TalentBuild AIBeing laid off is disorienting, and it is also common. It isn't a verdict on your ability. What helps most in the first month is a simple order of operations, so you make the important decisions calmly rather than in a panic.
This is general guidance, not legal or financial advice. Check your own contract and the current rules from official sources such as the Ministry of Manpower before acting.
Days 1–3: understand what you've been given
- Read your termination or retrenchment paperwork carefully: notice period, any retrenchment benefit, leave payout, bonus treatment, and when insurance and other benefits end.
- If anything is unclear, ask questions in writing. You don't have to sign something on the spot if you need time to understand it.
- Note any obligations that continue after you leave — confidentiality, non-compete or non-solicit clauses.
- Save your own contacts and the personal work achievements you're allowed to keep. Never take confidential files or customer data.
Week 1: know your runway
- Add up essential monthly expenses and how long your savings and any payout will cover them.
- Pause non-essential spending, and check which official support schemes you may qualify for from the Ministry of Manpower or Workforce Singapore.
- Ask your manager or colleagues for a reference or LinkedIn recommendation while goodwill is high.
Week 2: rebuild your story
- Update your resume around results, not duties: what changed because you were there.
- Prepare a short, factual, forward-looking answer to "why did you leave?" — for example, that your role was affected by a restructuring and what you're looking for next.
- Tell your network specifically what you're looking for. "Open to opportunities" is easy to ignore; "looking for a senior operations role in logistics" is not.
Weeks 3–4: aim, then apply
- Pick two or three industries to focus on. Our hiring pulse and salary guide show where openings are and what roles pay, using official data.
- Tailor each application to the job. A handful of well-matched applications usually beats dozens of generic ones.
- Practise your interview answers out loud, especially the layoff question and your strongest STAR stories.
Look after the basics
A search is a long project, so keep a routine: fixed hours, breaks, exercise, and people to talk to. Progress in a job search is uneven, and a structure you can sustain matters more than a burst of effort in week one.