When Gaurav Sharma received a sudden meeting invite on the morning of July 22, 2020, he told his wife, “I’m about to be laid off.” Within an hour, his suspicion was confirmed.
What followed was a 33-day emotional rollercoaster that tested his resolve, his relationships, and his faith in himself. Now Associate Director, FP&A at Pyramid Consulting, Sharma shared his layoff journey on LinkedIn—a brutally honest account that has struck a chord with thousands navigating uncertain job markets.
At 10:30 AM, he met with HR and his manager. Amid the shock, he felt a “sigh of relief” when told his health insurance would continue till November. By 11:30, he was recalibrating his life—budgeting for the next six months and calling his bank to restructure his home loan. That afternoon, he went for a walk, reached out to close friends and family, and braced for what was next.
The next day, Sharma polished his CV, reactivated LinkedIn, and sent out messages across WhatsApp groups. But behind the hustle, pain simmered. “I went to the washroom, placed an empty bucket below, turned the tap on, and cried profusely,” he wrote. Then he stepped out, kissed his four-year-old, and told his wife, “Things will work out.”
Over the following days, he networked aggressively. A referral got him an interview with HCL. He was hopeful—until the position was abruptly put on hold. Accenture interviewed him next and told him he was selected, only for HR to later retract the offer due to budget limits. He offered to join at a lower salary. They declined. “Went to the washroom, placed the bucket below, turned the tap on, and cried my lungs out,” he wrote. Again, he emerged wearing strength.
On August 5, a senior suggested he connect with a recruiter from Innova Solutions. The recruiter was kind, and interviews followed. The process was slow and uncertain—but on August 24, the offer letter finally arrived.
“This time, the tears were different,” Sharma said. “I hugged my wife, kissed my kid, and thanked my God.”