Resume Help Blog

Few things are as disheartening to a professional as being fired, but there are ways to update your resume to make it an effective marketing tool.

1. Use the resume format to downplay the loss of a job.
   Instead of using a reverse chronological format that accentuates employment dates, use a functional format that showcases what you know rather than where you attained that expertise. For example, an accountant would highlight skills in reconciling accounts, generating tax returns, implementing internal controls, etc. The fact that these skills were attained at XYZ Company is minimized because employer names are not mentioned until the very end of the resume.
2. Use dates of employment to your advantage.
   If you were fired from a job of short duration that fell within the same year as your last position, it can be completely excluded. For example:
   • You worked at ABC Company from March to September of 2010.
   • Before that, you worked at DEF Company from July of 2002 to February of 2010.

Simply list the second company (DEF) with the years of employment (2002-2010). This will show an unbroken employment record.

1. Never explain on a resume that you were fired.
   As much as hiring managers want to be fair and open-minded, they are only human and will likely, at first glance, wish to dismiss any candidate who has been fired. Therefore, listing your firing or any explanation of it on your resume is not in your best interest. Since your cover letter and resume will be the first place a hiring manager will evaluate your fit for the job, do the best you can using the above suggestions for resume development to offset the impact of your firing. If you are a candidate who then reaches the interview process, you will have a better opportunity to explain the full situation in as positive a light as possible, if the firing comes up during the interview.
2. Don’t confuse being laid off or let go due to downsizing as being fired.
   Your company being bought out by another firm and you being let go is not the same as being fired. If your position has been eliminated (for whatever reason), you weren’t technically fired. Hiring managers tend to look at “being fired” as a negative that was caused by the employee (e.g., he or she stole company funds, was always late to work, didn’t fulfill daily duties, etc.) It’s important to note the distinction and to list jobs from which you were laid off on your resume when economic conditions, beyond your control, were a factor.
3. Move forward by showcasing your positive attributes.
   If the industry you’re working in is a small one and everyone knows about your job loss, then it’s essential to showcase the positive (what you achieved at the job or what you learned), and to minimize the negative (confrontations with management or co-workers). During your job search is not the time to prove that you were treated unfairly at the last company; rather, it’s the time to prove to a potential new company that you can excel because of your unique set of skills and qualifications.