Resume template · Updated October 2026
Resume template for after a layoff or redundancy
Short answer
Catalyst suits a resume written in the weeks after a layoff. It prints no summary and opens on your most recent job, the one that ended through no fault of yours, so its results are the first thing a recruiter reads. The fictional sample is a senior customer success manager whose role was eliminated in a restructuring, with one neutral line saying so.
Download the after a layoff sample
Renata is a fictional senior customer success manager. Replace every detail with your own before you send it.
The files are made in your browser by Resumity's own exporters, from this sample. The builder opens it as your own resume: click any line to replace it. Free plan, no watermark.
Why Catalyst suits an after a layoff resume
Catalyst starts with work experience and has no summary, so the job that ended last month sits directly under your name with its renewal and retention numbers. After a layoff that job is still your strongest and most current evidence, and with no summary paragraph there is no temptation to spend the opening lines explaining the exit.
Second choice: Leslie. Leslie also prints experience before skills but adds a summary on top; pick it if you want two lines saying the role was eliminated and that you can start right away.
What goes in each section, in Catalyst's order
Catalyst prints its sections in a fixed order, the same in the PDF and the Word file. Here is that order for this sample, and what to put in each section.
- Work Experience. End the last job in the month your employment ended, as shown on your separation paperwork, because that is the date a reference check confirms. A closing bullet such as "Role eliminated in a company-wide restructuring" is optional: it is factual, neutral and answers the question a reader would otherwise ask.
- Skills. Name the exact platforms you used every day until the layoff (the sample lists Salesforce and Gainsight). Teams hiring for a similar role often run the same stack, and right now you can still talk about yours in detail.
- Education. Degree, school and year on one line. Several years into a career it adds little, so resist expanding it; the jobs above carry the application.
- Certifications. A credential you earned in the old job stays yours after you leave. It prints near the end of the page, so if postings ask for it, repeat it in the headline.
The sample resume as text
The same content as the files above, so you can copy a line or compare it with your own.
Renata Holloway
Senior Customer Success Manager, B2B SaaS Renewals
Columbus, OH | renata.holloway@example.com | (614) 555-0147 | linkedin.com/in/sample-renata-holloway
Experience
Senior Customer Success Manager, Lumenfield Software, Columbus, OH (03/2022 to 09/2026)
- Managed 38 mid-market accounts worth about $4.1M in annual recurring revenue, keeping gross retention above 90% for three straight years.
- Led renewal talks for the ten largest accounts and moved six of them from one-year to two-year contracts.
- Rebuilt the 90-day onboarding plan, cutting the average time to a customer's first live report from five weeks to three.
- Trained four new customer success managers and covered the team lead role for one quarter.
- Role eliminated in a company-wide restructuring in 09/2026.
Customer Success Manager, Brightpath Analytics, Columbus, OH (06/2018 to 02/2022)
- Ran quarterly business reviews for 45 small business accounts and flagged churn risks from product usage data.
- Wrote 30 help center articles answering the most common setup questions.
- Brought a reporting feature request raised by many accounts to the product team, which shipped it in 2021.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Communication, Scioto Valley University (05/2018)
Certifications
- Certified Customer Success Manager (CCSM Level 1), SuccessCOACHING (2023)
Skills
Renewals and expansion, Customer onboarding, Churn risk analysis, Quarterly business reviews, Salesforce, Gainsight, Zendesk, Looker, Contract negotiation, Calm escalation handling
How to make the sample yours
Write down your numbers before the details fade
Book size, renewal rate, the projects you led: note them in the first week from your own records, performance reviews and anything you were allowed to keep. Do not copy client lists or internal reports from systems you no longer have permission to use.
Decide whether the layoff gets a line
A short "Role eliminated in restructuring" bullet helps when the cuts were large or reported in the news, or when the job was short. If you would rather explain in person, leave it out; a resume does not have to give reasons for leaving.
Point the headline at the next job
Catalyst has no summary, so the headline carries your target. Use the title you are applying for plus one specialism ("Renewals and expansion"), never the words "laid off" or "open to work".
Line up references before your team scatters
In a layoff your manager and colleagues may be leaving too. Ask now, and collect personal email addresses or LinkedIn profiles, because work addresses stop working.
Made redundant in the UK? Use the local word
GOV.UK describes redundancy as a form of dismissal that happens when an employer needs to reduce its workforce. On a UK CV, "Role made redundant in a restructure" does the same job as the sample's last bullet.
Keywords to keep where they are true
Terms this kind of resume is usually searched for. Use the posting's exact wording, and only for work you have done.
- customer success
- renewals
- net revenue retention
- churn reduction
- customer onboarding
- quarterly business reviews
- account expansion
- customer health scores
- Salesforce
- Gainsight
- SaaS
- available immediately
Mistakes to avoid
- Keeping "Present" on a job that has ended. A reference check shows the real date, and the mismatch costs more trust than the layoff ever would.
- Blaming the company or its leadership for the cuts. Bitterness on the page makes a reader wonder how you would talk about their company one day.
- Writing "terminated" or "let go", which can read as dismissal for cause. "Role eliminated" or "position eliminated" describes a layoff accurately.
- Taking client names, revenue figures or screenshots from systems you no longer have permission to access.
How the sample PDF reads in text extractors
We exported this sample with Resumity's PDF exporter in Chrome on 2026-10-29 and read the file back with three open-source text extractors. This shows whether software that turns a PDF into text can recover it; it is not a test of any commercial applicant tracking system. How we test templates.
| Extractor | Name, email, phone | Headings | Bullets intact |
|---|---|---|---|
| pdf.js 4.10.38 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
| pdftotext (Xpdf) 4.00 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
| pypdf 6.13.0 | All found | 4 of 4 | 8 of 8 |
Frequently asked questions
Should I mention a layoff on my resume?
You do not have to. One neutral bullet at the end of the last job ("Role eliminated in a company-wide restructuring, 09/2026") can answer the question early, which helps after a short tenure or a widely reported round of cuts. Otherwise, explain it in the cover letter or interview.
What end date do I use while I am on notice or getting severance?
While you are still employed, for example during a notice period, "Present" is accurate. Once employment ends, use that month. Severance paid after your last day does not usually change the end date, so check your separation letter.
Is being made redundant the same as being laid off?
They describe the same thing in different countries. GOV.UK describes redundancy as a form of dismissal that happens when employers need to reduce their workforce, so it is about the role, not your performance. GOV.UK also lists time off to find a new job among the things you may be entitled to.
What if I was laid off after only a few months?
List the job with its real dates and add the "role eliminated" line, because a short stint with no reason is what a reader questions. Leaving the job off creates a gap that needs explaining anyway.
How soon after a layoff should I start applying?
As soon as the resume is updated. A few weeks or months between jobs is a normal search and needs no explanation; if it runs past about six months, add what you did in that time, such as courses or contract work.
Will applicant tracking systems read this Catalyst PDF?
The sample PDF read back with its contact details, all 4 section headings and all 8 bullets intact in three open-source text extractors (pdf.js, pdftotext and pypdf). Commercial systems such as Workday, Greenhouse or Taleo were not tested, and each employer configures its own.
Guides and templates for this resume
Sources, checked 29 October 2026
We opened every page below on that date. Pay, rules and requirements change, so check the source before you rely on a detail.
- GOV.UK: Redundancy: your rights (Defines redundancy as a form of dismissal that happens when employers need to reduce their workforce; lists time off to find a new job among possible entitlements.)