Dealing with Job Termination On Your Resume

Writing a resume is difficult enough without having to deal with sensitive topics such as gaps in employment, or the the big one, job termination. Because it is something that usually needs to be handled delicately, many people go ahead and seek professional resume writing help rather than going at it alone.

However, sometimes the right tips can help guide you in the appropriate direction when it comes to learning how to deal with sensitive topics on your resume. So if you are in a position where you need to add information like a job termination, here are a few tips to help you address it in a positive way.

Exclude Termination from Your Resume

One great aspect of resumes is that they don't require you to fill in a lot of blanks. You don't have to go into detail about the friend who helped you get your previous job, nor do you have to talk about the nagging boss who terminated your position.

The resume only asks for the basics: who you work for, when you worked for them, when you stopped working for them and what you did while you were there. You'd only be doing yourself a disservice by adding the fact that you were terminated unnecessarily.

Amp Up Your Accomplishments

While you won't be mentioning your termination on your resume, you will be mentioning your accomplishments. This is a good place to really focus on the point of the resume, which is to tell the employer who you are and what you can bring to the table.

The more you sell yourself in your resume, hopefully the easier it will be to draw the attention away from your termination once it because a point of discussion in the interview. Again, the idea is to get you the job, not come up with reasons why you shouldn't have it.

What if You Were Laid Off?

If you were laid off from a position, you may feel a stronger temptation to explain why you're no longer employed. But again, the place to bring this up isn't usually the resume. Instead, you can mention in your cover letter that your company was downsizing due to the economic crisis and let you go - or whatever the reason may have been. This way, you can address the issue without placing it somewhere that it doesn't necessarily belong.

Sometimes it can be scary to tell a prospective employer that you've been terminated. But guess what? Many job candidates have been fired and have received jobs not long after. If you go into your job search with the right attitude (and little-to-no fear) you should be able to find a great new position in no time.