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MBA graduate laid off despite good performance - How to explain in interviews?

Shekhar

Shekhar Kumar  | Answer  |Ask -

Leadership, HR Expert - Answered on Apr 21, 2025

Shekhar Kumar is senior manager, talent acquisition, at the Shri Venkateshwara University in Gajraula, Uttar Pradesh. He has 18 years of expertise in the search and placement of executive leadership talent across various industries.
He has also mentored middle and senior management professionals for leadership positions and guided them in career development.
Shekhar has a bachelor's degree in business management from Magadh University, Bihar, and a master's degree in human resource management from Annamalai University, Tamil Nadu.... more
Asked by Anonymous - Apr 21, 2025Hindi
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I don't have a fancy MBA degree I am a BCom graduate from a tier 3 city with 20-plus years of experience who has worked in senior roles across India. I have recently been laid off from a senior management role due to organisational restructuring. I was first asked to get rid of poor performers. After they made me sack over 25 employees within a year. The following year, I was asked to take a pay cut, which I did, for the sake of protecting my team and helping them stay in the company. Last month, the HR asked me to resign with a not-so-exciting severance pay. How should I position this in future interviews without it reflecting negatively on my leadership and career opportunities?

Ans: Here’s how you can position this situation positively and professionally in interviews without damaging your image or leadership profile. Start framing your experience as one where you demonstrated resilient leadership during difficult times. Try to mention your willingness to take a pay cut as an example of your commitment to the team and the company. Avoid using emotionally charged language like “I was forced out.” Instead, be calm, neutral, and strategic. This shows maturity, professionalism, and emotional intelligence. Practice your story with confidence and calmness. Companies know that layoffs happen—what they’re evaluating is how you handled it and your attitude going forward.
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Ans:

Dear R,

Let’s bring it down simply into Health, Work and Marriage. And of course, your added element of superstitions that aren’t helping anyway.

You were absolutely right in taking care of your health and reworking your work timings.

If the boss doesn’t care about that, well then you are stuck with a boss whose appraisal on you will be based on the number of hours v/s actual output of work.

I know you cannot choose your boss, but being led by someone like this isn’t going to let you grow either. So, whether you choose to work as a freelancer or within an office, do make sure that you are surrounded by people that can fuel your growth.

If that’s not possible always, work your mind to a point of strength where you hold fort and not allow yourself to be a pawn like you did with you boss.

With your personal story, your wife did support you when she did and maybe the lifestyle is something that is used to.

Isn’t it time for the two of you to actually talk about the future. Instead of allowing life to take you over, ever thought of setting a strong goal as a family where everyone is involved in each other’s success journey?

So, she perhaps does not understand what it means to still live with her mother, what it means for her to have a husband with a steady job, what it means to you to keep your health at its peak!

When you both don’t understand what things mean to each other, you will be caught in crossfires and not support one another. So TALK and COMMUNICATE. And if all superstitions were to be believed, we could hunt all the black cats down and hold them captives OR not walk outside for fear of them crossing our paths.

It’s just your mind mapping on this low phase into today.

What happened with your father and you repeating with you and your son becomes true only when you don’t take charge of your life now and do something different. So, think and act different and more usefully.

Create a better life. All the best!

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