I'm leaving Meta and I'm not ready

So, my time at Meta has come to a close. It's a mix of feelings, and I won't shy away from saying that "sad" is one of them, but I'm also genuinely excited about what lies ahead.

Over the past few years, I've switched jobs three times on my journey as a product designer. But, I'm grateful to have finally found a place that gives me the fulfilment and challenge I've been seeking for years. It's been an incredible experience to design products used by millions of people every day and be part of a massive corporation. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but it's kind of fun when people hear I work at Meta, and their eyes light up. They might not know exactly what a product designer does, but at least everyone's heard of Meta or Facebook!

But the truth is that our work lives are ever-changing. We switch companies, teams, and roles… We see people come and go, and our products evolve and grow with us. I find this constant change fascinating, even though it's easy to overlook when you're deep in your daily tasks and routine.

There's an Italian proverb that says

"Whoever leaves the old path for the new knows what they leave behind but doesn't know what they'll find." You can interpret this in both positive and negative ways. A positive mindset sees a better path ahead, while a negative one fears leaving the old path, even if it's no longer right for you. In my experience, every time I changed jobs, I found better opportunities, so I'm not afraid of what's next.

When will I start my next gig? I can't say for sure. I don't have one lined up. I also don't know how challenging it will be to be a mom. I'm unsure about going straight full-time work or not. There are a lot of unknowns. But, I'm excited about what's coming in 2024, and I want to continue sharing my experiences with you here and on social media.

There are a few aspects of a job I'll be looking for. I can share some of them with you:

• The ability to work 4 days a week

• Flexible working hours

• Work on a product I'm passionate about

• A company culture that's a good fit

• The opportunity to work remotely full-time

• Working with a multicultural team

Maybe I'm missing something; I'm not entirely sure. Keep an eye out for my upcoming newsletter, where I'll share more about my plans for the next year. I hope you're as excited about 2024 as I am!