Last Wednesday was my final day as a software engineer at LinkedIn.
My career at LinkedIn started in 2022 when I joined as an intern, then continued in 2023 when I joined as an Infra SWE after completing a post-bacc program in Computer Science.
The three years I spent there certainly had its challenges: two reorgs, three rounds of layoffs (not including my own), and stressful on-call shifts with subsequent incidents. But, I can honestly say I'm better off for having worked there, and grew so much as an engineer. I got to ship cool features, make important design decisions, and build an entire service from the ground up. And, while I didn't choose to leave LinkedIn this way, I'm privileged to have had the experience of working there, plus I even have a chunk of cash to help me find my next move.
Despite the layoff, I'm excited for the future.
It's possible my brain hasn't fully processed the layoff yet, but I'm looking at this situation as an opportunity. The current job market may be rough for software engineers, but I'm challenging myself to approach the job hunt with curiosity and a sense of adventure. I expect my emotions will change as the search spans across multiple months, but I plan to lean on my meditation practice and mindfulness community to help me navigate the emotional rollercoasters.
Besides, less work means more time! I'm grateful for my experience at LinkedIn, but 40 hours was the minimum amount of hours put in for my peers and I. This means I've racked up a ton of unfinished side projects and books, simply because I didn't have the time or energy to complete them. I'm excited to use this break to pick them back up, learn, and gain new skills.
What's next for me -
First, I'm taking a break. Thanks to the WARN Act, I'm still on the LinkedIn payroll for two months, and I'm using this time for learning, building, and lots of hiking. Basically, I'm doing everything but looking for a new job for the first 30 days. As working adults, we often don't get the opportunity to just chill, so I'm taking advantage of it.
I'll also document my experiences in funemployment. While a little couch rotting is fun and even healthy, I'd hate for it to describe my entire unemployment experience. So I'll post weekly layoff check-ins to document my progress, what I've learned, and what I've built.