Unemployment has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 layoffs began earlier this year. With so many layoffs and furloughs, a common question we are asked during my company’s résumé-writing calls is, “How do I explain a COVID-19 related layoff on my résumé?” You don’t want to look like you were fired. The reality is, you were most likely laid off for reasons entirely out of your control.
Speaking from experience, our firm has worked with professionals in nearly every industry to overcome COVID-19 layoffs and bring life to time-staggered résumés.
On average, millions of workers have been laid off since the beginning of the pandemic in March. Reassure yourself: You’re not alone in your current employment status. With just a few simple tips, you will have a résumé that can easily explain your situation to a future employer.
KNOW THAT YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG
First and foremost, it’s important to know that you have done nothing wrong. Layoffs, especially during a global pandemic, are unfortunately a normal occurrence. Most companies will not hold this against you. If you show an end date for your most recent employer any time after March 2020, most recruiters and hiring managers are going to assume it was a COVID-19-related layoff. This is especially true if you were working in the hospitality, education, aviation, or retail industries.
While most employers will be understanding of short employment gaps during these uncommon times, it’s best to put to rest any uncertainty that can arise. To start, open up your résumé and get started with the following recommendations.
UPDATE YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE
The most common way to update your work experience section to reflect a COVID-19 layoff is to include a bullet point under your most recent job. This bullet point should be the first bullet point for this job to clearly explain your situation. A bullet point summarizing your layoff could look like this:
“Laid off due to a company-wide downsizing effort caused by COVID-19 pandemic.“
By simply adding this one short and sweet bullet point, you have clearly explained why you are no longer working at the company. This eliminates the possibility of an employer thinking you were fired or quit for some unknown reason. The last thing you want is someone making negative assumptions about you without having the chance to respond.
PROVIDE FURTHER DETAIL IN YOUR COVER LETTER
Another perfectly acceptable approach is to include nothing on your résumé about the layoff and instead focus on providing this explanation in your cover letter. Your résumé will include the updated dates of employment. Something like “June 2018–May 2020,” with no reference to a layoff or furlough.
Your cover letter, on the other hand, will explain the May 2020 end date. You don’t need to dwell on the fact that you were laid off. A subtle mention such as “Recently, I was laid off due to a company-wide downsizing effort caused by COVID-19” will do the trick.
The goal here is to eliminate any uncertainty that the employer has about why you are no longer working at your company.
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND LEARN NEW SKILLS
Even if it’s clear that you were laid off due to COVID-19, you will have the occasional employer ask what you have been doing since your layoff. Most employers want to know that you have been keeping busy with something productive. This could be finishing a degree, earning a certification, or freelancing on the side to stay fresh.
If you have been freelancing, studying, or advancing your skills with courses and certifications, this can make a great addition to your résumé. Add this information to your résumé above the job you were laid off from. By doing so, you will eliminate the need to explain what you have been doing since you were laid off.
At the end of the day, it’s impossible to know what a recruiter or hiring manager is thinking. It’s best to remain proactive with your résumé and focus on eliminating any concerns one could have before they arise. The tips above have been proven to work during COVID-19, and I guess you could even say they are “recession-proof.”
Mike Podesto is the CEO of Find My Profession, a résumé-writing and career coaching company. Founded in 2015, Find My Profession provides elite, personalized, and highly effective career services for professionals and executives.