Laid off after 30 years at HP, woman finds new career in Antarctica

Although the layoff caught her off guard, Lee admitted there had been some warning signs. “There were signs that the writing was on the wall, such as a hiring freeze and a temporary reduction in my work hours, but in the end, it came as a surprise.”

She had expected to remain at HP for about five more years. Instead, she suddenly found herself in what she described as an “intense job-hunting mode”.

Lee reached out to her professional network and received referrals, but none of the efforts translated into a new job. That was when a former HP colleague suggested that she look beyond the technology industry and consider some of the things she had always been interested in.

“Then one of my really good friends from HP gave me some great advice. She said, ‘May, you’ve already paid off your house. You don’t need the high-tech salary. You have so many things that you’re interested in. You should look into maybe working in some of those areas’.”

Why Antarctica?

One of those interests was Antarctica. Lee had already visited the continent twice as a tourist and had fallen in love with it. Curious to know whether she could actually work there, she began researching opportunities.

“I didn’t know whether you could work there, so I looked into it and, to my amazement, found that you can,” she said.

Getting there was not easy. Lee applied for a position and went through a lengthy selection process. “After a lengthy application process that included an extensive background check and a physical qualification, I got a job as a supply technician at Amentum.”

The position paid considerably less than what she had earned in the technology industry, but Lee found the work rewarding. Her responsibilities were a sharp departure from the desk job she had known for most of her career.

“I’d forklift cargo into the warehouse and check we had the right quantity of every order against the database. There was a lot of physical outdoor work, such as lifting boxes, in my role. This was new to me as someone who had always worked a desk job,” she recalled.

For Lee, the change was about more than just the nature of the work. She also enjoyed the sense of community that came with living and working in such a remote environment.

“This was refreshing because it meant nobody was on their phones. Everybody sits and talks with each other at meal times.”