Guides for surviving a layoff
Honest, practical advice for workers who just got laid off. Built by someone who's been through it.
About 13,000 people got laid off in the same round I did. Most of us didn't have a playbook. The advice that's out there is either too generic to be useful or written by people who haven't actually been through a layoff themselves.
So I wrote these. Free, no signup, no email required. If you find them useful, the best thing you can do is share them with someone who needs them.
Colin, Founder, TruJob
From Layoff to Offer
The comprehensive guide for workers with 5+ years of experience. Severance review, family finances, ageism in 2026, network reactivation, interview prep, and negotiation. Built for the people nobody tells you become harder to hire as you climb.
Read the guide Early Career EditionFrom Layoff to Offer
For workers 22-30 in tech. Engineering, design, PM, data, security, DevOps. RSU and equity decisions, the modern tech interview loop across disciplines, recruiter red flags, and negotiation for your level. Different challenges, different playbook.
Read the guide ReferenceReference Card
A sourced quick-lookup for the specific legal, financial, and immigration figures from our guides. OWBPA windows, COBRA timelines, H-1B fees, severance benchmarks. Each entry dated and linked to its authoritative source. Updated quarterly.
Open the reference cardCommon questions
Why are these free?
Because TruJob is a company built around respecting workers. Putting a guide for laid-off people behind an email gate or paywall isn't consistent with that. If you want to support what we're doing, join the waitlist or share these guides with someone who needs them.
How current is the advice?
Both guides are dated May 2026 and reflect current conditions. We update them as 2026 conditions change. The version date appears at the bottom of each guide.
I'm on a work visa. Is there visa-specific guidance?
Yes. The mid-career guide includes a full appendix on visa considerations after layoff (H-1B, OPT, STEM OPT, grace periods, premium processing, and finding immigration attorneys). The early-career edition points to the same resource. If you're on a visa, that section is the most important thing in either guide for you.
What about non-tech workers?
The mid-career guide is broadly applicable across industries. The early-career edition is currently tech-focused (engineering, design, PM, data, security, DevOps). A universal early-career edition for non-tech workers is on our roadmap for later in 2026.
Can I share these?
Yes, please do. Share the URLs. Forward them. Post them in your group chat. The more people in your industry who have access, the more useful they become.
What is TruJob?
TruJob is a Chrome extension that uses AI to scan recruiter emails and LinkedIn messages and catch job scams before you reply. We're launching December 26, 2026. Learn more or join the waitlist.