The bigger picture
1.6 million.
That’s how many people in the US lost their jobs in August 2026. Yet when it happens to you, it’s hard not to wonder what you did wrong.
BLS JOLTS, August 2026.
For after a job ends
whilst
Practical support for the part after job loss and before whatever comes next.
Preview of the Whilst app: twelve days of reflections, each with a short title and a subject.
Everyone wants to know what you’re doing next.How are you doing now?
Identity
53%.
More than half of people out of work say they’ve lost a piece of who they are. When we’re so used to being asked what we do, it’s easy to forget we’re more than our jobs.
Pew Research Center, 2021.
Shame
1 in 2.
Half of laid-off workers have told someone they quit instead. Sometimes it’s easier than facing the questions, sympathy, or awkward silence that follows.
Resume Genius, 2026.
Loneliness
1 in 3.
Around one in three people out of work worldwide felt lonely for much of the previous day. Between losing everyday connections, worrying about money, and turning down plans, your world can start to feel smaller.
Gallup, 2024 (global).
The bigger picture
1.6 million.
That’s how many people in the US lost their jobs in August 2026. Yet when it happens to you, it’s hard not to wonder what you did wrong.
BLS JOLTS, August 2026.
Identity
53%.
More than half of people out of work say they’ve lost a piece of who they are. When we’re so used to being asked what we do, it’s easy to forget we’re more than our jobs.
Pew Research Center, 2021.
Shame
1 in 2.
Half of laid-off workers have told someone they quit instead. Sometimes it’s easier than facing the questions, sympathy, or awkward silence that follows.
Resume Genius, 2026.
Loneliness
1 in 3.
Around one in three people out of work worldwide felt lonely for much of the previous day. Between losing everyday connections, worrying about money, and turning down plans, your world can start to feel smaller.
Gallup, 2024 (global).
Friends. Family. Recruiters. LinkedIn, obviously.
They all want to know what’s next. Maybe you do too. Or maybe you’re still trying to work out what the hell just happened.
There’s plenty of advice on finding another job, but not much on dealing with everything that comes with losing one.
So we made Whilst. Guided reflections and research-informed exercises to help you untangle your thoughts, see things differently, and take small, practical steps forward.
What do I do with my day?Money mathWhat do I tell people?Confidence wobbleWhat do I want next?Mixed feelingsWhat now?What do I do with my day?Money mathWhat do I tell people?Confidence wobbleWhat do I want next?Mixed feelingsWhat now?What do I do with my day?Money mathWhat do I tell people?Confidence wobbleWhat do I want next?Mixed feelingsWhat now?What do I do with my day?Money mathWhat do I tell people?Confidence wobbleWhat do I want next?Mixed feelingsWhat now?What do I do with my day?Money mathWhat do I tell people?Confidence wobbleWhat do I want next?Mixed feelingsWhat now?What do I do with my day?Money mathWhat do I tell people?Confidence wobbleWhat do I want next?Mixed feelingsWhat now?
How it works
A peek inside
Preview of the Whilst app: twelve days of reflections, each with a short title and a subject.
For wherever you are right now.
ApplyingRestingRethinkingStarting your own thingNetworking
I started thinking about Whilst during an in‑between of my own.
I’d been laid off, and there was no shortage of advice on finding another job. Résumé this. LinkedIn that. Useful, sure.
Meanwhile, my confidence had taken a hit, I wasn’t sure what I wanted next, and I felt like I should be further along than I was.
You know, all the stuff that apparently comes with losing a job.
I wanted to feel like myself again, but most resources focused on getting hired. More personal support meant paying hundreds of dollars for a professional. Not ideal when you’ve just lost your income.
So I did what I tend to do when I don’t know what to do: researched it with the intensity of someone who had suddenly acquired a lot of free time.
I learned why job loss affects so much beyond work and tried different ways to deal with it.
I started building what worked into something I could use myself. Friends and family who’d been through similar experiences used it, and their feedback helped shape what became Whilst.
Now it’s here for anyone dealing with the parts of losing your job that a résumé can’t fix.
So, here’s to your Whilst.
