1. Yes, Laid off this year from Big Tech. I had outstanding perf. reviews and was working my ass off prior to the layoff for a promo, even traveling on a compan

1. Yes, Laid off this year from Big Tech. I had outstanding perf. reviews and was working my ass off prior to the layoff for a promo, even traveling on a company event a week before being affected. I think the company wanted to greatly reduce their headcount in the country I live in, and I was likely axed due to that. Business strategy-wise what they did seemed to be the right thing, but they lost me and other great folks :-) 2. Not at all, obviously the job market wasn't as good as before, so salaries weren't what they were in 2021. Very few North american companies were hiring in Europe with great salaries, and the ones that were, they had Hybrid work policies, when I'd rather work remotely due to living far away from a city center, so the overall market change had an impact, not the layoff itself on myself. 3. The reverse happened. I had an amazing response from all previous work colleagues, that promptly helped me, setting me up for interviews and even finding roles for me. Because of my network, I could quickly find a new position. I had no idea so many ex-coworkers liked me so much. That made me feel appreciated and in a very comfortable job/work related condition. I took a paycut though, but going now work that is more meaningful and challenging to me. It's also less intense, so I no longer need to destroy my health in order to do a good job. For the past years I've been trading my health for putting more hours and effort, now my intention is to get in shape again, live a peaceful life and do work I'm proud of. Being laid off despite my performance made me realize that I shouldn't do much more than my peers if the company isn't mine. Also starting to scratch my entrepreneurial itch again. I'm glad to be free from the golden handcuffs, sometimes you get a big salary, nice colleagues to work with, exciting work and all, but that will cloud your mind, make you focused on that only, rather than seeing all the other great things you could do with your life.