For years, landing a job at Google, Meta, Microsoft or Intel was considered a symbol of career success and financial stability. But for four former employees, losing those coveted positions led to an unexpected reality marked by prolonged unemployment, financial strain and uncertainty about the future.
In an interview with Business Insider, the four tech professionals, who had spent years working at some of the world's biggest technology companies, opened up about the challenges they faced after being laid off. They shared how the job cuts turned upside down their careers, affected their finances and mental well-being, and forced them to rethink their professional futures.
Brittney Ball, 37, worked as a documentation engineer at Meta for nearly five years and earned about $180,000 a year. She taught herself to code using the DC Public Library and YouTube. Getting a job at Meta felt like proof that she had made it.
Jason Zhang, 25, worked as a software engineer at Google for three and a half years, earning more than $200,000. He had planned to stay at the company for years.
Joe Friend, 62, spent 23 years at Microsoft as a product manager, with a base salary of $250,000. Sriram RamKrishna, 57, also spent 23 years at Intel and earned about $180,000 before being laid off in July 2025.
The layoffs came as a shock. Ball received the news while dropping her children at school. Zhang was told during a meeting with his manager and HR. RamKrishna's entire business unit was shut down, while Friend realised something was wrong after missing a meeting with senior management.
According to their interviews with Business Insider, the job search proved far more difficult than they had expected. Zhang remained unemployed for three months despite applying for around 30 positions. RamKrishna believed he would find a new role within six months, but was still searching a year after being laid off. Meanwhile, Ball said she had submitted more than 8,000 job applications in her effort to return to the workforce.
The financial impact was also significant. Ball used her savings, sold stocks and relied on her parents for support. She plans to move from Washington, DC, to Charlotte because of high living costs. RamKrishna changed his spending habits, while Zhang said his plans to buy a home and help his parents retire had been affected.
Healthcare became another major concern. Friend said his family was paying about $2,600 a month for medical cover after losing employer-provided insurance.
The experience changed how the four viewed Big Tech. Some are building personal brands, while others have started consulting businesses or startups.
For all four, the biggest lesson was that a high salary and a famous employer do not guarantee security. Losing their jobs forced them to rethink money, careers, identity and what they want from life beyond work.
