I just got fired or laid off — what should I actually do in the first few days?

It just happened and I'm in shock. What's the practical checklist for the first week after losing a job?

A few practical things to prioritize before anything else: ask HR (in writing, if possible) exactly why you were let go and whether it's classified as a layoff or termination, since that affects unemployment eligibility. Ask about your final paycheck timing (states often have specific legal deadlines for this), any accrued PTO payout, and what happens to your health insurance and whether COBRA applies. If you're offered a severance package, don't sign anything immediately — you're generally allowed time to review it, and it's worth at least a quick read-through with an employment attorney if the amount is significant, since severance agreements often include a waiver of your right to sue. File for unemployment as soon as you're eligible rather than waiting. And practically: update your resume and LinkedIn while the details are fresh, and give yourself a short, deliberate window to process it emotionally — job loss is a real loss, not just a logistics problem, and treating it purely as a to-do list tends to backfire a few weeks in.