the possibility of losing their jobs. “This is just a reminder that anybody, it can happen,” he said. He also suggested discussing such possibilities with family members and loved ones instead of waiting until a job loss actually happens. “Talk with your loved ones. Think about what if you lose the job. In case it is always better to talk about it,” he said. “I'm not sad. I'm also not happy. The feeling is neutral because I have so many plans for what to do,” he said.He explained that he had already prepared a backup plan and had built savings over the years. “I have my backup plan. I also have proper savings. I used to save my income and invest very properly,” he said. “That is one of the reasons why I am very stable. I'm not afraid of, ‘Oh my God, what is going to happen and what I need to do tomorrow,’” he added.“Do I look for another job or something else?”The professional said he is now considering several possibilities for his next step. “Do I need to continue or will I check, look for another job or do I look for something else? I started something,” he said. Rather than presenting one fixed plan, he said he would share what happens next based on how his life develops. “That is something I will try to share based upon how things go in my life,” he said. He also said he hoped that sharing his experience could be useful to someone facing a similar situation. “I will try to share my journey if possible and hopefully it will help somebody,” he said.“Always make sure you have a PLAN B”In the caption accompanying the video, he repeated the central message of his post. “15 Years of IT experience just disappeared like that due to AI. This can happen to anyone, always make sure you have a PLAN B. It’s very very important,” he wrote. For now, he said he plans to document his journey and decide whether his next move will be another job, a different direction in technology or something of his own.