Jackie Tidwell’s Post

13 years and 2,109 miles. Microsoft brought me to Seattle — a city I now call home. Until the layoffs last week, I’d never spent a single day here without being part of Microsoft. When I told my friends 13 years ago that I was joining the Excel team, they said, “That makes sense — you should go to the mothership.” I planned my wedding in a spreadsheet. I could mail merge and finesse even/odd page numbers in Word. I built intranets with SharePoint at two different companies. I lived and breathed Microsoft. And honestly? I loved it. I’m grateful for the history I’ve had there — the people, the growth, the opportunities to lead, build, and learn. From my first gig on Excel for Mac and iPad to my most recent role working on AI and Copilot, it’s been an unforgettable run. But it was a layoff that led me to Microsoft, and now, another one is pointing me toward something new. I’m sad, of course — but I’m also excited. I’ve already started dreaming (and, let’s be real, lightly interviewing) about what’s next. I’ve reached out to dozens of folks — those who were impacted and those who stayed. I’ve never felt so much love. Our Microsoft community is reeling, but we’re here for each other. So yes, I’m taking time — but only the time it takes to move forward. If you’re hiring (or know someone who is) in Content Design, AI Prompting, or anywhere thoughtful language and user experience meet — let’s talk. And if you just want to swap stories about everything that just happened, my calendar’s pretty open. #MicrosoftLayoffs #layoffsupport #microsoftalumni #opentowork #jobsupport Pictured: Two cats that are pretty stoked about my current free time.