A former TikTok employee has become a sensation on the platform after documenting her exit from the company.
Simona Ruzer, who used to work in the talent acquisition department, was informed by the company a month or so ago that her contract was being terminated after two and a half years. She says she used an offered “padding period” to attempt to find a permanent position, but that didn’t work out.
So, facing the end, she turned her phone’s camera on herself and jokingly invited viewers to “come with me to steal company assets from TikTok because I was laid off.”
Mind you, it’s unlikely TikTok’s security division plans to hunt her down. Those assets ended up being the lanyard that held her company ID, Skittles, and Cheez-Its (which she says she ended up giving to a person on the subway).
The video, which went live on Saturday, quickly went viral and now has over 2.5 million views. It gives viewers an inside look at what the company’s headquarters are like. They’re just about how you would imagine—with neon signs, multicolored hallways, giant mirrors, and a break room filled with carb-intense snacks.
Comments on the video took note of the surroundings, with one user noting, “Maybe they should downsize the office instead of the workforce.” Another wrote: “Every damn time I see those types of offices I just expect the layoffs.”
Ruzer seems to be taking the job loss in good humor, though. And she’s ready to move on from working at a social media site, she says. Her LinkedIn page notes she’s hoping to find a position in social media marketing and creative strategy in the fashion and beauty industry.
Learn how to navigate and strengthen trust in your business with The Trust Factor, a weekly newsletter examining what leaders need to succeed. Sign up here.
