Job Termination & How To Update Your Resume Accordingly

Your employer just terminated your employment. You need to find another job, but how should you address the recent termination on your resume? It depends on whether you were laid off or fired in addition to a few rules that will apply across the board.

Firstly you can consider that the days when you signed on with an employer and stuck around until retirement are more often than not behind us. Employers are more understanding when they see job changes due to the COVID 19 pandemic but concerns might be expressed if you are jumping from company to company on a resume. Here’s how you can handle it.

Omit The Position

A resume should represent your qualifications in a positive light including details of a job loss particularly if you were fired as it will not help you in the long run.

No matter how bad your termination experience, the resume is not the place for negative details. Let the resume tell your unique story and you can explain the situation in depth as necessary at job interviews.

Don’t Lie About The End Date

If your job is over, resist the urge to keep the position listed as current on your resume as it might give the impression that you are still employed. The job termination will eventually come to light and hiring managers might think you tried to mislead them.

Explain The Layoff In The Cover Letter

If your termination was due to a layoff rather than a performance-related issue, consider mentioning it in your cover letter.

Focus On Your Accomplishments

Your resume should impress potential employers by highlighting your compliments on your resume. If hiring managers are wondering why you left your job, your resume would be strong enough for you to receive interview invitations.

When updating your resume, it can be difficult to put your emotions aside and write a compelling description for your previous employer.

If you are stuck, seek the opinions of former colleagues who respect your work and ask about your performance. They might remind you about accomplishments that you might have forgotten about.

Here are questions to consider regarding your performance:

Did you take on responsibilities outside your original position including multiple projects while maintaining quality standards?
What were your strongest contributions to your previous employer?
In what ways did you excel at your job?
How did your employer benefit from having you on board?
Did you ever go above and beyond what was expected?
How did you contribute to bottom-line results?
What types of challenges did you come into contact with and what did you do to overcome them?
Did you implement processes that improved departmental efficiency?
Were you part of a team that was recognized with awards?
Did you receive positive commendations from your supervisors, clients, customers, vendors and / or co-workers?