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.