One of my first posts on Stepping Up to a Better Career was “Does Unemployment Belong on Your Resume?“. This post focused on people who chose to leave their jobs and do life-altering things such as taking a year hiatus to travel across the country or volunteering in a third-world country for six months. But what if your unemployment experience is not as enlightened?
What if one day you showed up for work and was just fired? Or laid off?
When unemployment is forced on you through an employer’s analysis, whether budgetary or personal, it can still have an effect on your self-esteem and thus have an effect on your job search. One of the biggest problems many people face is blaming themselves. Unless you have done something deserving of being fired, such as excessive tardiness, lewd behavior, or mismanagement of company resources, it is not your fault! And even if you were fired due to one of the aforementioned reasons, there is no reason to feel as if you cannot find new employment. Of course if you were fired due to negative circumstances, you will need to do some self-reflection prior to taking on a new job so that you do not repeat the same mistakes twice. The point is, that regardless of circumstances, you can still find a new job!
How?
Well, here’s the thing. Your unemployment and the reasons for your unemployment do NOT belong on your resume or cover letter! Therefore, if you are honest about your dates of employment, your career accomplishments, and highlight all of your qualifications, you will be seen as a viable candidate just like any other employee.
You do not need to explain the circumstances for leaving any job, unless it is voluntary and you have used that time to build your professional skills. Then this is interesting information you can choose to put in the cover letter if the skills gained are applicable to the position at hand. Otherwise, unemployment DOES NOT belong on any of your career documents.
The time to explain your unemployment is when you are standing in front of an employer and having your interview. Then when the employer asks why you left your previous job, you can answer as honestly and professionally as possible. The best response is brief, honest, and avoids criticizing the company, coworkers, or anyone else.
If you were laid-off, simply explain the company’s choices, such as budgetary cuts or departmental closings and then explain what you accomplished prior to being laid-off. If you were fired, make sure you emphasize that the event leading up to your firing was an isolated event, you have evaluated your choices, and you will ensure that it will not happen again.
Being unemployed is not the end of your world. You can always bounce back from setbacks such as being laid-off or fired, just be sure to be honest and professional as you go out on your career search.
As always, good luck with your job search.
Ayesha Long
www.AyeshaWrites4u.com
Step Up to a Better Career with Professional Resume Services
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