I got laid off from Meta as a low performer. I wish people told me to budget, downsize, and create a plan immediately.

Brittney Ball says she has been searching for a full-time job since her 2025 layoff from Meta and now feels she underestimated how difficult the job market would be. She says she wishes she had budgeted for a full year of unemployment. The article is a personal job-market anecdote with minimal direct market impact.