Layoffs RX Part 2: When You’ve Been Impacted
Everyone in the company has been told that layoffs are coming, and you will get an email within 15 minutes letting you know the status of your role. It is the longest 15 minutes of your life. When the email finally arrives, your heart sinks. You have been impacted. You have been laid off.
In Part 2 of our Layoffs RX series on the Women Who Ship podcast, we are talking about the messy reality of what happens when you lose your job in a tech layoff — especially as a woman in tech. In Part 1, we looked at what to do when you’ve been “marked safe” but your team has been hit.
If this is you right now, I am so sorry. I was impacted by a tech layoff earlier this year, and it was one of the most difficult challenges of my career. Unfortunately, it is a story that is all too common. Forbes reports that 120,000 tech employees have been laid off so far in 2026, representing a 66 percent increase from 2025.
Driven largely by the acceleration of AI, these tech layoffs are not hitting everyone equally. In past rounds, women have been up to 65 percent more likely than men to lose their jobs in tech. This wave of cuts is exacerbating a severe attrition problem where half of all women leave the tech industry by age 35.
If you are wondering what to do after a layoff, or how to even start thinking about your next job in tech, you are not alone.
The emotional reality of being laid off
As an impacted employee, you are likely navigating complex, contradictory emotions. You might feel deep sadness over losing a job you loved. You might feel relief that those high‑stress projects are no longer your problem. And you might feel fear about navigating a rapidly shifting, AI‑driven job market.
We spend a third of our waking hours at work. When that is pulled away silently and suddenly, it is incredibly destabilizing. For many women in tech, a layoff also amplifies long‑standing patterns of second‑guessing and self‑doubt. If that is showing up for you, you might also find my piece on rethinking imposter syndrome helpful.
A reset: 4 practical tools for your next chapter after a layoff
While getting laid off is a major source of grief, it can also serve as a powerful moment of reset. Here is how you can navigate the transition and start designing your next chapter in tech:
Process your grief and keep a routine. Do not just fill your days with busy work to avoid feeling sad. Make space for your grief, let your nervous system reset, and maintain a consistent daily routine like a morning workout or family mealtime.
Stay connected. Layoffs carry a stigma that makes us want to withdraw, but you must fight that urge. Rehearse a simple sentence about your layoff so you feel comfortable networking. Research shows a strong network is one of the best ways to find re‑employment faster after a tech layoff.
Learn a new skill. You finally have space in your schedule. Use it to earn a new certification, learn about AI, deepen your technical skills, or explore a completely different creative path.
Imagine your dream job in tech. Before you rush back into the market, sit down and imagine your next role without boundaries. Define your ideal location, company culture, compensation, and the types of problems you want to solve so your next move is intentional, not reactive.
Your homework
Pick one aspect of your ideal career and write down exactly what you are looking for. Take advantage of this reset to make your next move highly intentional instead of jumping into the first role that comes along.
If you want support mapping out your next move after a layoff — from clarifying what you actually want to building a concrete plan to get there — you can book a free 30‑minute discovery call with me.
🎧 Listen to Layoffs RX Part 2: When you’ve been impacted on Apple Podcasts or Spotify for the full conversation, including stories and practical tips you can use to bounce back after the shock of a layoff and start building your next chapter in tech with more clarity and self‑trust.
