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Resume Dilemma: Job Termination and Your Resume |
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Resume Dilemma: Job Termination and Your Resume
Your employer just let you go. You need to find another job, but how should you handle your termination on your resume?
The days when you signed on with a company and stayed with it until retirement are gone. In today's climate, employers are much more understanding when they see a less-than-perfect work chronology. Follow these tips regarding losing your job to ensure you're creating the strongest resume to up your chances of being called in for an interview. Don't Mention It No matter how sour your termination, do not explain the circumstances on your resume. You will have a much better chance of impressing hiring managers if you deal with this question in face-to-face interviews. Be Honest If you were recently let go, resist the urge to keep your position listed as "to present" on your resume, giving the appearance that you're still employed. You will have to explain yourself later on, and potential employers might think you tried to mislead them. Laid Off? Use Your Cover Letter If your termination was due to a layoff rather than a performance-related issue, consider mentioning it in your cover letter. Employers are more forgiving of layoffs, so mentioning this might work in your favor. You can write something like this: As you may have read, (company name) announced a round of layoffs, and my position was eliminated. Although saddened to leave this company, where my performance has consistently been rated as outstanding, I am looking forward to repeating my same record of success for my next employer...Focus on Your Accomplishments Your goal is to wow your potential employer by highlighting your accomplishments and s****s on your resume. Even if hiring managers are wondering why you left a certain employer, your resume should be strong enough for you to receive invitations to interviews in which you can explain your situation in person. Assess Your Contributions When updating your resume, it can be difficult to put your emotions aside and write a strong description for the employer that let you go. But this is exactly what you need to do. If you're stuck, seek the opinions of colleagues who respected your work and ask them about your performance -- they might remind you about contributions you've made that you took for granted or forgot about. Here are a few questions to ask yourself regarding your performance:
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