After a 30-year career at Hewlett-Packard, 59-year-old May Lee was unexpectedly laid off and struggled to find another tech role. Encouraged to explore alternative paths, she secured a supply technician job at Antarctica’s McMurdo Station.
After spending three decades working at Hewlett-Packard (HP), May Lee thought she knew what the later part of her career would look like. She was going to work for the tech company until she retired, but when she lost her job at age 59, she had to change her mind. Lee didn’t move to another tech company; instead, he got a job in Antarctica, which is thousands of miles away. At McMurdo Station, a major research base on the continent, her new job included moving luggage, supplies, forklifts, and goods in and out of the building.
In an as-told-to story for Business Insider, Lee explained how an unforeseen layoff changed her perspective on life and work and forced her into a whole different line of employment.
In 1987, Lee began working with HP as an intern. She desired to establish a long-term partnership with a single employer, in contrast to those who frequently switch jobs to further their careers. “As a graduate, I wanted to sign on for life with a good company that I knew I could be loyal to and would be as loyal as a company could be. I didn’t want to climb the corporate ladder or jump from company to company. If I hadn’t been downsized last February, I would never have left,” she explained.
Lee claimed she was nonetheless unprepared for the layoff despite indications that things were improving at the firm, such as a temporary reduction in working hours and a recruiting freeze. Because HP had played such a significant role in her professional life, losing the position was very difficult.
“I experienced a mix of grief and disappointment. I had intended to retire from this organization, which I had dedicated my whole career to,” she continued.
Lee contacted people in her professional network and began searching for employment after leaving HP. It was challenging to locate another job despite years of expertise and recommendations. A friend advised Lee to quit concentrating only on obtaining another lucrative technology job after she had been looking for almost a month. She had saved money and paid off her house by then, giving her some leeway to think about alternative possibilities.
Lee was forced to consider her true desires after hearing the idea. She had previously visited Antarctica twice as a tourist, so it immediately sprang to mind.
She started searching the possibility of returning to the continent as an employee rather than a tourist. In the end, her inquiry brought her to Amentum, a contractor for the US Antarctic program. Lee applied for a supply technician role and went through the required application process, background checks and physical examinations. She was selected for the position, even though the pay was much lower than what she had earned during her technology career.
In 2025, Lee went to Antarctica. On the way, he stopped in Auckland and Christchurch. After that, she got on a Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport plane and flew to Europe. She worked in an IT and communications building at McMurdo Station. Checking deliveries, keeping supplies, moving goods, and driving a forklift were some of her tasks. She had worked in technology for most of her career, so this job was a big change.
“This was refreshing because it meant nobody was on their phones. Everybody sits and talks with each other at meal times,” she said.
Lee had a lot to do when she wasn’t working. She did things like art shows, marathons, line dancing and bingo. She also worked as a DJ for free and hosted a weekly music show with songs from the 1980s. The people whose company she was in became an important part of it. Lee said she knew she wanted to stay there just one week after she got there. She also thought again about what life might be like after a long career in business.