this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2026
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138
About to be laid off, what do I do? (lemmy.world)
submitted 10 hours ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) by iamericandre@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
41 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I’m 90% I’m about to be laid off from my job tomorrow and this is my first time being laid off and this was my first dev job. I’ve worked here for over 7 years which is a long time at a dev job I know.

I’m just wondering what I should do in the meeting, what should I ask for? I’m having a range of emotions from fear of losing my house and health insurance (thanks usa) to relief and hope that I’m going to find something better and more fulfilling.

Thanks for reading

Edit: it’s confirmed I am getting laid off. Thanks everyone for the advice and well wishes. It really helped and means a lot.

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[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 101 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (2 children)

In the meeting:

  • Stay calm and maintain professionalism. Don't show fear. Just try not to show any emotion.
  • Take notes about anything that seems relevant to your layoff. PRO payouts, when your final day will be, any severance pay you might be getting, etc.
  • Ask about COBRA benefits. But don't go ahead with incoming those unless it's necessary over the next few months, because they usually suck ass (cost a lot).

And some general advice:

  • Look up how to, and then tee up, an application for state unemployment benefits. As soon as you're laid off officially you can pull the trigger on that.
  • Get personal contact info for anyone at your job who could be a good professional reference.
  • Get copies of any work-related certificates that might be useful in future jobs.
  • Try to find the good tech recruiters in your city or region. There's usually at least one among all the crappy ones. Ask colleagues/friends if you don't know where to stay. Avoid the sweatshops like Accenture unless absolutely necessary.
  • Update your resume on LinkedIn and start looking for new opportunities. But I wouldn't flip your status to 'looking for work' because you'll probably just get flooded with spammers and scammers. But look on the down-low yourself.
  • Determine which subscriptions you can cancel to save some money, because if you get laid off it's belt-tightening time.

Good luck!

[–] alianne@lemmy.world 40 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

All good suggestions, and I cannot emphasize the unemployment benefits application enough. Those applications can take time to get approved and may require some pestering on your part to keep the unemployment office moving, so the sooner you file (preferably same day) the better off you are.

Even if you have money saved and are hoping to not need unemployment before you find a new job, apply anyway. You're entitled to benefits just like everyone else, and with the current craziness of the world right now that extra cushion could come in handy in a few months.

[–] virku@lemmy.world 30 points 9 hours ago

You cannot stress this one enough. You don't know how long you will be unemployed. Your nest egg might deplete and then it's too late to start applying. Do it immediately!

[–] Sergio@piefed.social 24 points 9 hours ago

Stay calm and maintain professionalism. Don’t show fear. Just try not to show any emotion.

...

Get personal contact info for anyone at your job who could be a good professional reference.

These are the two most important pieces of advice I've seen so far, @iamericandre@lemmy.world

Good luck. Make sure you reach out to irl friends to help you deal with the emotional stress.