I was working for an early-stage startup during the summer of 2013 as the front-end developer. While I was there, we fired our iOS guy, our backend guy switched to iOS and the company now needed someone with full-stack experience to cover the gap, so I got the axe at the end of my contract.
Personally, I was lucky: it took me a total of 4 days to find another job. I didn't have to retool myself because I had kept up on the latest trends within the scope of my skills, and the job market was heavily in my favor at the time.
While I didn't have to learn new skills, I did learn that external factors beyond my control can affect my continued employment. It has made me more mindful of my surroundings and observant of the business direction.
While we could debate terminology and classification over the contract status, I consider it a termination given that A. It was an ongoing work assignment and I had continued to receive new work up until the notice to not renew, and B. I had to go through an off-boarding process.
Personally, I was lucky: it took me a total of 4 days to find another job. I didn't have to retool myself because I had kept up on the latest trends within the scope of my skills, and the job market was heavily in my favor at the time.
While I didn't have to learn new skills, I did learn that external factors beyond my control can affect my continued employment. It has made me more mindful of my surroundings and observant of the business direction.