Just got laid off: what to do

If you just got laid off, the first thing to understand is this: a layoff is a business decision, not a performance review. It happens to excellent people at excellent companies constantly. That distinction matters more than most people realise in the hours after it happens.

What you do in the next 30 days will shape how quickly and how well you land your next role. Here is what actually moves the needle, and what doesn't.

The first 48 hours: admin before applications

The instinct after a layoff is to immediately start sending applications. Resist it. The first 48 hours should be administrative, not reactive. Panic-applying from a place of fear rarely leads to good outcomes.

• Review your severance agreement before signing, you typically have 21 days, and every clause matters
• Understand your healthcare options immediately, coverage gaps are expensive and easy to avoid with a little urgency
• File for unemployment benefits as soon as you're eligible, waiting periods start from your filing date, not your last day
• Download contacts, work samples, and portfolio pieces while your company email still works
• Get LinkedIn recommendations from former colleagues while the relationships are still warm

What not to do in the first week

Some of the most common post-layoff moves are also the most damaging to a job search. Knowing what to avoid is as important as knowing what to do.

• Don't mass apply to every open role you can find, most of these applications never reach a human, and the volume creates a frantic energy that follows you into interviews
• Don't post a vague 'open to work' announcement without framing it well, how you position the story matters to every recruiter who reads it
• Don't take the first offer that comes in out of fear, panic decisions almost never lead to the right role
• Don't underestimate the emotional impact, a layoff affects decision-making more than people expect, and that's normal

Weeks one to four: a structured plan beats a frantic one

The candidates who land fastest after a layoff are almost always the ones who treat the job search like a project, not a panic. Here is a simple structure that works.

The first week is for logistics and positioning. Get your finances stabilised, update your resume with recent impact, and define your target clearly. "Senior product designer at a Series B fintech company in New York" is actionable. "Open to anything" is not.

The second week is for visibility. Update your profiles, join talent pools, and let your network know you are available, not desperately, but clearly. The goal is to make yourself findable before you start actively pursuing.

From week three onwards, apply selectively to roles that genuinely match, and follow up on inbound interest from the visibility you have already built.

The difference between applying and being found

Most job seekers default entirely to applying, scrolling job boards, writing cover letters, submitting into ATS systems that filter most applications before a human ever sees them. This feels productive. Often it is not.

The candidates who land the fastest tend to be the ones who make themselves findable. Recruiters with live roles search talent pools every day. If your profile is there and it's detailed, your role, skills, salary expectations, and availability, you can be discovered without sending a single application.

Boba is a talent pool built for exactly this. One detailed profile, and hiring managers actively searching for people like you can reach out directly. No applications, no black holes, no guessing. Create your profile free at Boba and be discoverable from day one of your search.

How long will the job search take?

Honest answer: it depends on your role, seniority, and market conditions. But the pattern is consistent, candidates who invest in making themselves findable through networks and talent pools find their next role significantly faster than those who rely solely on outbound applications.

The job market rewards clarity and visibility. The more specific you are about what you want, and the more discoverable you make yourself, the shorter the search.