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Explaining loss of positions to a future employer

By Andrea Wolf, Globe Correspondent, 6/20/04

At the end of 2000, I was laid off from a job that I loved. The position was rewarding and the company was a great place to work. I was devastated and jumped at the first job opportunity that came my way. I wasn't thrilled with the job but I worked hard and was rewarded with salary increases, bonuses, and company perks during my three years of employment. Last month, I found myself standing in the unemployment line again. Although both layoffs were due to poor business climates and not performance, I feel embarrassed and discouraged. I have stellar references from both employers, including the managers who made the layoff decisions, but I am concerned about what future employers may think. I also wonder if I may be in the wrong profession since I have been dispensable to two employers. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can handle the interview process to put a more positive spin on the situation?

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You are faced with a common situation in today's job market. Many companies are downsizing and cutting strong performers like yourself. It is evident that you were highly valued by both companies.

What is important for you to internalize is that your position was eliminated for business, not personal reasons. Remember to reflect on the key strengths and benefits you brought the company.

You raise the uncomfortable feelings of how to explain your job loss to a future employer. Prepare a ''reason for leaving'' statement. You want to develop a statement that is truthful and acceptable to your previous and prospective employer. Keep it short, factual, and positive. I recommend a three-part story:

Background: A brief and positive description of your role and responsibilities.

Facts: The company faced an economic downturn and your position was eliminated.

Moving forward: Therefore, you are looking to utilize your skills in a new position.

As a result of the layoff, you seem to be questioning if you are working in the wrong profession. It sounds like you jumped too quickly into your second job without evaluating the fit.

Consider this as a good time to do some self-assessment. You can start by looking at the skills you most enjoyed in your positions and ask for feedback from colleagues. Then you could explore other interest areas through networking. Since you are at a turning point, you may want to consider career coaching so that you can make a good decision in your next position.

IT workers may need to reevaluate careers

I'm one of the many IT workers who have been out of work in my field for a very long time. I had not planned a career change as I enjoyed what I was doing. However, I'm really starting to wonder if it's time to think about doing something else. I just don't feel from what I read about outsourcing that the IT sector will recover. What are your thoughts?

Offshore outsourcing is a growing phenomenon affecting technology professionals who remain underemployed or out of work, like yourself.

Although some areas in IT are expected to rebound as the economy strengthens, outsourcing to India and Southeast Asia has caused great competition for existing industry positions.

According to market research firm, Gartner Inc., business process offshoring is expected to reach $1.8 billion in 2003 on a global basis, representing a 38 percent increase from the previous year.

Two years is a long time to be out of work. Such a hiatus from the workplace is worthy of a serious reevaluation of your IT career. The field has been hit hard but there are some opportunities that are beginning to open up depending on expertise.

As a starting point, determine what skills you have that tap into the current market needs for IT specialists. If your skill set is valued, then you need to evaluate your job search strategy.

Ask yourself: How and where did you deliver value in your previous job? What did you contribute that made your business group successful? How current is your skill base?

It's also worth exploring whether you have the required qualifications and skills the market demands. You may want to pursue further education or training to broaden your experience.

What other skills and knowledge do you have? For example, do you have experience with administrative IT programs in project management, payroll, or accounting systems? These skills may help you present yourself to other industries. If you have an understanding of an industry sector and its technology needs, then that may be an advantage to you.

I have seen many IT professionals who have thoroughly scoured the job market with no success and have decided to work as contract consultants or take project-based work assignments on a temporary basis. This allows employers some staffing and cost flexibility. Sometimes these assignments can lead to full-time positions.

With all the changes in the market, everyone needs to be current in their field. In addition, we need to understand outsourcing's impact on business. The nature of work is changing so dramatically that most economists haven't even figured out the implications yet. Although we see the trend of outsourcing IT jobs to some countries and a decrease in these jobs in the United States, it is unclear what the future holds.

With any change comes both risk and opportunity. IT professionals may need to focus on the career paths that globalization is creating.

If many programming positions have disappeared, consider developing skills in understanding and translating business processes and utilizing project management experience. Doing so might enable IT professionals to position themselves as the liaison for offshore development projects.

To be competitive, IT professionals can no longer rely on their technical expertise solely but need to have expertise in industry specific business practices. They will need to be able to translate business needs to IT practices.

Some points to consider as you examine your career options:

- Look at your additional skills and become more of a generalist as you will be better positioned if you are skilled in both technology and the business side of IT.
- Look to smaller organizations. Fortune 500 companies will focus most on offshoring.
- Start your own consulting business if you have the entrepreneurial spirit.
- Look into areas of growth such as healthcare and education.
- Get further education to update skills and retrain.
- Explore changing career fields through the help of one-stop career centers or career counseling.

Staying, complaining won't help your career

I will be leaving my current position in about a year. My annual review is in a few weeks. I recently discovered that someone hired five months ago started at a salary $1,500 a year higher than mine, even though we both have an identical job title and description. I was told by my headhunter when the job was offered to me that there would be no negotiation of salary, so I accepted the offer as it stood. There are multiple problems at work including rampant turnover, low employee morale, and favoritism on the part of the office manager. Do I ignore the salary imbalance and just say ''good riddance'' to the job when it comes time to move on? Do I confront the office manager during my annual review and ask about the disparity in salaries? Do I contact the firm's human resources manager and discuss the disparity with him? Do I contact him now or wait to see what is offered at my review?

You may want to reevaluate your plan of staying in your present job for one more year. Why are you waiting to leave if you detest your boss and see both an unequal salary as well as limited future growth potential? If you are holding on for one more year in hopes of a higher salary, don't hold your breath.

You do not describe any positive actions you have taken. I wonder what efforts you have made to work more effectively with your boss. Remember, you were hired to provide skills that help your company and it is your job to meet your boss' needs.

If the differences are too great, then you have a choice: leave the company. To stay, complain, and hang in there demonstrates an attitude that will not help you progress in your career.

Regarding the salary issue, you can always ask for what you think is fair in the negotiation with your hiring manager before accepting the offer. At this point, however, I think that raising the salary issue is a waste of your time and may create ill will.

In the future, be wary of a headhunter who says there is no negotiation. They are working for the company to fill the job and not necessarily for your best interests. Understand that negotiation is a natural part of developing a win-win situation with a future employer.

I advise you to view your situation as a learning experience so that moving forward you can proceed at your professional best.

Be upfront about need for flexible schedule

I am looking for a 24- or 30-hour-a-week position, and I am considering applying for positions that are advertised as full time. My hope is being able to negotiate shorter hours, or do job sharing. My field is health services research. Positions are often grant-funded in this field, and I have been told that there is often room for flexibility in setting work hours. At what point in the application process should I disclose that I am seeking part-time work?

The field of health services research may allow for flexibility in scheduling, but my advice is go for the position as advertised so that you do not eliminate yourself up front. In the interview, you can ask about the job expectations to get a fuller picture of the position without hinting that you want part time.

Your goal is to interview well, get the job offer, and then have a follow-up meeting where you can negotiate for flex time or reduced hours. Be prepared to share how you will get all the work done within that time frame and how you can be most productive.

You are at a much greater advantage to ask for changes after you have received the offer. Since the company offered you the position, they value you above the other applicants and may be willing to accommodate you.

Andrea Wolf is vice president of career management at Right Management Consultants.

Need advice about managing your career or workplace? Our specialists can help. E-mail questions to
; fax to 617-929-3183; or mail to Job Doc, The Boston Globe, P.O. Box 55819, Boston, MA 02205-5819.

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