What Do I Tell Them About My Layoff?

One of the most common job seeker dilemmas I hear about these days is how to position a layoff with prospective employers.

My advice – pure and simple – is to mention it directly.  Since the subject of how you left your last job will inevitably come up in the context of discussing your recent work experience, I don’t think you can really hide the true story without coming across as insincere or even dishonest.

Nor should you.  Consider how many people have been laid off nationwide in the last eighteen months.  It’s a lot – and there could be any number of reasons for your termination, including a company bankruptcy or merger or a widespread plan to cut expenditures.  Many of these situations have little or nothing to do with job performance, and there’s nothing you could have done to prevent or circumvent the outcome.  There’s not an employer out there that hasn’t been negatively impacted by the poor economy, so it’s unlikely that your interviewer will hold a layoff against you.

Here’s the key, though.  When discussing your layoff in the interview, you must be careful of your tone.  Communicating that you feel sorry for yourself or that you’re experiencing a crisis of confidence will portray you in a bad light even if the layoff itself doesn’t.  If you sound certain that it worked out for the best and that you’ll land on your feet, prospective employers will be certain too.

Comments

[anonymous]

In my case, my job loss was the personal whim of a boss whom I predated by seven years and who resented me. I've signed an agreement not to discuss it, but I feel that telling an interviewer that my department was "reorganized" doesn't really cut it, when it's obvious that I loved my job and was good at it, and ought to have been considered a valued employee. How much can I say without violating my agreement? I don't want to let an interviewer think that I was fired for something horrible and am trying to keep it from them.

[anonymous]

I should add that I was in my position for 15 years and there is no apparent reason (emphasis on apparent) that I would ever leave!

[SMcLaughlin]

Excellent advice. I would suggest that anyone who is concerned about answering this question, practice answering the question by either recording it or roleplay with friend or family member to make sure their tone and response are appropriate. I once, as a hiring manager, had a male job candidate who was laid-off breakdown during the interview. A little practice answering the question about his lay off may have gotten him the job.

[Alexandra Levit]

@Anon: Why do you think that saying your department was re-orged doesn't cut it? This is a run of the mill situation for companies these days. I doubt they'll be surprised or skeptical.

@SMc: Yes, breaking down during an interview would indeed ruin your chances, so rehearsal is a great idea. I actually recommend this approach in order to cope with any situation in which you anticipate that your emotions might overflow.