The ‘60-day job hunt’: Why laid off employees feel they must find work fast Google AI disruption
When Jason Zhang landed a job at Google three years ago, he thought he had crossed a finish line that many young engineers spend years chasing. The offer meant stability, prestige and the quiet satisfaction of telling his immigrant parents that he had actually “made it.”
But this was short-lived… Within a couple of years, he received an email which changed everything.
In a video posted online after being laid off, Zhang admitted the emotions were far from the motivational clichs that often surround career setbacks. He is seen in the video, saying, “I’m worried, anxious, scared, shocked.” Zhang also added that he wasn’t even sure how to tell his parents yet.
That video clip immediately struck a chord on social media because it captured something many professionals are quietly experiencing. The feeling that once a job disappears, the clock (slowly but surely) starts ticking.
Welcome to what many recruiters and job-seekers now call the “60-day job hunt.”
THE PRESSURE TO MOVE ON, BUT FAST
The phrase originally comes from the Silicon Valley visa system, where some laid-off Indian workers must find a new job within roughly two months or risk losing their legal status. But increasingly, the idea has become shorthand for something broader, the intense urgency many professionals feel to secure a new role within weeks rather than months.
Across tech forums and LinkedIn posts, the same pattern repeats. Just the day after a layoff, the job hunt begins.
Shobita Nayyar, a Bengaluru-based software engineer, who was laid off from a product company in April 2025, recalls the psychological countdown that began almost immediately.
“The first week you are in shock,” she says. “By week two you realise savings are not endless, and then by week three you start thinking… I need something soon.” Nayyar is still interviewing for better prospects. “Honestly, I don’t want to pick up just about anything that comes my way,” she adds.
Another professional, a data engineer from Noida who lost his role during a restructuring in early 2026, describes how quickly the search became all-consuming.
“I treated job applications like a full-time job,” he says mockingly. “Every morning I would send applications, practice coding, reach out for referrals. If you sit idle, anxiety takes over.”
Stories like these have become increasingly common as layoffs ripple across the tech sector. In another viral account, a developer who lost his job said panic set in immediately because he knew he had to quickly update his skills and apply widely.
BECAUSE IDENTITY IS EQUAL TO WORK
We asked such employees why the urgency. They replied unanimously that part of it comes from something deeper than money. They called it “identity.”
For many employees, especially those who fought hard to land coveted roles at large firms, the job represents years of education, sacrifice and family expectations. That is why Zhang’s video resonated widely.
He said that when he first received his offer, it felt like a milestone, not only for himself but also for his parents. Isn’t that a common sentiment among first-generation professionals?
India Today spoke to career counsellors who said layoffs often trigger a sudden identity vacuum. “People don’t just lose income, they lose the daily structure, the professional label and sometimes even their social confidence,” says Atishi Mehra, an executive search consultant.
According to her, many candidates now reach out to recruiters within days of being laid off. This was not the case ten years ago when people took a break after a layoff. Now they feel they cannot afford to.
YES, THE CLOCK IS REAL
Most of the headhunters we spoke with agreed that the idea of a “60-day job hunt” is not entirely psychological. In fact, given the current labour market, speed can (and often does) matter. Rohit Bhasin, a senior partner at a technology recruitment firm, says hiring cycles have become unpredictable, and that makes the clock ticking appear very real.
“Companies are hiring cautiously, which means roles open and close quickly. Candidates who move fast tend to get more interviews,” he explains. Bhasin says many employees also worry about long gaps on their resumes, even though recruiters claim they are becoming more understanding.
“Candidates often tell us they want to land something within two months. After that, the stress just doubles up,” he adds.
Another headhunter we spoke to at length, Shalini Kapoor from New Delhi, who specialises in senior technology placements, says layoffs have also made professionals more proactive about networking. “The smartest candidates don’t wait until the layoff. They maintain recruiter relationships all the time.”
According to Kapoor, nowadays, most employees behave as if every job could be temporary. “There has been a shift in mindset. Earlier, people thought they would stay five to ten years in a company. Now many think in two-year cycles,” she adds.
So what strategy must one follow if they have been laid off?
The headhunters we spoke to listed out these daily routines.
1. Send many applications.
2. Practise technical interviews
3. Be active on LinkedIn and other career sites for reconnecting with former colleagues
4. Post publicly about availability for work on LinkedIn
5. Track your progress as if it were a project. Keep updating the Excel sheet every week.
One engineer who lost a Rs 32-lakh package job said he maintained a strict routine and sent 12–15 applications every week while focusing only on skills he already knew well. “It’s about momentum. If you stop applying, it becomes harder to start again,” he said.
While the urgency of a job hunt cannot be ruled out, employees must also realise that such a frenzy comes with psychological costs too. The undue pressure to quickly “bounce back” can make the recovery process even harder than it is.
“Social media sometimes create unrealistic expectations. People see posts saying someone got a new job in two weeks and feel they must do the same,” adds Kapoor. In reality, hiring cycles can still take months.
The rise of the “60-day job hunt” reflects a broader shift in how professionals view employment. The idea of a single long-term corporate career is fading, replaced by something more fluid, and sometimes more fragile. For workers like Zhang, the journey after a layoff is uncertain. But his video captured a reality many others recognise. The fact that behind every job loss is not just a career transition, but a deeply human moment of fear, pressure and hope.
And for many professionals today, the moment the job ends, the clock quietly begins.
– Ends
