Cover letter for laid off ee

jennifer jo

Hi everyone, I have a question and just want your thoughts on this...in March one of my friends was laid off from his job of 18 yrs. He went to work right away, part-time in a completely different field because he didn't want to sit around. Well, he's been working more than full-time hours (filling in for others) and hasn't been pursuing his career search as diligently as he could have been. His severance is about to end and he's worried about securing a better job. Some of his friends are advising him that he doesn't need to explain the gap in his resume via the cover letter and others think he needs to explain the gap in the cover letter. I can see both sides....what do you guys think? Thanks for your advice!

ACU Frank

If he doesn't explain in the cover letter, it "forces" most hiring managers to speculate. That is generally not good.

stilldazed

I would suspect that having the info in the cover letter vs. not is a matter of personal choice for the hiring employer. Brevity and a concise message may get his cover letter read quicker. If he could insert reference to the lay off in a sentence or less, add it in. If not, by all means include it on the resume. A prudent strategy might also be to count the layoff as a positive as an opportunity to learn new skills.

From my perspective as an interviewing employer, I think I'd be more turned off by someone using depletion of severance funds as a motivator to get back in the field. One of my first questions would be why not earlier. I fully respect that there may have been no other alternatives, but I'd be looking for motivation.

best wishes.

HR Jones

I would advise him to explain why he has the gap in the cover letter, or even put a note next to his last position. If an employer would not be able to tell otherwise that he was laid off, than that leaves the potential employer speculating that maybe he was fired or just quit.

jennifer jo

Thanks for your comments. I thought that it was important for him to explain the gap in the cover letter. It seems that he was so stunned at the layoff that he went to work right away in a non-professional job so that he could stay busy. I think it was his way of coping with the situation. Thanks again!

ACU Frank

I had a similar situation 9 years ago, and I know how hard it can be to explain an employment gap. My family moved across the state when my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer and given 6 months to live. Her diagnosis came the same week I learned my employer was being acquired and I was offered a transfer to Cincinnati (no thanks). I took my severance, we moved in with my in-laws, and I cared for them until she died. When I started my job search after her death, I had several interviews in which I felt my employment gap was very much held against me. One interviewer in particular questioned me over and over about whether my sense of family responsibility might cause me to walk away from a job "again". I tried to emphasize that I hadn't walked away from any job, other than one that would require me to move to Cincinnati, but he didn't seem to get it.