An Indian-origin software worker based in Washington has shared how he coped after being laid off from Amazon after more than 10 years, describing how his teenage daughter taught him important lessons in staying strong.
47-year-old Hemant Virmani remembered being shocked when he lost his senior software development manager job in October 2025 in a late night email.
“Amazon was part of my daily life for 11.5 years, and suddenly it was gone,” he was quoted as saying according to the Business Insider.
Virmani said he had seen colleagues being laid off in 2023 and knew it was tough. Still, getting the notice himself was a shock. He got the tragic news in an email.
He said, “There’s no right way or easy way to do layoffs. I watched my team members get laid off in 2023, and I know how difficult it is. Still, when I received an email in the middle of the night in October of 2025 saying I'd been laid off from my senior software development manager position, I was shocked.”
How daughter's positive attitude helped Virmani
Virmani credited his teenage daughter for helping him maintain a positive outlook: “My daughter is a senior in high school, and she had an adverse situation happen to her last year that required recovery. How she reacted in that difficult time inspired me. Her mental model was: 'Challenges don't have to keep me from showing up for myself or for others.' Her positive attitude was inspiration for me to do the same.”
Since the layoff, Virmani has focused on learning new skills in artificial intelligence, applying for jobs, and prioritising his health. “I want to be proactive, not reactive, about the AI skills I'll need in the future,” he said.
He added: “Now I'm building those skills myself. I'm applying for Head of Engineering roles where I'd own significant impactful initiative(s), averaging 2-3 applications every week.”
He thinks that the layoff may be a blessing in disguise. “As of now, I have some worries about when I'll find my next job, but this time has given me the ability to work on things I wasn't able to before. I'm making sure I spend this time with a lot of positivity, not letting negative thoughts come around.”
Virmani's advice to people facing layoffs
Virmani also offered advice for others facing layoffs: “Realize that layoffs are not about you. It's about an environment that is driving layoffs. Secondly, now that this has happened, you can't go back in the past and change it. Look forward to what you can do next. How you react is very important.”
He described the support he received immediately after the layoff: “The morning after my layoff, I had a mandated 30-minute meeting with my manager, and it actually went very well. We talked about the layoff, and he offered me support. He delivered it all to me in a very positive, human way, and it was really affirming.”
An old manager also reached out to meet him at a coffee shop to check in on his state of mind.
