Two Layoffs? No Problem

Published February 28, 2010

It’s happened to a banker in Providence, R.I., a real estate investment advisor in Boise, Idaho, and thousands of people who work in manufacturing in midwestern states. If you’ve suffered the embarrassment of being laid off not once, but twice, relax — you are hardly alone.

Of the 18 million people who worked in 2008 and also experienced unemployment, 22 percent had 2 or more spells of joblessness, according to the latest research from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Hiring managers are increasingly aware that it is a common occurrence, and not necessarily a black eye.

In fields like marketing and information technology, being laid off may even classify as “normal,” says Lynn Hazan, a Chicago-based executive recruiter. Advertising agencies and marketing departments cut positions when they lose accounts; global companies trim IT staffs to meet shifting needs.

“Everyone knows how much no-fault job loss there is, and that [he or she] may be just as vulnerable to it as you have been,” says John Challenger of Challenger, Gray & Christmas, a global outplacement firm.

So come to a job interview confident that you can explain a double dose of unemployment.

“Be candid and focus on the business reasons,” says Melvin Scales, vice president for global solutions, Right Management, a Philadelphia-based outplacement firm.

Assuming your layoffs had nothing to do with performance, make that clear by explaining why your position – not you – became less relevant to your employer. If your manager has indicated a desire to hire you back when the economy improves or has written a glowing recommendation, mention that to bolster your case, Hazan advises.

You might even claim that suffering through double layoffs makes you a more attractive job candidate.

“When people go through downsizing, typically they use the time to sharpen their skills,” either by working as a consultant or getting additional training, says Scales.

Make sure that applies to you. In addition, stress your own understanding of the fact that rapid change is high on the list of challenges many companies face nowadays.

Says Hazan, “State what you learned from those experiences and how that can be of help to the new employers.”

While your job history may be clouded by double layoffs, clear it up by offering your own extra dose of industry insight.

Leslie Whitaker is co-author of "Good Girls Guide to Negotiating." E-mail her at Leslie(at)ctwfeatures.com and join the conversation at www.lesliewhitaker.com.

- Written By Leslie Whitaker