How do I explain redundancy on my CV and during a job interview?

A woman working at her desk in the office

If you’ve found yourself in the position of being made redundant, don’t be afraid of communicating it clearly on your CV and in a job interview.

When addressing your redundancy on your CV, include any relevant and appropriate background information, such as the department or organisation needing to downsize, and ensure you highlight your key achievements in the role.

Similarly, address any redundancy-related questions in a job interview by focusing on successes in your previous job and explaining how you’ve used your time proactively since your redundancy.

Your career can bounce back from redundancy

If you have recently been made redundant, you may feel as though you’re facing an uncertain future. Once the initial shock subsides and your thoughts turn to your next job search, you may also wonder how to best address your redundancy on your CV and in future job interviews.

Before going any further, it’s important to recognise that there really is no stigma related to redundancy. As we have previously noted, such decisions are made on commercial grounds and are never a personal reflection of you, your skills or your value. Indeed, many people have been through a redundancy – perhaps even your future manager – and employers are rarely sceptical of a candidate who has experienced a redundancy. You therefore shouldn’t feel at all ashamed or embarrassed about your redundancy or fear your career will be unable to ‘bounce back’.

Instead, try to look to your future with hope and optimism, however disappointed and disheartened you may feel in the short-term about your redundancy itself. Know that you can make a difference to an employer and your skills are valued.

With this in mind, here are some ways to acknowledge your redundancy as you search for a new role.

The best ways to explain your redundancy on your CV

Include the start and end dates of your previous employment on your CV. It’s crucial to be open, honest and succinct about your redundancy on your CV. Include both the month and year of your start and end dates for your last period of employment – you won’t want to give the impression of trying to conceal the reality of the situation.
Address your reason for leaving and any other background information when listing your previous role. Briefly explain the facts about how your employment ended, in the context of the broader organisational or economic changes. You don’t need to devote more than one or two lines to explaining the reasons behind your employer making you redundant though. For example, “My role was made redundant due to the impact of COVID-19 on my employer’s industry.” Including brief, relevant background information like this will help prospective employers to understand the broader circumstances surrounding your redundancy while saving vital space for selling your skills and experience.
Highlight your key achievements in your last role. Outlining your redundancy on your CV doesn’t mean you need to dwell on it. Your main focus should be on the positives, such as your recent accomplishments in your previous role. As well as more formal achievements, refer to any projects you worked on that you are proud of, whether you managed to complete these before your redundancy or not. For further guidance, we have previously written about how to enhance your CV with quantifiable evidence of your skills, competencies and results which will help you here. Another simple trick for referencing strengths and accomplishments in an impactful way is using action verbs – for example, instead of simply saying you have “strong communication skills”, using terms like “wrote”, “edited” or “published” forces you to include your results and achievements.
List any proactive activities you’ve been doing since you were made redundant. It is also advisable to explain, briefly, how you have filled the intervening time since being made redundant. In the professional summary section of your CV, mention anything you have done during this time that is productive and relevant to your target job, such as upskilling. If you have completed any voluntary work during your time out of paid employment, add this to the work experience section – just make sure you focus on your achievements in the role to boost your marketability to employers.

How to explain your redundancy in a job interview

Nothing about being made redundant is your fault, so you shouldn’t feel embarrassed or ashamed if an interviewer brings it up. If you do feel nervous about being asked about it, prepare and practise your answer in advance, taking into account the below strategies.

Explain the situation. If the interviewer asks you to expand on the circumstances around your redundancy beyond what your CV states, be prepared to elaborate. For example, perhaps there were multiple redundancies in your department due to COVID-19 disruption.
Reference your successes in the role from which you were made redundant. Your accomplishments in your last job are no less valid simply due to your redundancy - after all, your redundancy is not a reflection on your abilities or how well you performed in the role. So, be ready to cite your achievements that best demonstrate your suitability for the job you’re interviewing for, and how you wish to build on these. Just as you should include quantifiable results on your CV, also mention these in interviews, to help further illustrate your competence and ability.
Use positive language. Don’t blame or talk negatively about your previous employer. Any reference to the manager or organisation that made you redundant should be in the context of being thankful for your time, learning and achievements with them. Also explain how – while you were disappointed to leave – you immediately turned your attention to refocusing your career goals and identifying your next steps.
Focus on what you have been doing since your redundancy. Have you been upskilling or attending webinars? What about reading papers and books on your industry? Maybe you’ve been volunteering or participating in charity work? Describe these activities in an authentic way that helps to present you as a strong candidate for the role, and a rounded person. Make it clear to the interviewer that the way in which you’ve used your time since leaving your last job makes you an even stronger potential employee for this position.
Explain why this role you’re applying for is a good fit for you. You won’t want to create the impression that you are simply applying for any role that will get you rapidly back into the workplace – you want to make it clear to the interviewer that it’s this specific opportunity that you’re interested in. So, in the interview, describe why this would be the logical next job for you, and would make you the right choice for the potential employer. What skills and experiences have you gained, both in your past roles and since you were made redundant, that you could bring to this new role to help the organisation achieve its own objectives for this position?

“Why were you made redundant?” – an example interview answer:

Based on this, how do you think you might answer when an interviewer asks you about your redundancy? Hays Poland Director Marc Burrage shares this great example answer:

“My previous employer had to make a series of budget cuts, as a result of which, my role was made redundant. However, I’m proud of what I achieved in my previous position as a credit controller – for example, I built a new streamlined process in order to speed up customer credit checks that was subsequently adopted by the wider business.

“Since being made redundant, I’ve used my time out of the workplace to really think about what I want from my next role and have also been proactively keeping up-to-date with the latest developments in the industry.

“This role particularly caught my attention as I’m keen to find an opportunity where I can build on my existing skill set, manage a team, and really help drive the business forward.”

Turn your life after redundancy into a rewarding new chapter in your career

We are very sorry that you’re going through this turbulent career change right now. However, we would urge you to try your best to frame the experience as an opportunity for growth.

You can use this time out from the workplace to learn new skills or search for a job role or organisation that you would be much more passionate about. Or perhaps this is a chance for you to really review your career decisions to date, and consider the best strategy going forward?

All hiring managers and employers are going to understand your situation right now, so addressing it clearly and in a positive manner – both on your CV and in an interview – will do nothing to damage your chances in a new role.

Good luck.

About this author

Jane McNeill, joined Hays in 1987 as a trainee recruitment consultant in London and is now Managing Director of Hays NSW and WA.

After two years with Hays Jane began managing her own office and quickly took on larger and more diversified teams of people and responsibility for a region in the UK.

In 2001 Jane arrived in Perth , Western Australia and shortly after took over as State Director for WA. After six years of significant business growth she was appointed to the Hays Australia & New Zealand management board in 2007.

In 2012 Jane moved to Sydney and now oversees Hays’ operations in New South Wales with board responsibility for Western Australia.

Jane has an MA in Psychology from Edinburgh University.

Follow Jane on LinkedIn