I worked as a contractor for couple years and fell in love with the culture back in 2010-2011. My contract got terminated couple years later but my manager was so supportive and inclusive that an attempt was made to convert me to full-timer but the contract did not allow that. Nevertheless, I kept in touch with a hope that someday it might work out. Couple years later, one fine morning, I saw a job opening (Linkedin) in that team and I applied. It took a month or two to go through bureaucracy but my manager was more than happy to recruit me having seen my technical skills and got the job. I did not negotiate at all and just accepted what was offered to me even though it was way below market rates. I was very happy and promised myself to retire from this place with a belief that a great job and mental peace is more important than tons of money. I even celebrated my success with a long vacation at Disney's along with my family.
I was so enthusiastic about my work that time was never a constraint when it came to work. I put in my sweat and blood into the job. People came and left around me, including most of my colleagues and managers, but I stuck around watching how Pearson culture fell from being a lovable people's company to corporate greed, nepotism and a disposable view of human capital. Then one fine afternoon, in Jan 2026, I was a victim of nepotism and laid off unceremoniously. And here I am still looking for a company that I loved so much, it now feels like a lost cause.