You do not have to post anything on LinkedIn after a layoff. But if you decide to, a good post is one of the highest-leverage hours you will spend in your search. It puts your situation in front of hundreds of people who already know your work and may quietly route an opportunity to you within days. Here is how to write one that lands, plus three templates you can adapt.
Should you post at all?
Post if any of these are true: you have a strong professional network on LinkedIn, you are open about looking, you can write the post without anger or pleading, and you can stay offline for a few hours after publishing while it gathers comments.
Wait if you are still in shock, mid-negotiation on severance, bound by a non-disparagement clause you have not read carefully, or planning to take a real break before searching. There is no expiration date on this. A post a month from now works as well as a post tomorrow.
What a good post does
- Names the situation in one calm sentence. No drama, no company-bashing.
- Says what you do well, in specific terms. Not 'product leader', but 'product leader who shipped two zero-to-one B2B SaaS products and grew the second from $0 to $4M ARR in 18 months'.
- Says what you are looking for, with enough specificity that someone could match you to a role. Function, industries, location or remote, level.
- Makes it easy to help. A clear ask (intros, leads, referrals), an email address, and a green Open to Work frame on your photo if you are open about searching.
- Ends with thanks, not desperation.
Avoid the lines recruiters and your network have read a thousand times: humbled, blessed, grateful for the journey, excited for the next chapter. Be a person, not a press release.
Template 1: The clean and direct version
News: I was laid off from [Company] last week as part of a broader reduction.
For the last [X years] I have led [function] at [Company] and [previous company]. My focus has been [one specific area, e.g. growth experimentation, design systems, supply chain optimization]. The work I am proudest of: [one concrete result, with a number].
I am looking for a [role] at a [stage and type of company], ideally [remote / in city] and focused on [domain]. If you know of something or someone, I would love an intro. You can reach me at [email].
Thank you to everyone who has already reached out.
Template 2: The story version
A short update, and a small ask.
Last Tuesday I was part of a layoff at [Company]. I am sad to leave the team and proud of what we built: [one sentence on a specific shipped outcome].
I am taking a couple of weeks to rest, then opening up a search for [role] roles. The problems I most want to work on: [two short bullets].
If any of that sounds like something you are building or know someone who is, I would welcome the introduction. [Email].
Template 3: The pivot version
I was laid off from [Company] last month, and I am using the moment to pivot.
For the last [X years] I have done [previous function], most recently focused on [specific area]. The skills I want to bring forward: [two bullets]. The new direction I am exploring: [function or industry], because [one sentence of honest reasoning].
Open to conversations with anyone in [target field], hiring or not. Coffee, a 15-minute call, anything that helps me learn faster is welcome. [Email].
Small things that meaningfully raise the response rate
- Post on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday morning in your timezone. Engagement is noticeably higher than weekends or Mondays.
- Add the Open to Work green frame to your profile photo. It is the single biggest visibility lever LinkedIn gives you.
- Update your headline to what you do, not what you did. 'Senior Product Designer, fintech and consumer' lands better than 'Senior Product Designer at [Defunct Company]'.
- Reply to every comment in the first 24 hours. The algorithm rewards conversation, not just likes.
- Pin the post to your profile for the first two weeks.
What to do after you post
The first 48 hours
Expect a wave of well-wishes, a handful of real leads, and a few cold pitches from coaches and resume services. Reply warmly, log every concrete lead somewhere you will actually check (a tracker, not your inbox), and ignore the pitches.
The first two weeks
Send a short follow-up message to each person who offered a specific introduction or lead. Make it easy to help by including a one-paragraph blurb they can forward, plus your resume and the kind of roles you are targeting. The follow-up is where most of the actual value of the post gets unlocked.
Inside Offboard, every contact who reaches out, every lead, and every intro thread becomes part of your career memory, attached to the role and the company. You stop losing the intro that came in on day three because it was buried by day fourteen. The LinkedIn post is the spark. The follow-through is what turns it into a job.