Skip to content
CareerCanopy

Free · No signup

The conversations nobody hands you a script for.

Scripts.

Twelve short, copy-pasteable scripts for the conversations that come up after a layoff. Each one has the words, the variations, and a short list of things not to say.

All scripts

  1. 01
    What to say to your boss after being laid off

    A short, copy-pasteable script for the final conversation with your manager after a layoff. Honest, professional, and written for a real human moment.

  2. 02
    What to say to your spouse or partner about a layoff

    The conversation with your partner after a layoff, in plain language. A script you can read off a phone, plus what not to lead with.

  3. 03
    What to say to your kids about losing your job

    Age-appropriate scripts for telling your children about a layoff. What to say to a six-year-old, a teenager, and the questions that come a week later.

  4. 04
    What to say to your parents about getting laid off

    A script for telling your parents about a layoff — without inviting advice, panic, or the lecture about staying loyal to the old company.

  5. 05
    How to tell friends you got laid off

    What to say to friends after a layoff, including the group chat message, the close-friend call, and how to handle the well-meaning check-ins.

  6. 06
    How to explain a layoff on LinkedIn

    The open-to-work post, the headline, and the about-section line for explaining a layoff on LinkedIn — without the performance and without the cringe.

  7. 07
    What to write in a layoff announcement email to your network

    A short, copy-pasteable email to send to your network after a layoff. Names the role you are looking for and asks for one specific thing.

  8. 08
    What to say when someone asks 'what do you do' after a layoff

    The two-sentence answer to small-talk after a layoff. Honest, not heavy, and ends in a way that gives the other person somewhere to go.

  9. 09
    What to say in the first recruiter call after a layoff

    A script for the first thirty-minute recruiter call. How to explain the layoff, name a range, and ask the questions that filter out a bad role.

  10. 10
    How to respond to 'why did you leave your last job?' after a layoff

    A short, repeatable answer to the layoff question in an interview. Two sentences, no apology, then steer back to the role you are interviewing for.

  11. 11
    How to ask for a reference after being laid off

    A short email script for asking a former manager to be a reference after a layoff — with the framing, the bullets, and the heads-up text.

  12. 12
    What to say when negotiating severance

    A short counter-offer email and a phone script for negotiating severance after a layoff. Specific asks, calm tone, no apology.