This text is based on an interview with Brittney Ball, a 36-year-old former Meta employee from Washington. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I didn't expect that after being fired from Meta, I would be unemployed for over a year. I assumed that with the experience and skills gained at Meta, I would quickly find new employment. However, I underestimated the realities of the labor market.
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I was hired in 2020 as a documentation engineer, and I also served as the global leader of the Black@Pride employee group. Since being laid off in February 2025, I've created and sold a startup and launched a newsletter and podcast on Substack to build my brand as a documentation expert. I have created alternative sources of income, but I still apply for full-time jobs.
What happens after dismissal?
My advice to those in the latest wave of layoffs at Meta is this: budget as if you were going to be out of work for a year, cut your expenses and create an action plan now.
I could have saved myself a lot of trouble if I had known how difficult the job market could be. You must remain professionally active even during unemployment.
This job market is not something to be taken lightly. If you plan to go back to work, you need to treat your job search like a full-time job.
There are so many talented and intelligent people in the market now applying for the same positions as you, so just sending your CV and waiting for a response is no longer enough.
It seems like you have to have something to show for your time out of work. It is worth building your brand as a speaker, writing about your specialization on LinkedIn, running a podcast or building a startup “publicly”. I started getting more job offers after I started posting about my startup – an AI-based documentation platform – and writing on Substack.
It's important to share your knowledge online regularly.
Sharing my path and building “in front of others” has created new sources of income for me. My Substack, where I analyze AI tools and publish my research, has started to gain popularity in academia and the AI community. It helped me build my brand as an expert in AI ethics.
I have paid subscribers, and companies reach out to me via Substack to order audits of their AI products or schedule consultations. This has become a great source of income and gives me some financial security while I continue to look for a job.
With alternative sources of income, I can also be more picky about my next job. I want my next company to be aligned with my values and mission – to make AI more credible and accessible to everyone. I'm still waiting for the perfect fit.
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Give yourself two weeks to experience the emotions, and then create an action plan
It's easy to get wrapped up in negative emotions after being laid off and start to think that this defines our worth. One thing I did right was not let this happen. I gave myself a few weeks to process the emotions associated with losing the life I imagined, and then I created a plan of action.
Many people from Meta asked me how to build a personal brand online to start freelancing. My advice: always focus on what you do best.
One of my greatest skills is pattern recognition, so I focused on how to “package” it in a way that was valuable to others.
It is also important to set a deadline. It's easy to say “I'll do it tomorrow,” but “tomorrow” can turn into another month.
I told myself that if I really wanted to develop my startup and build my position as an expert, I had to achieve specific results within six months. I collected data from all social media platforms to measure my progress and stick to my goals.
Invest your severance pay and create a budget
Looking back, I wish I had invested more of my severance pay and prepared a budget for a possible year without work. If I had thought more long-term, I would have saved myself a lot of heartache.
I live in a loft in Washington, D.C., but I'm planning to move out of the city. This apartment matched the Meta salary, but not the entrepreneur's budget.
Now I cook at home more often instead of eating out and I monitor my subscriptions more carefully. I am aware that I no longer have the luxury of a steady salary.
Remember your value and don't isolate yourself
If you are going through this wave of layoffs at Meta, remember that it is not a measure of your worth. You were hired at Meta for a reason – use it as motivation to find something new or create something of your own.
Being part of a community is also important. Isolation can only deepen a difficult emotional state. Many people are going through the same thing as you – lean on them.
This article is a translation from American edition of Business Insider
