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You just got laid off. Here is what to do today.

If you got the email this morning — close the laptop for a minute. The shock is real. You do not have to have this figured out today, this week, or even this month. The first day is not for strategy. It is for getting your footing. Everything below is what actually matters in the next twenty-four hours. Nothing more. The search begins later — and when it does, it begins with a plan, not panic.

What to do right now

In the next hours.

  1. 01

    File for unemployment today, not next week

    Most states have a one-week waiting period that begins the day you file — not the day you were laid off. Every day you wait is a day of income you lose. Filing takes about thirty minutes. Do it before you do anything else.

  2. 02

    Read your separation paperwork once, slowly

    Severance, final pay, unused PTO, COBRA window, non-compete, non-disclosure, and any deadline to sign. Do not sign anything you do not understand. If a lawyer is worth a call, this is the call. Most will give you fifteen minutes for free.

  3. 03

    Map your runway in real numbers

    Take what is in your accounts plus severance. Subtract three to six months of true monthly expenses. That is your real timeline. It is almost always longer than it feels in the first hours, and naming it makes the next decision possible.

  4. 04

    Tell two people who will not panic

    Not the whole network. Not LinkedIn. Two people who can hold this with you without making it worse. Saying it out loud is the start of the work. Performing it for the internet is not.

  5. 05

    Decide what you owe yourself this week

    A walk. A real meal. Sleep that did not come last night. The search will be here on Monday. The week after a layoff is not the week to push through — it is the week to get the floor back under your feet.

A note before the search begins

Before any of that.

A layoff is not a referendum on you. It is a budget meeting that ended in a way that included your name. The grief is real even if the company was fine. The relief is real even if you loved the work. The two feelings can sit in the same room. They usually do. What is happening to you is happening to a lot of people right now. That does not make it less yours. It does mean you are not the first person to walk through this — and you do not have to figure it out alone.

How CareerCanopy helps

What the companion does today.

A plan that fits your actual background
Not a template. Not a course. A plan that starts from what you have already done and what is true about the market right now. You answer a few questions. We build the first sixty days, then the medium and long horizons.
A steady voice on the days the search gets quiet
The middle of a search is the hardest part — when applications go out and nothing comes back. CareerCanopy is the calm thing in the day that says what is actually happening, what to try next, and when to recalibrate.
Financial runway in plain numbers
What you have, what it covers, and where it changes. No projections. No upsells. Real numbers you can act on today.

Scripts for this moment

The exact words, if you want them.

  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.

All scripts →

Questions

Common questions

Should I apply to jobs the same week I am laid off?

Usually no. The first week is for filing for unemployment, reading your paperwork, and getting your runway in front of you. Most people who start applying the same day end up sending the wrong resume to the wrong roles. The search begins better when you are not still in shock.

What is the first thing I should do after a layoff?

File for unemployment. Most states have a waiting period that starts at filing, so every day of delay is a day of lost income. Filing takes about thirty minutes online. Do it before you tell most people, before you update your resume, and before you start applying.

How long does a job search usually take?

For mid-career professionals, three to six months is a common range — sometimes longer in tight markets. The first month is about stabilising and building a real plan. Most progress shows up between months two and four. Knowing this in advance prevents the worst part of the search, which is feeling like nothing is working when everything is on schedule.

Should I take any job to stay employed?

Not in the first weeks. Bridge income later if runway becomes the problem — but a hasty job is often a job you will be searching out of in six months. The first decision after a layoff should not be a panic decision.

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