Redundancy and resumes

Ask CJ Column: Rob writes: “How do I deal with the fact I was made redundant on my resume?” It is fine to say you were “retrenched” (your role was made “redundant”) when stating the reason you left but make it clear it was part of bigger company decision.

Eg: “I was retrenched along with x people in my department.” Or, “I was retrenched as part of a company-wide move to consolidate in these challenging economic times.”

Howard Searle of Career Path Pty Ltd says that if you have been retrenched then you are not alone so there is no reason to feel embarrassed.

“Don’t cover up a redundancy on your resume – it will come back to haunt you. Keep your resume honest, clear, concise and attractive to potential employers and the phone will ring.”

Rob Davidson of Davidson Recruitment says people who have been retrenched should be making their resumes stand out from the competition.

“In boom times if you had relevant experience and a heart beat a recruiter would see you. Now they are being inundated with CVs. Seven to 15 relevant CVs has gone to 200 CVs particularly at middle management level, which often gets retrenched first. A CV is an important marketing document and people generally form their first impressions [of a candidate] from their CV, so if you’re spending less than 20 hours putting it together then it’s not good enough.”

He also advises rounding up your referees before they all disappear if they too have been retrenched.

There is a lot more detailed advice in the News & Advice section of CareerOne.com.au. Sections to check include, “Resume”, “Cover Letter”, “Interviews” and “Job hunting advice”.