Finding a job after a layoff: a plan you can follow

Losing a job does not mean losing your skills. But a full head makes for a messy plan. This guide gives a sensible order of work, from the paperwork to how to use your network, without big promises.

First week: secure the administrative things

1. Make sure your entitlements are clear. Read the guide on being laid off: do not sign on the spot, keep evidence, calculate severance and replacement of rights.
2. Ask the company for the receipt of the layoff report. This document is used for a JKP claim (PP 6/2025 Art. 20(3)).
3. Claim JKP if you qualify. The benefits are cash of 60% of wages a month for up to 6 months (with a wage cap of Rp5,000,000), access to labour-market information, and job training. The claim must be filed within 6 months of the layoff, and the entitlement is lost if you have found work (PP 37/2021 Art. 18; PP 6/2025 Arts. 21 and 40). Check your membership in the BPJS guide.
4. Work out your own runway: savings, the severance you are sure to receive, JKP, and monthly spending. With clear numbers you can decide how choosy you can afford to be.

Tidy up your application materials

• CV: write impact, not a task list. “Cut build time” beats “responsible for the CI pipeline”. Use numbers only if you truly have them and are allowed to disclose them.
• Portfolio or repositories: pick a few projects that best represent the role you are after, with a short note on the problem and your part. Do not showcase code, data or designs owned by a former employer that are under confidentiality.
• Online profile: update it, and say what role you are looking for.
• Your story about the layoff: short, neutral and true. For example “the company did an efficiency round and my position was part of it”. No need to explain at length, and no need to badmouth anyone.

Set your targets

Write down three things: the role you want, the nearest roles that still make sense (for example backend to platform, QA to developer experience, PM to product ops), and the kind of company that fits. This list steers your search keywords and who you contact.

Apply through more than one door

• Official job listings and job boards. Kemnaker’s Karirhub shows verified listings and states that posting vacancies there is free. Be wary of listings that ask applicants to pay.
• Directly to the company. Many teams open roles on their own careers pages.
• Referrals. Applications that come in through someone inside are often read faster. How to ask:
  • contact people who have worked with you, not strangers;
  • name a specific role and link the posting;
  • send your CV and two sentences on why you fit, so they only have to forward it;
  • accept it if the answer is “not right now”, and offer to help in return.

Use the community

REKATI is a place to meet other people in the same industry. Come to an event, introduce yourself with the role you are looking for, and listen to what others need. Kawan who attend can share experience of hiring processes at particular companies, interview tips, or openings they know of. The WhatsApp group link is shared in person after you attend an event. Start from the Join page.

Two things to be clear about: REKATI is not a recruitment agency, and a referral from a fellow Kawan is personal, with no guarantee of any kind. You may use a pseudonym at REKATI.

While you search

• Fill the skill gap that shows up most in your target listings. Pick one thing and work on it until you have something to show. If it is more fun together, see study groups or start your own. JKP also provides job training (PP 37/2021 Art. 18(c)).
• Temporary or freelance work can cover costs, but first ask about your status and the effect on JKP: the entitlement is lost once you have found work (PP 6/2025 Art. 40(b)).
• Keep a routine. A simple schedule (search hours, study hours, rest hours) keeps your head steady. Tell one or two people you trust how you are doing.

When to get help

• Severance or your entitlements are unpaid or look wrong: read laid off and find an adviser (LBH or a lawyer). REKATI is not affiliated with them and does not take cases.
• A JKP claim is stuck: ask BPJS Ketenagakerjaan or the district or city manpower office.
• You feel overwhelmed emotionally: talk to someone you trust or a professional.