Project Manager – 2023 to 2024
Marketing Supervisor – 2020 to 2023
If you were laid off for a few months in 2023, say February to November, before you got a new role in December 2023, it’s not apparent in your resume.
Highlight Accomplishments
Emphasize your accomplishments and skills to shift focus from employment status to value provided.
“Make your role or position the first line of the section, put them in bold font, followed by bullet points of your key responsibilities or achievements. Put the company name and year of employment at the bottom,” Peter O’Callaghan, Head of Marketing at ScrapingBee, suggested.
Positioning for the Future
Tailor your resume to align with your desired role rather than your previous job. Craft a resume summary or objective that matches the role you’re aiming for. Then, reorder your experience based on their relevance.
“Instead of the chronological order of previous job roles, you can use a ‘Relevant Experience’ format,” said Conrad Wang, Managing Director at EnableU. “This way, the prospective employer can immediately see that you’re a
4. Write a Brief Explanation in Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter can come in handy to clarify a recent layoff or one that has created a gap in your employment records. You can use phrases like “After a recent company-wide restructuring, my role was impacted…”
“Frame the layoff as a professional event rather than a personal setback. Keep it brief and shift the focus to your eagerness to take on new opportunities,” said Samantha Brown, General Manager at Shout Media. “Emphasize your interest in the company, how it aligns with your career goals, and what you can bring to the new role.”
5. Fill Employment Gaps After Layoffs
Layoffs can sometimes create unavoidable employment gaps. Still, you can handle layoffs on your resume by filling the gaps with meaningful activities, such as freelance work, contracts, consulting, or part-time roles. You can also include volunteering and other certifications you earned and skill-building courses you completed within the period.
“The key is to make the gaps look productive to you, so that you weren’t idle or simply vacant. Mention any short-term gigs and personal projects, such as building your portfolio, starting a blog, or participating in community work,” said Catherine Schwartz, Chief Marketing Officer at EssayService.
Then, highlight skills and accomplishments you gained during your time off that align with the role you’re applying for. These can demonstrate proactive engagement on your part, which is valuable to employers.
6. Highlight Resilience and Adaptability
You can make the layoff experience an advantage to you when you turn it into a strength. Showcase the soft skills it brought you, such as adaptability, resilience, flexibility, and willingness to embrace new challenges.
On your resume, you can include bullet points like these examples:
- Demonstrated resilience by enrolling in advanced training on [specific tool/skill], enhancing expertise in [area].
- Adapted to industry shifts by completing certifications in [program], enabling a seamless transition to [specific role or field].
- Leveraged flexibility during a career transition to successfully manage freelance projects, delivering [specific results] within tight deadlines.
During interviews, you can show how you remained positive by saying, “During this transition, I recognized the value of continuous learning and developed new skills that align with industry demands.”
You can also emphasize growth and say, “The experience strengthened my ability to remain focused, motivated, and innovative, even in uncertain times.”
Soft skills are something that you can’t easily teach someone, so they’re appealing to potential employers.
Conclusion
Layoffs may be unavoidable for various reasons beyond your control, but don’t let it set you back. Knowing how to handle layoffs on your resume can help you bounce back, re-enter the job market and find an even better job role. You can frame a layoff positively on your resume by being honest, focusing on strengths, and using the gap as a growth opportunity. It’s important to maintain confidence and demonstrate resilience as you search for a new job. Remember that many successful professionals have navigated layoffs and handling them well has helped them strengthen their careers.
Publié le 23 December 2024
Par unjobvacanicies
Keep your career on track for success by knowing how to handle layoffs on your resume.
Economic uncertainties and shifts in various industries can lead to layoffs, which can severely impact careers. A layoff creates a gap in employment that some employers might view negatively, even though it’s usually beyond the worker’s control.
Handling a layoff on a resume can be challenging, but it’s manageable when you use a strategic approach. Let this article guide you through how to handle layoffs on your resume.
1. Understand the Stigma Around Layoffs
A layoff can erode your confidence, mostly because of the common misconceptions about being laid off. You might think you’ve been let go because you’re not good enough. Or that you’ll never find another job as good as this one.
There’s also the stigma that it creates an unfixable career gap or that employers will judge you because of the layoff.
The truth is that layoffs are often tied to external factors, and those are beyond your control. So, it’s important that you don’t take the layoff as a personal failure. Rather, it’s a reflection of the company’s circumstances.
“For sure, you can find another opportunity that’s as good as your previous work, if not better,” Alistair Flett, Managing Director at Pronto Hire.
“Likewise, many hiring managers understand that layoffs are common, especially during widespread industry shifts or economic downturns. So, we don’t view such gaps negatively.”
2. Decide Whether to Address the Layoff
You don’t always have to mention a layoff on your resume or application letter. It’s optional, depending on how recent or prominent your role was.
Honesty can build trust with hiring managers, but you may not always have to go into details upfront.
“If your tenure is super short or if it created a significant gap in your employment, it makes sense to disclose it. Own your story and be transparent as needed,” said Rodger Desai, CEO of Prove.
Rather than taking your layoff as something that sets you back, you can frame it as a chance to pivot or grow. Show resilience and highlight development, such as using the layoff period to upskill, freelance, or volunteer.
A layoff may not appear obvious in your resume when you format it strategically. Take note of these tips:
Use Accurate Dates
You can use years instead of months or exact dates when listing employment dates. This can make your experience look without gaps.
For example:
- Project Manager – 2023 to 2024
- Marketing Supervisor – 2020 to 2023
If you were laid off for a few months in 2023, say February to November, before you got a new role in December 2023, it’s not apparent in your resume.
Highlight Accomplishments
Emphasize your accomplishments and skills to shift focus from employment status to value provided.
“Make your role or position the first line of the section, put them in bold font, followed by bullet points of your key responsibilities or achievements. Put the company name and year of employment at the bottom,” Peter O’Callaghan, Head of Marketing at ScrapingBee, suggested.
Positioning for the Future
Tailor your resume to align with your desired role rather than your previous job. Craft a resume summary or objective that matches the role you’re aiming for. Then, reorder your experience based on their relevance.
“Instead of the chronological order of previous job roles, you can use a ‘Relevant Experience’ format,” said Conrad Wang, Managing Director at EnableU. “This way, the prospective employer can immediately see that you’re a
4. Write a Brief Explanation in Your Cover Letter
Your cover letter can come in handy to clarify a recent layoff or one that has created a gap in your employment records. You can use phrases like “After a recent company-wide restructuring, my role was impacted…”
“Frame the layoff as a professional event rather than a personal setback. Keep it brief and shift the focus to your eagerness to take on new opportunities,” said Samantha Brown, General Manager at Shout Media. “Emphasize your interest in the company, how it aligns with your career goals, and what you can bring to the new role.”
5. Fill Employment Gaps After Layoffs
Layoffs can sometimes create unavoidable employment gaps. Still, you can handle layoffs on your resume by filling the gaps with meaningful activities, such as freelance work, contracts, consulting, or part-time roles. You can also include volunteering and other certifications you earned and skill-building courses you completed within the period.
“The key is to make the gaps look productive to you, so that you weren’t idle or simply vacant. Mention any short-term gigs and personal projects, such as building your portfolio, starting a blog, or participating in community work,” said Catherine Schwartz, Chief Marketing Officer at EssayService.
Then, highlight skills and accomplishments you gained during your time off that align with the role you’re applying for. These can demonstrate proactive engagement on your part, which is valuable to employers.
6. Highlight Resilience and Adaptability
You can make the layoff experience an advantage to you when you turn it into a strength. Showcase the soft skills it brought you, such as adaptability, resilience, flexibility, and willingness to embrace new challenges.
On your resume, you can include bullet points like these examples:
- Demonstrated resilience by enrolling in advanced training on [specific tool/skill], enhancing expertise in [area].
- Adapted to industry shifts by completing certifications in [program], enabling a seamless transition to [specific role or field].
- Leveraged flexibility during a career transition to successfully manage freelance projects, delivering [specific results] within tight deadlines.
During interviews, you can show how you remained positive by saying, “During this transition, I recognized the value of continuous learning and developed new skills that align with industry demands.”
You can also emphasize growth and say, “The experience strengthened my ability to remain focused, motivated, and innovative, even in uncertain times.”
Soft skills are something that you can’t easily teach someone, so they’re appealing to potential employers.
Conclusion
Layoffs may be unavoidable for various reasons beyond your control, but don’t let it set you back. Knowing how to handle layoffs on your resume can help you bounce back, re-enter the job market and find an even better job role. You can frame a layoff positively on your resume by being honest, focusing on strengths, and using the gap as a growth opportunity. It’s important to maintain confidence and demonstrate resilience as you search for a new job. Remember that many successful professionals have navigated layoffs and handling them well has helped them strengthen their careers.
