Just A Cheque And Shown The Door: Ex-Microsoft India Employee Reveals Sudden Layoff Experience

Microsoft Layoffs: He further elaborated that he could not accept that he was fired from his job, and to get closure, he decided to meet his former manager at Microsoft.

Kulshreshtha elaborated that if he looks back, that was a turning point in his life

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Getting laid off can be a deeply unsettling experience as it is hard to be ready for a termination letter that arrives unexpectedly, and the impact is even more profound when it happens within a reputed and prominent global organisation. This was the experience of a Microsoft India employee, Kapil Kulshreshtha, in 2005 during layoffs. In a LinkedIn post, he recounted the incident how the tech giant abruptly laid him off with no prior warning.

“Got fired back on 25th August 2005. At the time, I was a Sr. Program Manager at Microsoft in Hyderabad. No warning, no explanation - just a cheque and shown the door. The mix of emotions I felt: anger, confusion, and that sinking feeling of failure was overwhelming,” Kulshreshtha wrote in his post.

He recalled calling his wife and giving her the sad news. “I called my wife, and she asked me to drive straight home. Instead of lashing out or drowning in self-pity, my wife and I sat down and talked and wrote down our choices,” he wrote.

He further elaborated that he could not accept that he was fired from his job, and to get closure, he decided to meet his former manager at Microsoft. “Acceptance didn't come easy, but it was the first step. Determined to find closure, I decided to meet my former manager in a coffee shop. And it was amazing to have unrestricted conversation and his nudging me to let go and move along,” he said.

“Then began the relentless job hunt. Days blurred into nights of networking, improving resumes, and gathering the courage to call old contacts. This 3 week period was tough, but I eventually found my place at Cognizant,” he added.

Kulshreshtha elaborated that if he looks back, that was a turning point in his life. “Looking back, that firing was a turning point. It forced me to confront my fears, reevaluate my goals, and ultimately find a path that was more aligned with my true likes. With all the recent layoffs happening, if you're going through a similar nightmare, know this: you're not alone,” he wrote.

“It's okay to feel angry, lost, or defeated. Take a moment, breathe, and then gather your strength. Reach out to your support system and start planning your comeback. Because here's the truth: setbacks happen, but they don't define you; your response to them does. Trust the process because your next chapter could be just around the corner,” he concluded his post.