Should I mention a buyout in my cover letter or not? (employees, applying)

[Fringe Event]

I took a voluntary buyout from my company, which is in budget-cutting mode and offered buyouts to employees based on years of service. The terms of the buyout required a fixed exit date, so I opted to leave sooner than later so that I could devote as much time and energy as possible to a job search. (I know this isn't how you're supposed to do it, you're supposed to stay employed until you have a job offer, but I didn't want to risk finding a job and then not being able to start when they needed me.)

How do I indicate to a prospective employer that I was not fired or laid off, but left voluntarily to seek new opportunities, via a buyout offer? (Should I even mention that in a cover letter though?) They're going to see many years at one company and then see that I recently left, and I'm sure they will wonder. This buyout offer was reported in the local news since it's a prominent local company, but I can't assume everyone in the area is aware of it.

I left on very good terms with my co-workers and supervisors and have enthusiastic references (although, one of my references also recently left the company).

I also really am interested in working for at least a couple of years in a part-time or more entry-level position in a different field, which I find easier to allude to in a cover letter. But I think this also makes prospective employers wonder why I would apply to a lower paying job. Again, answer is that I took a buyout and am deliberately trying to enter a new field, so the type of work is more important to me than the pay right now.

Any advice for how to allude to my situation in a cover letter, to reassure employers that I wasn't fired or laid off?

[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by Fringe Event

I took a voluntary buyout from my company,


How do I indicate to a prospective employer that I was not fired or laid off, but left voluntarily to seek new opportunities, via a buyout offer? (Should I even mention that in a cover letter though?)

This buyout offer was reported in the local news since it's a prominent local company, but I can't assume everyone in the area is aware of it.

I also really am interested in working for at least a couple of years in a part-time or more entry-level position in a different field, which I find easier to allude to in a cover letter.

But I think this also makes prospective employers wonder why I would apply to a lower paying job. Again, answer is that I took a buyout and am deliberately trying to enter a new field, so the type of work is more important to me than the pay right now.

Any advice for how to allude to my situation in a cover letter, to reassure employers that I wasn't fired or laid off?

Fringe,

Indicating your reasons for being available is easily handled in a cover letter by simply mentioning that your company took some cost-saving steps by cutting 356 positions that included staff positions, managers and executives. That you took a voluntary buy-out that was offered you and others enabled you to make yourself immediately available for hire.

Providing the [approximate if necessary] number of cuts and being sure to mention that those higher up on the org chart were also cut takes you off the 'guilty until proven innocent' list employers tend to put people on when being told of cutbacks.

You would mention this last in your Cover Letter as an 'oh, by the way'.


The priority in a Cover Letter is not to discuss why you are looking for a new position but to pre-close the Resume Reader/HA as to why you are a 'best choice' for the position you are seeking.

Your emphasis and energy ought to be spent providing evidence as to why you are the best-suited applicant for the job being advertised.


If you wish, you can add to the last paragraph that refers to your company having made cuts that their having provided you with a form of severance allows you to be able to 'take a step back in order to take two steps forward' by taking on a job in a field new to you.

Although this adequately 'covers' the "why aren't you working?" question, it does not address your suitability for the position you seek.

Again, I need to emphasize that 'why you are available' is a lesser concern -and as I have shown, can be handled in a single paragraph- than proving why you are a best choice hire. Which is always a priority when applying for a job.





Paul.........


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[dmills]

Originally Posted by HeadhunterPaul

Fringe,

Indicating your reasons for being available is easily handled in a cover letter by simply mentioning that your company took some cost-saving steps by cutting 356 positions that included staff positions, managers and executives. That you took a voluntary buy-out that was offered you and others enabled you to make yourself immediately available for hire.

Providing the [approximate if necessary] number of cuts and being sure to mention that those higher up on the org chart were also cut takes you off the 'guilty until proven innocent' list employers tend to put people on when being told of cutbacks.

You would mention this last in your Cover Letter as an 'oh, by the way'.


The priority in a Cover Letter is not to discuss why you are looking for a new position but to pre-close the Resume Reader/HA as to why you are a 'best choice' for the position you are seeking.

Your emphasis and energy ought to be spent providing evidence as to why you are the best-suited applicant for the job being advertised.


If you wish, you can add to the last paragraph that refers to your company having made cuts that their having provided you with a form of severance allows you to be able to 'take a step back in order to take two steps forward' by taking on a job in a field new to you.

Although this adequately 'covers' the "why aren't you working?" question, it does not address your suitability for the position you seek.

Again, I need to emphasize that 'why you are available' is a lesser concern -and as I have shown, can be handled in a single paragraph- than proving why you are a best choice hire. Which is always a priority when applying for a job.





Paul.........


...

Good advice!

[HeadhunterPaul]

Originally Posted by dmills

Good advice!

Naturally....





Paul...........


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