After a tech layoff
Job search after a tech layoff: a free, practical restart plan
A job search after tech layoffs is easier to keep up with a weekly routine. Hirabo is a free tool with no account. It finds and ranks jobs against your resume, tailors the resume per job, drafts outreach and cover letters, and fills applications. There is no subscription to add to your costs.
Day one
Set it up once, in an afternoon
A layoff knocks out your routine and your budget at the same time. Start by getting the repeat work out of the way.
Open the app
Open Hirabo in your browser. There is nothing to install and no account to create.
Load your resume
Upload a PDF or Word file, then add the answers every form asks for: work authorization, sponsorship, salary expectation and start date.
Write down your targets
Add the companies you would most like to join, and set your location or the countries you can work remotely from.
Every week
For each job worth applying to
Each search ranks jobs by how well they fit, with the reasons shown. Pick the few that are right, then work through them one at a time.
Tailor
Get a version of your resume for the job, with every change shown next to your original wording. Nothing is invented.
Write
A cover letter for that one job that only mentions what your resume actually says.
Reach out
Find the recruiter and the hiring manager from public pages, with an email drafted for each. You send it, or not.
Apply
The form is filled and you get a screenshot. Answer anything left for you, then press Submit.
Stay organised
Your tracker builds itself
Every job is kept as one record in your own browser: the posting, its match, your tailored resume and letter, the contacts, your email drafts and the application. Run a new search and your work on jobs it finds again is still there.
- No spreadsheet to keep up to date
- Every draft and application in one place
- Your data stays saved in your browser
Routine
Pacing a job search after tech layoffs
Hirabo never mass-applies and never submits on its own. That is a choice, and it shapes a calmer routine. Practical advice, not a promise about results:
- Search every few days with “posted within” set to 3 or 7 days, so you only review what is new.
- Spend your energy on fewer, tailored applications, each paired with a note to the hiring manager.
- Tell your network you are looking, and pair applications with referrals where you can (Harvard, MIT).
- Apply even if you don't meet every listed requirement (Harvard Business Review).
- Keep your profile answers current, since they are reused on every form.
It stops where a person is needed: at CAPTCHAs, logins and bot checks. It won't apply on LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor or ZipRecruiter, because their terms forbid automated applications. Read why mass auto-apply is risky for the reasoning.
Good advice
Sourced guidance when you need it
Ask Hirabo's assistant a job search question and it answers from a small set of trusted guides, citing each source.
- Outreach: build a cold email around one small ask, such as a 20 to 30 minute conversation, and send thank-you notes within 24 hours of an interview (MIT).
- Resumes: tailor each one, quantify results, keep formatting simple, and mirror the posting's language only for skills you have.
- Cover letters: keep a clear structure and make each one specific to the employer.
- Negotiation: weigh the whole offer, not salary alone (Harvard Business Review).
- Safety: learn to spot job scams. An honest employer never asks you to pay to get a job (U.S. Federal Trade Commission).
It does not cover severance, unemployment benefits or visa rules. Check official sources and your former employer's paperwork for those.
Your budget
What it costs while you are between jobs
Nothing. There is no subscription to add to your costs.
No paid tier
Every feature is free, for everyone.
No trial
Nothing runs out after a week.
No credit card
There is nowhere to enter one.
You press Submit
Nothing goes out under your name until you say so.
Keep reading
Guides for where you are headed
- AI job search for software engineersStack keyword tips and company boards.
- AI remote job searchOnly the remote roles you can take from where you live.
- AI job search for product managersProduct vocabulary and a note to the Head of Product.
- The free AI job search agentEverything it does, with no subscription to add to your costs.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How should I restart my job search after a layoff?
One workable approach: update your resume, list target companies and set up a search you rerun every few days. Then work through the best matches one at a time, each with a tailored resume and a note to the hiring manager. Track each application as you go.
Is it really free?
Yes. Hirabo has no paid tier, no trial and no account, and you never enter a credit card.
Can it apply to hundreds of jobs for me?
No. It fills one application at a time and leaves the Submit button to you. It stops at CAPTCHAs, logins and bot checks, and it won't apply on LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor or ZipRecruiter.
Can it help me negotiate an offer?
You can ask its assistant for negotiation guidance drawn from Harvard Business Review: be persistent without being a nuisance, and weigh the whole offer rather than salary alone. Each answer cites its source.
Does it help with severance or unemployment benefits?
No. Its guidance covers resumes, cover letters, application strategy, outreach, negotiation and job scams. For severance, benefits or visa questions, check official sources.
Your next job search starts here
Upload your resume and see your best-matched jobs in minutes. Hirabo is free, with no credit card.