How to Talk About Being Laid Off in an Interview

This blog post is part of a series designed to make navigating the current tech job market more approachable. In this series, technical recruiters, career coaches, and engineering hiring managers are sharing industry insights and advice for software engineers on the job hunt. For all posts in this series, head to the Navigating the Job Market page.

If you’ve been laid off, I have some good news for you: you’re not alone. I was laid off from my last 3 jobs. It happens! As a Career Coach at Formation with 4+ years of technical recruiting experience, I empathize with those going through the job hunt in this market because I’ve been there, too.When the time comes (and it will) to interview for your next job, you may feel the need to explain being laid off. That’s totally understandable. But, you don’t need to overthink or over-explain it. Below I've outlined 3 simple steps for talking about a layoff once you’re ready to start interviewing again and, as a bonus, how to address it on LinkedIn.

1. Keep it simple

First of all, you are under no obligation to tell anyone you were laid off. That’s a common misconception. Now if you get on the phone with a recruiter and they ask, you should be honest about it. But you don’t need to overdo it! You can respond with something short and sweet like, “Due to a non-performance-based situation, I was laid off along with [X number] of people”. Or, “I was part of a group of people who were laid off due to company restructuring”. A lot of people tend to want to overcorrect and start talking about how good their work was or how good they were at their job. You don’t need to do that! At this point, we all understand that layoffs are happening and have happened; there’s no need to overcomplicate it, just keep it simple.

2. Stay positive

Every interview is an opportunity for you to sell yourself. So when you do get on a call with a recruiter, you want to keep everything you say in a strong, positive light. You may get asked to share details about your layoff, like how you handled it. Here’s an example of how I’d answer that question:

“After the layoff, I took some time to recharge my batteries. I focused on myself for a bit and spent a week doing the things I love: I played my favorite video games, spent some quality time with family and friends, and went on a road trip. And now I’m back and ready to pursue my next role.”

Getting asked a question like this is actually a great opportunity to continue selling yourself! You're being given a chance to talk more about who you are outside of work and maybe even finding some common ground, which can be important for hiring managers and recruiters when comparing candidates they think might be a good fit for the team. Keep things in a positive light and show the interviewer that you’re mature enough to handle the situation you were put in and aren't letting it affect your future.

3. Tap into your confidence

A lot of the hesitation in talking about layoffs really comes down to a lack of confidence. The more comfortable you are in talking about your layoff, the more confident you will become. Even just talking out loud to yourself and going through what you’ll say in an interview can help you build up your confidence. When I talk to Formation Fellows who are having trouble speaking about their layoff because they think it makes them look bad, I ask them why they think that. I ask them, “The other 3,000 people who were laid off with you, do they look bad as well?” When I say something like that out loud, I ask them if I sound silly. The Fellows are able to see it a lot clearer then: it’s not a stain on their resume, it’s a simple fact and not something that should affect their confidence in what they have to offer an employer.

What about addressing a work gap or layoff on LinkedIn?

One question I’m often asked is how to address work gaps and layoffs on LinkedIn. LinkedIn has created this great new feature where you can add an extended leave to your profile. Check out mine here as an example. I find that when I show Fellows my LinkedIn, they have an easier time accepting that it’s totally okay to take time away from work and focus on yourself. Adding an extended leave shows you’re confident in what you have to offer and can be open about your work history without feeling the need to hide it.

As for addressing a layoff on your LinkedIn, I usually tell people to just not worry about it. You can put (layoffs/laid off) next to the role if you'd like, but you absolutely don’t need to. I leave that up to the person, whatever makes them more comfortable. Again, keep it simple; the terms layoff/laid off on a resume or LinkedIn profile is not going to stop or encourage a recruiter.

Recently laid off? Here's my advice

If you’ve been impacted by layoffs, here’s my unsolicited advice to you: go do something you love for a week, spend time with friends and family, or do little things that make you happy. Maybe you need more than a week; I took a 1+ year-long break after a layoff. Recharge for however long you need (and can afford — I realize this is different for everyone) so that when you’re ready to jump back into the job hunt, you will actually feel ready. And once you start to interview, you can use the 3 steps above to sell yourself to your future employer.

Looking to join the Formation Fellowship? Apply on our site!