I planned my wedding in 10 weeks — and it helped me land a Big Tech job. Years later, I'm navigating my first layoff.

Felisha Case was laid off from her job at LinkedIn in May after working there for about four years. The technical program manager, who is 40, lives in the Denver area and has had a series of successful tech career moves. At Amazon, Case's wedding unexpectedly helped her secure a program manager role. She explained that her quick wedding planning impressed the photographer, who worked at Amazon and referred her for the job.

After Amazon, she moved to Oracle, then Twitter, and finally LinkedIn, where she worked remotely until her layoff. Case emphasized that personal connections have played a crucial role in every tech job she's landed. Despite the shock of being laid off, Case reflected on how she had previously secured positions through these connections.

She suggests that job seekers should not hesitate to reach out to their network, as most people are generally happy to help. AI has also become a significant factor in case's job search, making it more challenging to connect with recruiters through traditional methods. She has been experimenting with AI tools to find opportunities and shared her advice for those going through a layoff: it's okay to feel a range of emotions, but it's essential to keep oneself busy and focus on the job search.