How To Come Back After A Layoff

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Last week, Microsoft laid off 6,000 employees—3 percent of its workforce—bringing the number of tech employees that have already been laid off in 2025 to nearly 60,000, according to layoffs.fyi. In a future edition we’ll consider the role AI is playing in this, and how software engineers should safeguard against ever-smarter LLMs. But for now, I want to share my top recommendation if you’ve been laid off.

I just spoke to a mid-level engineer who was laid off from a Big Tech company in London. They were understandably distraught and feeling demoralized.

The most effective advice I have is quite simple: You need to identify your advantages and exploit them.

Once you do some reflection, you’ll be able to identify a long list of people, resources, or opportunities that you have unique access to. The questions to ask yourself:

• Where do you have a strong network of people who could refer you? (This is likely your former colleagues or school alumni.)
• Where do you have proven expertise in a skill that could be valuable for employers? (For example, being very effective with SEO or prompting.)
• What are the domains that you’ve been passionate about before they became cool? (Saying that you’re passionate about AI doesn’t count since everyone seems to be passionate about AI these days.)

The “spray-and-pray” approach for job applications is not only depressing but also ineffective. Please don’t waste your time applying to random jobs on LinkedIn or Indeed. Instead, follow the template established by people with the most enviable careers: find positions where you have an “in.”

Too many engineers identify a buzzy company and use the standard approaches in trying to land a job. In an age where the market is flooded with job seekers, there is too much competition for this to be effective. Instead, work forward from unique advantages and promising situations.

—Rahul

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