‘Microsoft Fired Me in 2005 and It Made Me Confront My Fears, Re-evaluate My Goals and Find More Aligned Path’: Scintillate CEO Kapil Kulshreshtha
Former Microsoft Senior Program Manager recalled his experience when Microsoft fired him back in 2005 without notice or warning. He said the firing made him face his fears and re-evaluate his goals.
Mumbai, August 3: Tech layoffs affected several people this year directly and indirectly. The employees directly affected by the layoffs lost their jobs and began searching for jobs elsewhere. The employees who were laid off remained indirectly impacted, thinking they would be affected soon. To some, the experience of getting laid off becomes devastating and leaves long-lasting memories, especially when they are working for a world-renowned company like Microsoft.
A former Microsoft India employee was laid off several years ago without any warnings from the company. He recalled that Microsoft layoffs affected him in 2005 and made him share his experience. He said he was not given any warning or explanation when he was laid off from the tech giant. He was handed a check and was directed towards a door. Bungie Layoffs: Sony Interactive Entertainment-Owned Video Game Developer Going Through Major Changes After Its Second Round of Job Cuts, Says Report.
Kapil Kulshreshtha, founder and CEO of Scintillate Pty Ltd, held a Senior Manager position at Microsoft in 2005 and was also a member of the Forbes Coaches Council. He is now self-employed at Scintillate Coaching, which he started in March 2018, and provides services such as Coaching, Life Coaching, and Executive Coaching.
After almost two decades, Kapil Kulshreshtha remembered that he was fired on August 25 2025, from Microsoft's Sr. Program Manager position in Hyderabad. He said he was not given any warning or explanation; he was just shown the door. He tried handling the incident confidently, but anger, confusion, and a "sinking feeling of failure" consumed him. He said, "Instead of lashing out or drowning in self-pity, my wife and I sat down and talked and wrote down our choices."
After slowly accepting that he was laid off, he said it was his first step. Instead of giving up, the Scintillate CEO shared his story of relentless efforts and constant job hunting. He said he started by contacting his former manager at a coffee shop and started having a conversation. He also called old contacts, and after three weeks of a tough journey, finally landed a job at Cognizant. He said days blurred into nights of networking, improving resumes, and mustering the courage to connect to old contacts. Google Removes Gemini AI Promotional Ad for Writing Fan-Letter From NBC Olympics Broadcasts After Getting Backlash; Here's What Went Wrong.
He said that Microsoft's firing decision made him face fears and evaluate his goals to find the ultimate path more aligned with his future. He posted on LinkedIn, "It's okay to feel angry, lost, or defeated. Take a moment, breathe, and then gather your strength." He advised all those reading to reach out for their support and plan their comeback.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 03, 2024 07:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).