For more than three decades, Mike Kostersitz devoted his professional life to a single company — Microsoft — where he steadily cultivated a prominent career that spanned an extraordinary 31 years. Over that long tenure, he rose through the ranks to become a principal product manager lead working on Azure, Microsoft’s vast and complex cloud computing platform. Yet, at the age of 60, Kostersitz suddenly found himself confronting a challenge that felt both unfamiliar and daunting: for the first time in decades, he needed to search for a new job, to reenter a job market that had transformed dramatically since he last navigated it.
In early May, his team had gathered for what seemed like a productive meeting with a senior leader, leaving Kostersitz and his colleagues feeling encouraged about their ongoing work. However, the optimism proved short-lived. The very next morning, a new, high-priority meeting mysteriously appeared on his calendar — a signal that something significant, and likely unsettling, was about to unfold. During that call, he and roughly 120 colleagues, whose faces appeared as anonymous tiles on the screen, were informed that their positions had been eliminated. The message was blunt and impersonal: their roles no longer existed. For Kostersitz, who resides in Washington state, the news carried additional weight because his manager and two direct reports were also affected. They joined about 6,000 other employees swept up in the company’s wider layoffs.
The abrupt announcement left him genuinely stunned. After more than half a lifetime spent within Microsoft’s walls, the concept of being unemployed — of having to market himself anew — seemed almost surreal. He took the remainder of the week simply to process the situation, allowing himself space to reflect before launching into an active job search. In the months that followed, he poured his energy into exploring new opportunities, managing to secure interviews with a handful of companies, including renowned names such as Nvidia and Nike. He remains cautiously optimistic about one role in particular, though, as of now, a formal job offer has yet to materialize.
His experience mirrors that of thousands of other Microsoft professionals who have also been caught in waves of job reductions over the past year. A company spokesperson later confirmed to Business Insider that the layoffs were part of a broader restructuring effort aimed at simplifying corporate hierarchies and improving operational efficiency. The tech giant’s actions are hardly unique; other major technology firms — including Amazon, Meta, and Google — have also implemented sizable workforce reductions in recent months. Although the overall number of layoffs across the U.S. economy remains relatively modest when compared to historical downturns, individuals working in technology have borne a disproportionate share of the impact. With a pronounced slowdown in hiring across the sector, even highly qualified professionals now find themselves struggling to secure comparable roles.
In light of the uncertain climate, some displaced workers have begun to rethink their career trajectories altogether. Many are considering paths beyond the traditional confines of Big Tech — pursuing positions at smaller, more agile firms, venturing into entrepreneurship, or even contemplating early retirement. Kostersitz’s own journey offers an intimate window into what it feels like to navigate a job search after decades of stability. Business Insider has been hearing from numerous tech professionals who describe similar experiences: corporate strategy shifts, reorganization efforts, and hiring freezes have all intersected to reshape their livelihoods.
In the immediate aftermath of his layoff, Kostersitz’s reaction was not one of anger or resentment. Having spent more than half his life at Microsoft, he felt a deep sense of connection to the people and the culture that had defined his professional identity. What disappointed him, however, was the manner in which the news was delivered. After investing 31 years of dedication, he had hoped for a more personal and respectful communication — ideally a conversation with his direct manager or even a vice president to explain the reasoning behind the decision. That human touch, he felt, was missing.
Still, Kostersitz recognized and appreciated one benefit that came with his long tenure: Microsoft’s “55 and 15” policy. Under this program, employees who are at least 55 years old and have completed 15 or more consecutive years with the company continue to accrue their unvested stock grants even after their employment ends. This safety net, combined with his personal savings and severance, provided a temporary buffer that eased the financial shock of sudden unemployment. He and his wife calculated that, with prudent budgeting, they could sustain their current standard of living for roughly two years without needing to draw from their retirement accounts — relying instead on a combination of severance pay, accumulated savings, and vested Microsoft stock. Nevertheless, Kostersitz was fully aware that this financial cushion was finite and that his search for new employment could not be delayed indefinitely.
As the weeks turned into months, the difficulty of landing a new position prompted him to contemplate whether early retirement might be feasible. At 60, he had originally envisioned retiring closer to the traditional age of 67, perhaps even later, provided he remained engaged by his work. Yet, after a careful assessment, he realized that leaving the workforce now would significantly alter his and his wife’s financial outlook. Although technically possible, early retirement would demand sweeping lifestyle adjustments. “Would it be a huge change of lifestyle? Absolutely,” he admitted, highlighting the gravity of that decision.
Embarking on his first serious job search in over thirty years, Kostersitz felt, in his own words, like “a fish out of water.” For two decades, he had been the one overseeing teams, scrutinizing résumés, interviewing applicants, and making hiring decisions. Now, he was sitting on the opposite side of the table — vulnerable, uncertain, and learning anew what it meant to compete for roles in an intensely digital and data-driven hiring environment.
To adapt, his initial step was to engage a professional career coach who could guide him through the modern mechanics of the job hunt: crafting a résumé optimized for automated screening algorithms, refining his LinkedIn profile to showcase the most relevant aspects of his experience, and writing compelling cover letters tailored to specific roles. In addition, Microsoft included the services of a career advisor as part of its severance package, providing further assistance and strategic advice. That advisor suggested a practical yet delicate change — to “de-age” his résumé. This meant omitting early-career positions from the 1980s and 1990s, ensuring prospective employers would focus on his more contemporary experience. Accordingly, his LinkedIn now begins with professional milestones dating from 2003 onward.
Armed with updated materials and guidance, Kostersitz began applying to positions aligned with his background — primarily director-level roles in product or program management. His search extended beyond technology giants such as Google and Apple to include non‑tech corporations with significant digital initiatives, like Nordstrom. He reached out for referrals and, in one case, successfully leveraged a contact at Nvidia, which led to an interview. Yet, despite these promising leads, consistent traction proved elusive. The market, saturated with experienced candidates, demanded perseverance.
One of the most difficult aspects of the process, he explained, was determining how best to present his vast professional history in conversations with recruiters. Interviewers often posed scenario-based prompts — the classic “Tell me about a time when…” questions — designed to reveal strategic thinking and problem‑solving abilities. With thirty years of professional stories to choose from, deciding which specific examples would resonate most effectively became a subtle art. “It’s like, I have 30 years of stories for you,” he joked. “Which one do you want to hear?”
Despite the frustrations and occasional discouragement, Kostersitz has refused to abandon his pursuit. His Microsoft-provided advisor urged him to maintain momentum and not misread temporary setbacks as signs of failure, reminding him that in the current economic climate, job hunting often becomes a test of endurance rather than a sprint. As the advisor described it, securing a desirable role is “a game of chicken”: success depends on who has the fortitude, patience, and resilience to persist the longest. For Kostersitz, a man who has weathered the transformations of one of the world’s most influential companies, that challenge — though immense — is one he continues to face with determination, adaptability, and quiet optimism.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/laid-off-microsoft-employee-relearns-how-job-hunt-2025-10
