Stage 7 · Lesson 1 of 8
Explain the layoff in two sentences
Interviewers know layoffs happen to good people, and after the cuts of recent years most of them have seen colleagues go through one. What they listen for is whether it was about you, and how you handled it. So prepare two calm, factual sentences and say them without apology or blame: "My team was one of several closed when the company cut 15% of staff in March.
Since then I have finished a project on X and I am looking for a role where I can do Y." Then move on to what you can do for them. If it was partly about performance, say so briefly and say what you learned.
Common trapa long, bitter or defensive story. It makes a company decision sound like a personal one.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- CoursePaidGrokking Modern Behavioral Interview
Design Gurus · Subscription
Answer questions about your past roles, including the layoff, with calm, structured stories
- BookFreeHow to Learn to Code and Get a Developer Job
freeCodeCamp (Quincy Larson) · Beginner
The free chapters on networking and getting hired through people, not job boards