I was a laid-off software engineer who pivoted into blue-collar work because of AI. One year in, I couldn't be happier.

Tech Insider : Business
Tabby Toney's headshot after work and an image of her in uniform welding.
Tabby Toney was laid off from her tech role and started her welding job immediately after completing her certification.

Courtesy of Tabby Toney

I was a Meta HR manager before getting laid off. If I could speak to my younger self, here's what I'd tell her.

Tech Insider : Business
Chikara Kennedy, headshot in a business dress suit.
Chikara Kennedy founded her own company after being laid off from Meta.

Courtesy Chikara Kennedy

I've applied to over 500 jobs in the 11 months since my layoff. I lost hot water and started a GoFundMe.

Tech Insider : Business
Valerie Lockhart
Valerie Lockhart

Valerie Lockhart

I moved my family to Korea for a job. Then I got laid off — and I'm still glad we came.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Man wearing a backback with his daughter being carried.
Bart Schaneman accepted a job in Seoul, and mad the move with his wife and daughter.

Provided by Bart Schaneman

I want a prenup, but my fiancée won't even discuss it. How do I get her to sign the papers?

Tech Insider : Business

The offers and details on this page may have updated or changed since the time of publication. See our article on Business Insider for current information.

hands signing a piece of paper

skynesher/Getty Images

My husband was laid off almost a year ago, so I'm now both the breadwinner and default parent. I sometimes resent him.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business, Travel
a distraught couple looking at their finances at the kitchen table
The author (not pictured) is now the breadwinner after her husband was laid off.

Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images

I was the breadwinner until I lost my tech exec job. Now I resent my wife's pursuit of a low-paying career.

Tech Insider : Business

The offers and details on this page may have updated or changed since the time of publication. See our article on Business Insider for current information.

After 2 layoffs and a breakup in New York, I booked a one-way flight to Asia. Travel changed how I define success.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A woman standing on the DMZ between South and North Korea.
Spending two years traveling across Asia, Australia, and Europe helped Macie Strum define success.

Provided by Macie Strum

I felt ashamed to be laid off. After a nearly 2-year job search, I quit looking and embraced a new path.

Tech Insider : Business, Environment, Style
Laura Zimmermaker
Laura Zimmermaker is no longer actively job searching.

Courtesy of Laura Zimmermaker

I felt pure happiness when I was laid off from Microsoft after 14 years. It was the green light I needed to start my own business.

Tech Insider : Business
headshot of a woman in a black shirt and blue blazer
Tatiana Teppoeva.

Courtesy of Tatiana Teppoeva

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