To my fellow VMware colleagues who are holding on tightly at Broadcom, terrified of leaving, but horrified at the “new reality” and not really happy just resting and vesting… I’d like to share my story as a glimmer of hope of one possible path forward.
I was a long time VMW person (>10 years) who was in a transition role at BC. I leveraged my personal network and was hired as a contractor by a former VMW leader who is now at another brand-name company. I negotiated an early exit from BC and collected my entire severance and transition bonus. Since starting as a contractor I’ve been able to demonstrate my value, and am now on a path to convert to an FTE.
The moral here is it IS possible to exit with dignity and pride, on your own terms, without the submit-and-pray full frontal as--ult job search. To do this requires confidence, grit, and a reasonably good personal network. Best of luck to each of you, regardless of the path you choose.