Hey friend,

The thought of posting about your layoff on LinkedIn makes your stomach churn, doesn't it? That mix of vulnerability and self-promotion feels... awkward. Should you even say anything? Won't it make you look desperate?

Here's what I've learned: in 2025, announcing your layoff strategically on LinkedIn isn't desperate—it's smart. The professionals who do it well are landing opportunities faster than those who stay silent.

Let me show you how.

When a 7-year Microsoft senior program manager was laid off in May 2025, she didn't hide. Within hours of that "last-minute meeting" appearing on her calendar—the one with the unfamiliar face that signaled her fate—she crafted a LinkedIn post.

✔️ She acknowledged the layoff directly: "POV: I was laid off today from MSFT"

✔️ She expressed gratitude for her 7-year journey

✔️ She signaled she was taking time to plan strategically

✔️ She ended with solidarity: "I am sending positive thoughts to all MSFTies impacted as well. We got this."

The result? Her post went viral. Netizens flooded her comments with referrals, job leads, and support. One wrote, "Next chapter loading… wishing you all the success you can stand."

But here's a more emotionally complex story: A wife's LinkedIn post about her husband's layoff after 25 years at Microsoft (Zee News, May 2025) sparked thousands of responses. She wrote that he was "randomly selected by a computer algorithm" just before his 48th birthday—despite never missing a day of work, mentoring hundreds, and solving multi-million-dollar problems.

The post resonated because it was authentic. Raw. Real. And it reminded us all: layoffs aren't about performance. They're about spreadsheets.

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The numbers make one thing clear: LinkedIn is where layoff announcements happen now.

Recruiter Behavior:

The Brutal Truth About 2025: Even LinkedIn itself isn't immune. In June 2025, LinkedIn laid off 281 employees—71 software engineers in Mountain View alone, plus managers, strategists, and designers (The HR Digest, June 2025). The irony? Those laid-off LinkedIn employees turned to the very platform they built to announce their job losses and find new opportunities.

Microsoft—LinkedIn's parent company—has been investing $80 billion in AI infrastructure while cutting human staff. Their internal AI now writes 30% of code in some projects (Industry Leaders Magazine, June 2025).

The takeaway: No role is safe. But your LinkedIn strategy can be your safety net.

Based on guidance from Bryan Creely, a former Amazon, Ford, and FedEx recruiter with 20+ years of experience (A Life After Layoff, April 2025), and Giovanni Laganà, author of The LinkedIn Engineer (July 2025):

1. Build Your Network FIRST Don't post to 25 connections. Connect with former colleagues—even those still at your company. The broader your network, the wider your post reaches.

2. Be Positive, Not Toxically Positive Acknowledge the situation honestly, but don't spiral into negativity. Skip the venting about your former employer—it signals you might be difficult to work with.

3. Share Personal Context (Without Overdoing Drama) A brief sentence about your situation creates connection. People engage more when they feel they know you. But keep it concise—this isn't a therapy session.

4. Add a Photo A picture catches attention in the feed. Maybe your last day at the office, closing your laptop, or a professional headshot. It humanizes your post.

5. Tell People What You're Looking For Be specific: "I'm looking for Senior Product Manager roles in fintech" beats "I'm open to opportunities." Help people help you.

6. Share What You're Great At (With Numbers) Quantify your achievements: "Grew revenue 40%," "Led a team of 12," "Shipped 3 products in 18 months." Make it easy for hiring managers to see your value.

7. Optimize Your Profile BEFORE Posting Update your headline to signal availability: "Senior Software Engineer | Python, AWS | Seeking New Opportunities." Turn on "Open to Work" for recruiters.

🚨 CRITICAL: Never say you're desperate. Never say you'll take "any job." It signals uncertainty and suggests you'll leave when something better comes along.

30 minutes this week: Draft your layoff announcement post (even if you don't post it yet).

Save it. Sleep on it. Edit it. Having this ready means you're prepared if it happens—and confident if it already has.

Here's what I want you to remember: when you post about your layoff, you're not begging. You're marketing. You're taking control of the narrative instead of letting silence fill in the blanks.

The Microsoft employees who went viral in 2025? They didn't go viral because they were pitiful. They went viral because they were relatable. Authentic. Human.

Your network wants to help you. But they can't help if they don't know. That post you're dreading? It might be the thing that lands you something better than what you lost.

Your turn to write your next chapter.

— Win
Fellow layoff survivor, creator of Let Go Weekly

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