I was laid off by LinkedIn, so I spent 3 months writing a 112k-word novel. I don't regret it, but now I'm struggling to find work.

"Earlier this year, rumors started circulating among my LinkedIn colleagues that layoffs were coming. One reason for the speculation was that in 2023, before the announcement of a major round of layoffs, the company canceled the in-person sales kickoff event - usually held in Las Vegas each July - and switched to a virtual format. So when we found out around March that this year's kickoff was also being canceled, everybody was like, "Okay, it's happening again.""

"On May 13, around 10:30 a.m., I received an email stating that I had been laid off. I was shocked to be affected. Based on our performance metrics, my understanding was that I was doing well. It was the first time I had ever been laid off, and I didn't know how to process it. I felt angry, sad, and confused all at once."

"On May 22, I flew to Mexico - where I'm originally from - to attend my cousin's wedding, which gave me time to reflect. After returning home a week later, I made a decision. About five years ago, I came up with an idea for a science-fiction novel. I'd been writing it on and off for years, but progress had been very slow."

Rumors circulated among LinkedIn colleagues about impending layoffs after cancellation of in-person sales kickoff events in previous years and again that March. On May 13 at about 10:30 a.m., an email notified that the individual had been laid off. The layoff came as a shock because performance metrics suggested strong performance. Emotions included anger, sadness, and confusion. On May 22 the person flew to Mexico for a cousin's wedding, which provided time to reflect. After returning a week later, a decision was made to focus on a science-fiction novel idea conceived five years earlier that had seen slow, intermittent progress.

Read at Business Insider