May Lee joined Hewlett-Packard in 1987 as a software engineer intern. As a graduate, she wanted to sign on for life with a good company that she knew she could be loyal to and would be as loyal as a company could be. Lee didn't want to climb the corporate ladder or jump from company to company. If she hadn't been downsized last February, Lee would never have left. She says there were signs that the writing was on the wall, such as a hiring freeze and a temporary reduction in her work hours, but in the end, it came as a surprise. Lee had hoped to work there for probably another five-something years. Lee says she felt a combination of disappointment and sadness. This was the company she had devoted her entire career to and had hoped to retire from. Read more to see how Lee navigated her layoff at the link in our bio. Story by Roya Shahidi (Credit: May Lee) #layoffs #engineering #corporateladder