what to do when you're laid off
Cameron Murray
January 30, 2026
open role: product marketing manager
2nd marketing hire for a series a
$30M in funding, $15M in revenue
partner with dg/growth
report to cro
interested? apply here
active candidate: dg/growth marketer
scaled with their current org from $10M to $100M+
joined at series b, now a series d
7 years experience, the last 4 in leadership
wanting to go back to a series a/b next
want to chat with them? email me
my 2 cents: how to handle layoffs
layoffs suck. no one likes them and it can be easy to allow them to get to your head. the doubt creeps in, the questions around worth and value are loud, and your financial stability is at risk.
however, at the end of the day, this advice isn't geared toward your emotional or mental state. it's geared toward your practical reality and your immediate career. when you get let go, you have to remember you're one of thousands of people with similar experience, in the same city, all looking for the best opportunities on the market. everything you do or say either helps you or hurts you.
how you post, how you network, how you interview; all of it matters. and if you're not careful, tending to your emotional needs in a public format will be the very thing that keeps you unemployed.
so here are a few practical tips to consider when you’re navigating your work-life after a layoff.
linkedin: the goal of linkedin is professional networking, not a pity party.
linkedin is a game and the algo doesn't care about your rant about corporate greed or how you were laid off by an email. that all sucks, but that's not your managers call. If you want to make your post matter, start by highlighting
what you did – day to day but keep it short
why it matters – KPIs that prove you’re good
what you’re looking for – title/city/industry/no comp
there will be a time and a place to navigate what you’re feeling, but this is not it. watch your tone and keep it positive. this is not about protecting your former employer, this is about protecting you.
in interviews:
this can be a challenge because when you’re asked, “why’d you leave your last role?” it can feel like they want an explanation and backstory. they don’t. keep it simple.
Q: so what happened in your last role
A: thanks for asking. I spent the past 2 years focusing on XYZ for the HoobySkooby company where I did Bartledoo with 420% growth and 69% ROI. unfortunately HoobySkooby’s had a reorg and my entire team was cut as they take the org in another direction. I'm excited to be on the market and focus on my next role!
this is not your chance to dunk on your former boss or talk about over hiring and corporate greed. This is your chance to highlight that you’re great.
if all a hiring managers remembers is that it wAsN’t yOuR fAuLt aMaZoN oVeRhiReD, you’ve lost.
to others:
there is a time and a place for all things. know who you can vent to. find a therapist if you need to. but at the end of the day it’s a job and a corporation and it’s not as personal as it feels (and man, it can sure feel personal). give yourself time to feel it and then when that time is up, get up and move on.
were you the only one? not a chance
did you get screwed over? maybe
is it personal? probably not
does it suck? 100%
but, yet again, that’s not really the point.
get up, dust yourself off, and move on by allowing yourself to be focused on your next move, not about what just happened.
trying something new this week and uploading a video where i talk through my newsletter thought in a bit more detail with some “color commentary”
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