Apr, 2013

How to Address Your Layoff

LayoffA layoff is one of the most common problems of job seekers in recent years. A lot of job seekers today have been hit by the mass layoffs during the economic downturn, and most companies are still just starting to get back on their feet.

Being laid off is not really something you can be proud of when you’re writing your resume or cover letter, so how do you address this?

Step 1

When writing your resume or cover letter after a layoff, it’s important that you address this. Be the one brave enough to tell the recruiter or employer that yes, you were laid off and you are not hiding this. Why? It’s to show that you are not hiding anything from them.

One of the biggest mistakes of job seekers who are laid off is trying to hide it. There’s no reason to hide it when countless others share the same fate as you. Don’t be ashamed of it, because for all you know, your competition may have been laid off, too.

Step 2

When your interviewer asks you about the layoff, keep it simple. If the reason was a mass layoff, say so—any employer would understand. The important thing is not to beat yourself up about it. When you answer, avoid saying how the layoff how has made your life difficult. Instead, tell them how this has taught you a lot of things and made you a better person today.

The problem:

On the other hand, if your termination was truly your own fault, this is a different problem entirely. You’ll then have to deal with the challenge of convincing an employer to take a chance on you if you were laid off due to poor performance (i.e., fired). Just as importantly, you’ll need to make sure that your performance in future jobs is as good as it needs to be.

A layoff should just be another obstacle that you need to overcome, not a roadblock to your success. Don’t let the situation bring you down—take the steps we’ve mentioned here, and you can get past this.

Read 7386 times Last modified on Friday, 11 March 2016 13:34