This is what I’ve been doing, and I hope it helps anyone in a similar situation.

1) Only two days after being laid off I filed for unemployment. Yup, two days… And it was super easy, probably the easiest form I've filled for the government. If any of you are hesitating or putting it off, just file. It is important to make sure you can sustain yourself while you are on the job hunt.

2) Negotiated my severance. Severance is just another business deal, so try to get your manager to champion to HR for more. I was told everyone gets the same for “fairness” (a common rejection tactic), but I was able to make my case. Because I had signed a 14-month lease on my apartment to be near Tempo’s office, I was able to get an extra month of severance (from 2 to 3). 

After my first month, my COBRA kicked in and I had to pay a $650+ monthly bill to keep my health insurance. In the bay area, that amount can easily go over $1000/month (update from 2023: this $900 is the norm now). Yup… COBRA is not your friend. If you’re in a similar boat, try to negotiate for your company to fully pay for your health insurance for a few months.

3) I announced my lay off and got a lot of responses that way. Naturally, I started interviewing to keep my leads warm. I’ve had rejections already, but other doors have opened for me. I’ve had inbound leads more than ever (update 2023: ultimately, I got offers at companies I cold reached at).

Looking back, it has been kind of nice just to step back from full-time and plan new opportunities for myself. I also reconnected with friends, and even had one visit me from NY. Plus… it’s hard to be sad when you have the cutest toy poodle puppy.

Overall, I gained a lot of clarity for myself. It’s hard not to lose yourself in the corporate world sometimes, so maybe this was a blessing in disguise. On my next role, I will make sure I stay tuned to keep working on my own personal development goals.