- [Narrator] Anyone who has been laid-off
will tell you it's a difficult phase of life to go through.
Aside from the financial constraints that come with it,
you may find it very difficult to land a new job.
If you are watching this episode,
chances are that you were laid-off in your previous job,
and you're struggling with how to answer
interview questions about being laid-off.
Today's interviewers want to know
whether you were fired due to insubordination
or egregious misbehavior like stealing.
Thankfully, in this episode,
we will walk you through the best possible ways
to answer such questions.
Laid-off versus fired.
But before we dive deeper into this episode,
let's quickly explain
the difference between laid off and fired
so that you know how to create a balance
when you are being grilled in the boardroom.
Employers may fire an employee
for reasons such as misconduct,
unsatisfactory job performance,
and not adhering
to the organization's rules and regulations.
On the other hand, employers can layoff an employee
because of merger, acquisition,
restructuring, or downsizing.
Now that you know the difference
between getting fired and being laid-off,
here's how to answer interview questions
about being laid-off.
How to explain a lay-off in a job interview.
One, be honest in your response.
Being dishonest with your response
will do you more harm than good.
The last thing you would wish
is for the interviewers to discover
you were lying about your being laid-off.
They would not only pick up on your dishonesty,
but they would also see you
as someone that is not trustworthy
and lacks self-confidence.
Be honest in your response, as today's employers
understand the nature of the job market,
and how so many organizations are restructuring
to stay ahead of the competition.
They also understand that organizations need to merge
to survive the difficult terrain of doing business.
These days, employers go as far
as checking and confirming with your former employer
how your work attitude and performances were,
so it's important to be honest in your responses.
Two, keep your responses short.
As you explain to the interviewers why you were laid-off,
keep your responses short.
At best, use one or two sentences to drive home your points
without going overboard.
While responding, on no account
should you disparage your former employer or colleagues.
We have seen cases where candidates disparage their bosses
or former employers out of anger.
This is a red flag for most employers, so refrain from it.
Three, mention the value you added in your former workplace.
Explain to the interviewers how your role
impacted your previous organization positively.
The best way to go about this
is to outline your achievements
and explain how you were able
to accomplish the achievements.
You can also mention how your role
helped the company to raise funds, save money,
increase sales, resolve operational problems,
or even improve the quality of the company's products.
In the midst of this,
you can chip in the skills and abilities that you leveraged
to help the organization achieved its goals.
Four, cover up any employment gap on your resume.
Employment gap usually draws interviewer's attention.
If you have any employment gap reflected on your resume,
without being told,
the interviewer would most likely want to know
what you've been doing to remain relevant
in your target job market.
Mention the skills you garnered during your employment gap.
Most employers expect to see
that you were idle during this time.
So, you mention things like volunteer work, consulting,
taking online tutorials, or even doing freelancing.
Another way to cover up an employment gap on your resume
is to explain to the interviewers
the steps you've taken to sharpen your skills
to land your target job.
Listen, for you to pass that interview,
you need to demonstrate to the interviewers
that you're committed to learning and self-improvement.
Five, get references.
Getting references about your performance
from your former colleagues, supervisors, teammates,
subordinates, and even customers is a no-brainer
if you want to secure a job after being laid-off.
This will demonstrate credibility to the interviewers.
One good way to provide references to interviewers
is to provide them with a link to your online portfolio
or LinkedIn profile.
Six, mention how your skills will benefit the employers.
If by chance you were laid-off
due to incompetency on your part,
demonstrate to the interviewers
that your skill sets and abilities
better match your target job.
For example, if you're good at storytelling or journalism,
you can mention that you will leverage
your storytelling and journalistic skills
to improve the company's sales
and further promote the company's products.
Seven, explain what you've learned in your time off.
Truth be told,
being laid-off could take a toll on your self-confidence
and professional outlook.
But don't be deterred.
Even though you've been out of a job for a long time,
clearly mention to the interviewers
what you've learned in your time off,
and how the new skills you have acquired
will benefit their organization.
Ultimately, the best way to land a new job
after being laid-off
is to prepare for the interview, hone your skills,
and research about the company.
In fact, if you have an insider,
you can leverage your connection with the person
to scale through the interview hurdles.
That's it for this episode.
If you can confidently answer interview questions
about being laid-off,
you'd be a few steps away from landing the job.
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Good luck, and see you in the next episode.