I left Meta/Facebook two months ago, on September 7, after spending 9 years and 3 months. This departure was a long time coming for a couple of years at least. Earlier this year, I finally set the last date at Meta. The following six months of preparing to end my time at Meta turned out to be more meaningful and valuable than I expected. I got to make sure that the team was in a good place in transition after I leave. I could also have deep conversations with people who mattered to me in my life at Meta. Additionally, I had enough time to reflect on what I learned in my time at Meta, which I got to write in a badge post before I left.
What is a badge post? It’s a post you write on the internal online community (“Workplace”) when you leave Meta. It’s voluntary, not mandatory. Some people use it as a public “thank you” note to thank everyone they worked together. Others use this opportunity to share their reflections for their experience they had at Meta. I chose the latter.
The words on the street is that Meta is planning a major layoff. It’s unfortunate for anyone to get laid off, and it’s also very hard for those who are left behind the layoff. I had a direct experience of this at Microsoft. In 2009, Microsoft executed the biggest layoff in its corporate history. Thousands of Microsoft employees globally were laid off. The morning after my team mate packed her stuff and left, I remember feeling deeply empty and helpless, staring at her desk in our shared office.
