- It can be a difficult conversation: What do you say in a job interview after being laid off or laid off?
- If there is a layoff, you can say it was part of a larger job cut, and most employers will understand.
- If you were fired, that’s another conversation. Here’s what career coaches advise.
Losing your job is never easy. Whether you’ve been laid off or laid off, coping with a job loss is difficult, financially and emotionally.
Getting back out there and interviewing for your next position can be just as difficult. Inevitably, talent acquisition asks what happened with your last job. What should you say?
We spoke with two career coaches to get their thoughts. Here’s what they advised:
If you were fired
Generally speaking, potential employers understand layoffs better than layoffs. After all, it’s easier to explain a job loss when many of your colleagues have also been laid off.
In many cases, “layoffs aren’t about getting rid of you, but about getting rid of the job,” said career coach Marie G. McIntyre.
If you’re asked about your layoff in an interview, career coach Dorianne St Fleur suggests saying something like: “My team was affected by the mass layoffs and unfortunately had to make some employment decisions. hiring and resources. eliminated.”
If you were hired more recently or were in a more junior position, you can also mention that, as these factors can also help explain your termination without portraying yourself in a negative light.
You can also mention if you survived previous rounds of layoffs before finally being laid off. You might say, “The company was going through several rounds of layoffs and my boss really tried to find a way to keep me on as long as possible, but ultimately I was in one of the last rounds of layoffs.” layoffs that our company has had. TO DO.”
This shows that “you had a good relationship with your boss and you had to sort of be one of the top performers because they were trying not to make you one of the top performers,” St Fleur said.
If you were fired
One of the first things you should do when you’re fired is try to negotiate how your departure will be presented to potential employers, McIntyre said.
She advises asking HR exactly what information they will provide when asked to verify your employment. In some cases, she says, you may be able to convince your employer to let you resign instead of firing you, or to agree to discuss your termination with potential future employers as “a mutual decision.” In these cases, try to get a reference letter outlining the agreed-upon reason that you can use in your application process, says McIntyre.
It can also be helpful to describe a termination as “a mutual decision to part ways” during an interview or to say that “it wasn’t a good choice” or “it wasn’t the right match,” a declared St Fleur.
Less is more
When talking about job loss, remember that “less is more,” St Fleur said.
Address your departure, then quickly bring the conversation back to the current role.
“It’s kind of a politician’s response in the sense that I’m not directly saying that I left because I was fired because this or that thing happened, but rather I’m directing the conversation towards what I am really looking for in the future,” says Sainte Fleur.
You might follow a structure like this when responding: “I’m no longer with the company. I left in October and am currently looking for a position where I will have the opportunity to use my strengths in X, Y and Z.”, which is why your company and this position seem so attractive to me.”
Focus on what’s next
Just like you would in the interview, you should keep your eyes on the road ahead when you’ve lost a job.
St Fleur tells its customers to “change their mindset and understand that they are not damaged goods”.
“Being fired or laid off doesn’t mean you’re not performing well or that you don’t deserve to find another job,” she said. How you approach your layoff “impacts your entire job search process,” she added.
“It’s about you figuring out what’s next for you,” St Fleur said. “Try to find the next best fit for you based on what you want to do, your level, the skills you are trying to learn, and the lessons you learned from the previous role, however you got out.”
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