A Letter to the Woman Who Just Got Laid Off

What to Do in the First 30 Days After a Layoff

Dear you,

I know you probably did not plan to be reading something like this today. Maybe the email came this morning. Maybe it was a 15-minute call with someone from HR you had never spoken to before. Maybe you are still sitting with your laptop open, staring at a screen that no longer logs you in.

I want you to know I have been exactly where you are.

After nine years at the same company, I got laid off. Within 30 days, my husband lost his job too. We were on an L-1 visa with two kids under two, and we had 60 days to sell our house and leave the country.

The first question in my head was, “What did I do wrong?”

So before anything else, let me answer that for you the way I wish someone had answered it for me. You did nothing wrong. A layoff is a business decision about a budget or a team. It is not a review of who you are.

What follows is what I wish I had known in my first 30 days. Take what helps and leave the rest.

Day 1: Do Less Than You Think You Should

What should you do on the first day after a layoff?

Your instinct today will be to fix everything at once. Update your resume, apply to twenty jobs, post on LinkedIn, call everyone you know.

Please slow down.

Today, there are only a few things that matter:

Get the details in writing.

Your last day, severance, health coverage, and what happens to any unvested stock or bonus. If something is unclear, ask HR to confirm it by email.

If you are on a visa, call an immigration attorney today.

Certain U.S. work statuses, including H-1B and L-1, may allow a discretionary grace period of up to 60 consecutive days or until the authorized validity period ends, whichever is shorter. That clock matters, and you deserve clear advice on your exact situation from someone qualified to give it.

Tell the people closest to you.

You do not have to carry this alone tonight.

Do not post about it yet.

You can share your news later, when you are ready to tell it your way.

Then rest, if you can. You will need your energy for what comes next.

Week 1: Take Care of the Practical Things

What should you do in the first week after being laid off?

This week is about getting your footing.

Look at your finances and figure out your real runway. How many months can you cover with severance and savings? Knowing that number will calm a lot of the panic, and it will stop you from making decisions out of fear later.

If you are eligible for unemployment benefits, apply now. Do not let pride keep you from support you may be entitled to.

And while your memory is fresh, write down your wins. Every project you led, every decision you made, every number you moved. Once you lose access to old emails and documents, these details fade faster than you expect. This list will become the foundation of your resume, your LinkedIn, and every interview story you tell.

Week 2: Rebuild Your Story

How do you explain a layoff in a job interview?

This is where I made my biggest mistakes. I walked into interviews apologizing for being laid off instead of leading with what I had built. I softened every story and showed up as a fraction of the leader I actually was.

So this week, work on two things.

First, write one calm sentence that explains your layoff. Something like, “My role was eliminated as part of a company-wide restructuring, and I’m now looking for a role where I can bring my experience in X to a team focused on Y.” Say it out loud until it no longer makes your voice drop. Then stop explaining. One sentence is enough.

Second, update your LinkedIn and resume to reflect the level you were operating at. Lead with scope, decisions, and outcomes. Your layoff does not change the leader you were the day before it happened.

Week 3: Go After Roles at Your Level

Should you apply for lower-level jobs after a layoff?

This is the week the fear will try to talk you into settling.

I know because I did it. I started applying for roles I was overqualified for because I did not trust myself anymore. It felt safer. It was the opposite. Every one of those applications told the market I saw myself as less than I was.

Apply for roles at the level you have earned. And try to keep several conversations going at once, so no single company decides how you feel about yourself.

Week 4: Walk Into Interviews as Yourself

As conversations begin, before each one, practice three to five stories about decisions you made and results you drove.

Practice them out loud, because when you hear yourself say them, you will quickly know which parts sound like you and which parts still sound like an apology.

And when the layoff comes up, give your one sentence, then move straight to what you are great at. The interviewer cares far more about what you can do for them than about what your last company decided.

What I Hope You Stop Doing

Please stop checking layoff news ten times a day. It will only make the market feel scarier than it is for you.

Stop telling yourself you should have seen it coming. Almost nobody does.

Stop shrinking your language to seem easier to hire.

And please stop believing the voice that says you have to take whatever comes. That voice is fear, and fear makes terrible career decisions.

One Last Thing

It took me months to understand this, so I want you to hear it now. It was never the company that made you good at what you do. You brought that with you every day, and you are taking it with you to whatever comes next.

I eventually landed a $200K+ leadership role. I got there by finally letting people see the leader I already was, without trying to become someone new.

You will get through this. And the role waiting for you on the other side will be worth every hard day between now and then.

With you,

Richa