About a week and a half ago, my company downsized.

31 Comments

1. Kristie WhiteJuly 1,2022 at 2:44PM UTC

   First - you have been working steadily during the pandemic - that is a very positive sign! Second, you didn't choose to leave - your company is downsizing, so you don't have to explain why you are out of work. So you have two very positive things on your side. As for the experience, the last 5 years of experience are the most important - so forget the rest. I would keep pitching to those jobs requiring 5 years of experience. Emphasize how you excelled at this work, how you had no intention of leaving your position and are disappointed that it was eliminated and you WANT to continue in this position. And make sure you have excellent references. Last, try to get around the automated resume reviews and speak with a person. They will see the value of your experience. The 5 years of experience is just a no-brainer filter. It is not the rock solid refusal it looks like. Negotiate your way in!

2. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:37PM UTC

   Thank you!

3. Crystal HowellJuly 1,2022 at 3:03PM UTC

   Your gaps can be explained as s"Career break, domestic engineer raising kids.

   Contact a recruiter to help you with your next job, you have skills show them! good Luck

4. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:35PM UTC

   Thank you so much!

5. Nicole DupuisJuly 1,2022 at 3:14PM UTC

   I am so sorry to hear about your experience--it is a jungle out there!!

   The first step is creating a career narrative for yourself. Create connections & alignment through the different positions you have had. These may be skills you acquired, responsibilities you had, opportunities that opened up because of a specific role, interests, etc. Even if you feel that there are gaps and a disconnect in your job experience, you can help design a fluid story.

   I would also start to network/connect/speak to people who are in positions or are close to positions you would like to be in. Pick their brain, share your story, ask for help!

6. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:35PM UTC

   Thank you!

7. AnonymousJuly 1,2022 at 4:51PM UTC

   First, redevelop your approach. You should be proud of and focused on the skills you’ve developed and excelled at, skills that will make you an asset to any industry. Present your short tenure as a positive. “Despite being new to the industry, I was able to quickly master skills a, b, and c.” Confidence is key. If you go into an interview and lead with your lack of exact match on the job description, you’ve already sunk yourself. Always, always lead with the positives.

   Second, network. Join a local chapter of a women-in-business group or even a Toastmasters’ chapter to start. Go to a free class hosted by a local small business association and take advantage of the after-presentation chat to introduce yourself around. Take a class or two at a local college while you’re job searching that will boost your skills and demonstrate your willingness to learn more about your chosen field.

   Be a go-getter. If you market your relevant skills properly, your lack of experience may not be an issue at all.

8. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:34PM UTC

   Thank you!

9. AnonymousJuly 1,2022 at 6:23PM UTC

   I have more work experience but found myself in a similar situation recently after being let go in a similar manner. First of all, allow yourself to come to terms with the situation. My ego took a bit of a bruising and relived the abrupt ending on auto pilot. Once I got over the shock, it was time to start searching.

   I've had so many careers throughout my 20-year history that my experience doesn't line up perfectly with job posts. I recommend, structuring your resume to focus on what you can offer the company (skill-based resume) rather than years of experience. In addition, I know people often avoid cover letters but when it's applicable, use that as an additional avenue to connect with the hiring manager. If you can showcase what experience you're bringing to the table and how that can benefit the company, the exact qualifications shouldn't matter. Wishing you all the best and good luck!

10. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:33PM UTC

    Thank you! Yes, I had a breakdown over the situation because I adored the company I worked for and loved the job I was doing. I feel much better now, and have put together a pretty good resume where I really highlighted all of my skills and leadership.

11. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:53PM UTC

    I'm glad to hear you're doing better now and you're ahead of the game. You already know what kind of company works best for you. Something to keep in mind for your resume, use that experience to showcase how you fit into that culture if applicable for the job. That helps the employer envision that you would be a good fit for their teams. Was it about team dynamic / work, brainstorming, creativity, mentorship or the company culture providing....

    Good luck!

12. Cynthia Armistead NewmanJuly 2,2022 at 12:41PM UTC

    First, you do have almost three years of experience, and I'm sure you've developed many great skills while there! And you have transferable skills from being a stay-at-home mother, as well - household management/budgeting, project management, etc. When I returned to work after a 12-year "Mommy break" I included a significant section about my transferable skills on my resume and on LinkedIn.

    Have you done any volunteer work? Include it! (If you haven't, this might be a good time to step up and start - it can provide you with more opportunities to develop and use valuable skills as well as put you in contact with people who may be willing to act as references.

    Good luck!

13. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:31PM UTC

    Thank you! I never thought about including volunteer work.

14. AnonymousJuly 2,2022 at 1:36PM UTC

    Thank you! This job is definitely on my resume’ and I have 4 incredible references from this company as well, two of them being management. :)

15. JenniferJuly 4,2022 at 11:23PM UTC

    First, you got this. I was laid off three times in three years, most recently in April. I'm getting pretty darn good at it. So my advice is coming from a real BTDT place. Each time I was laid off, I got a better, higher paying position. I'm also lucky that I got severance each time, with increasingly better packages. If only every break up came with a check... My advice:

    -Being laid off can feel shameful, as though it's a statement about you personally. It's not. You should openly and confidently state that you were a part of a round of layoffs due to downsizing.

    -Understand that **NO ONE IS JUDGING YOU FOR BEING LAID OFF** In fact, it's super normal in the corporate world, and recruiters take it with a grain of salt. The recruiter for my last position had ALSO been laid off a couple of months earlier, and was on his third week of internal recruiting in a completely new industry.

    -Speak positively about your old company. You were disappointed because of how much you were loving the work, but understand that the company had to make a difficult, but necessary, business decision. (Because that's what it was. A financial business decision)

    -If you fell into your last position, you might not have a LinkedIn account. If not, set that up ASAP. I've found my last two roles there, and it allows recruiters to find you too.

    -There's a "statistic" out there that men apply to jobs if they meet 60% of the qualifications, but women won't apply unless they meet 100%. While this isn't statistically correct, it IS directionally correct. Many women feel like they need to meet nearly all of the qualifications, requirements, and preferences listed, and this holds us back.

    For many companies, esp larger ones, job descriptions are just templates that get posted for every position that will share the same title, even if the day-to-day work, responsibilities, and individual team needs are radically different.

    Think of job descriptions as a kid's Christmas present wish list, not the ingredient list for a bread recipe. Your 6 year-old might include a go-kart and $4000 gaming set up on the list, but he knows he's probably going to get the smaller ticket items instead. On the other hand, if you want to bake authentic baguettes and don't have any flour or yeast, it's going to be a problem.

    -Years of experience is very commonly flexible. You'll often see numbers like 3yrs, 5yrs, and 10yrs experience. Why never 4 or 6 years? My personal interpretation is that 5 years means they don't want to teach you the fundamentals of what the job entails, how to do the basics, or how to work in a corporate environment (like they might with a new college graduate). They expect you know how to do the fundamentals of the role, and are building more advanced knowledge, but you aren't an expert in your field, and they (of course) will need to train you on the way that job is done at their company.

    **ABSOLUTELY apply to those 5yr experience roles!!**

    Did I mention that you got this? 'Cause you do. Feel free to message me if you find yourself in need of moral support.

16. AnonymousJuly 5,2022 at 11:59PM UTC

    Thank so so much for the great advice and offer to help!

17. AnonymousJuly 9,2022 at 4:11PM UTC

    Jennifer! Lovely response! Thank you! So helpful! Very informational and even a virtual hug! :)

18. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJuly 6,2022 at 1:07AM UTC

    I'm so sorry that this happened. It can be a shocking and painful experience but know that none of it is your fault. Your position was eliminated.

    You can list the position like this on your resume if you want to:

    XYZ Company - RIF

    Senior Project Manager

    July, 2019 to July 2022

    And now you have almost 3 years experience! I would apply even if they're asking for 5 years experience.

    Post your resume everywhere and update those profiles regularly - preferably weekly. And set up those sites so they push new jobs out to you (although this may not be a big help on the specific position you get pushed to you - sometimes it sparks my interest in a company). Don't forget about specialty job sites.

    Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date.

    I also wouldn't make how you got this last job sound so "it just happened" - if asked, I would say "I was referred by a friend who thought I would be a great fit. And she/he was right"

    How do you feel your interview skills are? If you get nervous or can't quite articulate what you're trying to get across, I recommend you tape yourself asking yourself questions and answering them.

    I promise that answer is going to sound a whole lot better the 20th time you say it than the first. It also allows you to edit your answers to make sure you're getting across the info you want to and can be helpful if you maybe tend to ramble when you get nervous. Knowing you're prepared can also give you confidence and make you less nervous. I used to practice in the car and in the shower.

    Please let me know if you have any questions. GOOD LUCK!

19. AnonymousJuly 10,2022 at 12:50PM UTC

    I have posted positions before requiring 5+ years and hired someone with less bc I was impressed with what that candidate had accomplished at that point in their careers.

20. Barbara ThompsonJuly 10,2022 at 1:50PM UTC

    I’m sorry you’ve had to experience losing your job due to downsizing, but putting a positive twist on it, you’ll never have to hmm about how to explain why you left; the company downsized.
    Also, you sound very apologetic about your work experience, and I’d like to encourage you to change your view on that, too.

    You took on a position with no experience and excelled at it, it sounds like you loved it. In three years, you learned it and soared. The difference between someone who conquered a job from ground up in three years versus someone slogging along for 5 years is to me very clear - I’ll hire the intelligent go-getter, thank you.

    I think as women we feel we have to follow directions (the posting says five years, I only have three), and unfortunately we’ve been shamed into seeing being a parent as a work gap, not what it really was - a multitasking, nonstop, organizational challenge.

    No apologies! Apply for the job you want! Show them you are the person for it!

21. Dalia LourençoJuly 10,2022 at 1:52PM UTC

    First of all, hope you're okay and not in a total shock state as sudden post-eliminations can feel terrifying.

    Definitely don't worry about that 5+ years of experience stated on job vacancies!

    Just like you got this job without cookie-cutter perfect experience you can do that again, regardless of the exact number of years on your CV or gaps due to childcare, etc.

    It might feel like you just need to grab any job ASAP but the one thing I would add to the other great advice from ladies here is to take this opportunity to think about what YOU want and not just who will accept you.

    It actually makes you a much stronger candidate when you have confidence in your career objectives.

    The best jobs often aren't posted online so make sure you're also networking and using that hidden job market.

    Let me know if you have questions. You've got this!

22. Lisa MarieJuly 10,2022 at 1:56PM UTC

    Do not self-disqualify yourself from opportunities based on what's listed in job postings. Simply apply to every job you are *skilled* to do.

    The state of the workforce in almost every industry sees recruiters and hiring managers speaking with candidates who may not fill every criteria listed in the job posting.

    You're not buying stamps and physically mailing letter {how job applications were done back in the day before the internet ;-)}, so you have nothing to lose by applying to every job you *want.*

    Also, be sure to tailor your resume to fit each job/industry you're applying to. Some companies do use software that "weeds out" resumes that do not have certain keywords, so a nifty tactic is to insert *all possible keywords* in the header of your resume - make the text *white and 6-8pts* to ensure a lot of words fit in the header.

    Also, be sure to include some info about the breaks in employment.

23. Judi Culp PearsonJuly 10,2022 at 6:10PM UTC

    I especially like this response and what Lisa Marie says about the breaks in employment. You need to address it in a way that the reader feels it won't be an issue that you'll quit because of the same problem again.

    If you've got the skills don't worry about the years of experience. Show don't tell what you've achieved. If you can give examples of what you've done, that can overcome the issue of time. Also within 48 hours of applying, try to reach out to the HR person and express your interest and why you're a good fit who brings value to the table.

24. Venise VinegarJuly 10,2022 at 2:40PM UTC

    I was part of a massive F500 company downsize of 500 employees.
    God works in mysterious ways. The same company reached out to interview me this year (10 years later) for another career opportunity based on my resume. We have no control over divine timing and alignment. What we do have control over is how we utilize the blessing of the ("down") time we are given after a job loss to get prepared and stay prepared, current, relevant and engaged for another door of opportunity to open.

    There are wonderful online job search communities that can help you recover from job loss with advice on career transitions, career pivots as well as provide you with resources and tools such as career assessments and workshops for creating a brand-new resume that can accurately and creatively reflect your journey, highlight your skillset, strengths and expertise, accomplishments, and even possibly help you land your next best fit career opportunity.

    The communities that worked for me are: The Muse.Com; Work It Daily.com; and of course, any and all LinkedIn Learning courses on resume writing, cover letters, and interviewing. I would recommend taking any mental health courses on resilience after a job loss or life changing event offered through LinkedIn as well. The LI courses are offered free through libraries. Wishing you much success.

25. AnonymousJuly 10,2022 at 3:04PM UTC

    I’d suggest extracting transferable skills from your previous roles to position yourself for consideration. Like others, I’d urge you not to discount your skills, experience, and coachability. Shortlist the roles that resonate, and tailor your resume/application to each job posting so that it clearly stands out from others. Also, it doesn’t hurt to proactively reach out to/follow recruiters at company’s you want to join - building those relationships and staying on their radar is key. Best of luck - you can do this.

26. AnonymousJuly 10,2022 at 3:59PM UTC

    I'm so sorry you got laid off, but I'm glad to see that you gave yourself some time to grieve. Get it out of your system so the bad feelings don't get in the way of your progress.

    You have a ton of great advice here but let me add that you should also take advantage of this time to add more skills. Linkedin and Coursera are good places to start. Learn something that will add to your marketability. You could also improve skills you already have like Excel or MS Teams.

    I'm sure something great will come of this! You got this!

27. Shari MarkowitzJuly 10,2022 at 6:41PM UTC

    All good advice and don’t forget to highlight your strengths on your resume because even though

    adsnfor other jobs may say they want 5 yrs experience, that is not written in stone and if your resume highlights as many strengths as possible / your skills, a good hr / hiring manager will notice / hopefully give you a chance to be interviewed. Get yourself out there on all the sites. It will happen, I e been there many times in the last 30 years. Good luck !!!!!

28. AnonymousJuly 10,2022 at 11:29PM UTC

    I just want to take the time to reach out and thank every single one of you women who took the time to reach out to me with advice and kind words. It truly means a lot that we are all in this together truly. I have accepted another position at another company that I have zero experience in, but the interviewer told me she was impressed by my resume’ and wanted to know more about me even though I hadn’t worked in the particular job I applied for at all (they were asking for 5+ years of experience, but I actually had 0 for this job…however, I did have Microsoft experience, Windows 10 experience, customer service from previous jobs, excellent references from the company I was laid off from and the ability to learn new things). I built my resume’ to highlight the transferable skills and really spoke a lot in the interview about how those skills could transfer to the role I was applying for. I’m actually a little nervous about starting all over in a new industry but I have been here before. I know I can learn new things and do well at them. :)

29. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJuly 11,2022 at 4:36AM UTC

    CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BIG NEW ADVENTURE!
    Good Luck!

30. Christi MillerJuly 26,2022 at 1:36PM UTC

    That's great news. I'm sure you will do well at the new company. Good luck.

31. Cynthia Armistead NewmanJuly 27,2022 at 12:11PM UTC

    I'm so happy for you! I'm sure you'll do great things!