Cover letter: mention layoff?

Gosh, Bug Girl, I'm really sorry to hear that about the position but I'm glad they're able to give you a six-month lead time to get things squared away.

The resume and cover letter are the way to get your foot in the door.  As you aptly point out, "My boyfriend broke up with me so I'll consider going to the prom with you now if you're interested" isn't really a good way to start the relationship or to present yourself as a highly attractive individual to be invited through the front door.

Usually you'll get the question somewhere along the way - the phone screening, the first (second or third) interview - that asks "Why are you looking to leave your current place of employment?"  At that point, you can spin it as "I'm aware that state budget cuts are in the works and I'm proactively looking for the best fit for me, my skills and the right place of employment."  I wouldn't mention May 2011 at all, unless you get pinned down.  (Cuz it's not like you're obligated to stay at your current place until then, right?) 

That approach has worked for me in the past.  One company was sinking fast and, doing payroll, it was pretty obvious that things weren't going to survive much longer.  (It's usually a bad sign when the CFO has to fund two payrolls in a row out of his own personal account, right?)  "Current trends in the organization indicate that the market is soft and I'm really looking forward to joining an organization that is in a growth-stage because that fits very well with my skill-set in the following ways ..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
DiSC profile: 7-2-1-5

I'm really sorry this is happening to you.  This really is the toughest economy for decades.

There's no need to mention it.  The fact is, you don't really know what the future has in store for you, especially 6 months out.  Someone could bankroll you with a juicy donation, you could be privatized, or the political winds could change, blowing fortune your way.

Someone will ask you why you're leaving.  I suggest you think hard about your current employment to identify secondary reasons.  It's not necessary to respond to such a question with your primary reason.  The world just isn't that simple.  There's always a collage of reasons.  The impending layoff is simply the most recently added data point.  Maybe you feel you've been in the position long enough and with the same people that you need to find a more challenging work environment.  Maybe your workplace has become so volatile you're concerned about safety.  Maybe you're looking for a better commute, or a more flexible work week.  Maybe your office window is downwind from the zebras.

Whatever the reason, structure your response the same way you would when responding to a blemish in your work history.  Direct, positive, brief, and move on with what you're expecting in a new role.  The interviewer doesn't really want all the gory details anyway.  Besides... they're expecting you to say something about the lack of opportunity for advancement.

If you feel you must respond by mentioning the state budget cuts, be prepared to react to political opinions from your interviewer.

Good luck.  You've given a lot to this community.  I'm happy to help.  PM me if Southern California is an option for you.  I don't know of any zoological contacts in my network, although help sometimes comes from the strangest places!

--Michael

Taking a more junior position is quite possible.  Be clear to yourself about your reasons for wanting the more junior position, and express them clearly in interview (and probably also in your cover letter / resume). "What I learned from my time in management is that I'm much more interested in [xxxxxx] than I am in [yyyyy], which is why I now realise that the job I'm looking for is [zzzzzzzz]."  Something like that.

Good luck :)

 Hi all -

I sometimes wonder if, with the best of intention, we make cover letters far more complicated than they have to be.

A recruiter once told me the only purposes of a cover letter are to show that I've done the job before, and that I've done it well.  This is very similar to that wonderful phrase Mike and Mark suggest about having in your cover letter: "My background fits your requirements EXPRESSLY in the following ways." (Emphasis on "expressly" mine - and I may have altered the words a bit).

I just love both of these bits of advice - because they're an acid test to help me be more realistic about all those jobs I think about applying for.  Is the job something I'd *like* to do, or something I've already *done* ??  And when the hiring manger is culling through the big pile of submissions, how do I make it that mine is more likely to get into the "interview" pile?

All that is background to my wondering if we let our cover letters get a little too full of secondary information - like why I'm looking.  I'd argue that you cover that stuff in the interview.  Showing them you can do the job is what gets you in the door.

Good luck!

Hi Buggy

Sorry to hear but as they say, most curses can turn out to be blessings.  (BTW, the silkworm joke was funny).

Your covering letter and resume are your initial marketing tools. As a marketing person, sending too many messages in one advertisement leads to a lot of inventory staying in the warehouse.  Only put your positives in the covering letter and keep it simple.  Short sentences, simple words, brief paragraphs. 

Remember, you can change your situation from "I hated being in a downsizing environment & letting people go" to "managed 8 staff through a difficult downsizing period etc.)  I learned a lot about managing and myself during this period.

If someone asks you about why you want to change jobs in the interview, you have a nice lead in to a smart and positive answer.