28-Year-Old Ex-Amazon Engineer on Her Comeback After Layoff

When Amazon announced layoffs of 14,000 corporate employees last week, Shreya Bhosle felt like she had been through it all before.

She knew exactly what so many people were suddenly going through. Bhosle, 28, is a tech worker in Seattle and was one of the 18,000 employees laid off from Amazon in January 2023.

Bhosle says that two years ago, she had heard rumors of potential layoffs. When she received her layoff notice, she says learning the news via email was "a complete shock" and "devastating."

"It all happened so suddenly, and it took a huge toll on my emotional health," Bhosle says. "My sleep was disrupted. I experienced a lot of self-doubt. I had trouble eating and constant anxiety."

Adding to her stress, Bhosle had been hired as an engineer at Amazon right after graduating from graduate school as an international student from India, and her layoff jeopardized her work visa and ability to stay in the U.S.

Bhosle says the job market today is much more difficult than when she was laid off. Employees are competing for fewer job openings, AI is posing a threat to jobs, and long-term unemployment is rising.

Despite this, she says she learned four major lessons from her layoff that could help those going through it today.

Amazon Employee Laid Off: 4 Ways She Bounced Back
First, Bhosle says she wishes she hadn't internalized the shame of losing her job. She says she's observed that people are now more open about discussing job losses, whereas just a few years ago there was a lot of shame associated with it.

It took her time to understand that the layoff wasn't a reflection of her abilities, but rather a business decision. Now, "people are much more empathetic towards each other. People are reaching out and helping in every way they can," she says.

Secondly, Bhosle advises resisting the urge to isolate yourself, and instead stay connected with other people, whether they are friends or potential networking connections. "Talk to people," Bhosle says. "Even if you don't feel like it today, just pick up your phone and call your friend and say, 'Hey. This is what's happening. I'm feeling really down.' Just talk. Don't sit alone and overthink the situation. I didn't find that helpful."

Look for online or social media communities that help laid-off workers find job leads, get referrals, assistance with resumes or job interviews, and more.

Next, as much as you can financially, Bhosle advises taking time to process the shock of losing your job so you don't burn out while searching for your next job.

Bhosle says she learned this lesson the hard way.

"Take some time to heal. Just don't force yourself to find another job," Bhosle says, adding that because of her visa situation, she pressured herself to find another job within six weeks of being laid off, which led to burnout that affected her next job. Bhosle says, "When I started my new role, I was still constantly worried, thinking, 'What if I make a mistake? Will they fire me again?'" Bhosle says this anxiety stayed with her for about a year until she processed the experience of losing her job and felt confident that she would be able to find a way out if it happened again.

Finally, Bhosle advises people to start upskilling in their free time, perhaps through LinkedIn courses, especially to incorporate AI into their work. "There's so much new technology, and companies want to work with people who are knowledgeable about it."