Explaining being laid off while in an interview

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Submitted by Stephanie on September 15, 2009 at 02:16 PM

Laid off, fired, let go… whatever you call it, it stinks.

However there are a few things you can do prior to getting an interview and say when you’re in the interview hot seat—you will get back into the interview hot seat—that will reflect in a very positive light to your future employer.

Let’s start first with what you can say about your situation when you’re in the interview:

If you were laid off because of down-sizing due to the downturn in the economy, you can explain it as such and that’s it. Say that you enjoyed your past employer and the position you filled for them and that you understood why they had to let you go. In these trying times, any hiring manager will understand and look at this as an opportunity to get a quality employee that they wouldn’t have otherwise had the chance with.

Now, if you were laid off because of poor performance or a poor personality fit, this is a bit tougher to explain. From family problems, financial problems or educational issues (not having the proper training to work effectively) to you weren’t a good fit for the company culture or your job evolved beyond your core competences, any could be the reasons why it didn’t work out.

Never bad mouth a past employer or boss and state that you’ve resolved any personal issue that affected your job if that was the case. A great article to read for dealing with this very issue is: Job Interview Answers: Why were you fired?

In either case, what you do in between getting laid off and your next interview can make a very positive impression on your next potential employer.

During your job search you can volunteer at a local philanthropy, tutor a high school student or take additional training in your chosen field. You can place any of these options on your resume and reference them in your cover letters and interviews. Obviously, as a company that trains and supports assistants, we feel that training and education shows initiative along with a willingness to improve and succeed in your career. The whole point is to be proactive as employers want to hire motivated and proactive employees… take it upon yourself to be in that group of candidates.

Flickr Creative Commons image by SvobodaIT

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