Laid off after 20+ years at one company
Losing a job you've held for decades is a shock, and it's often the first time you've needed a resume in years. Long tenure is a strength. The resume just needs to show how much you grew there.
1. Show each role at the company separately
List the company once, then each title under it with its own dates and two or three bullets. Twenty years with three promotions reads as growth, not standing still.
2. Say "position eliminated" only where it helps
The resume doesn't need to say you were laid off; the end date is enough. In a cover letter or interview, "My position was eliminated in a restructuring" is honest, common, and carries no stigma.
3. Capture what only you knew
Long-time employees often became the go-to person for a system, a customer group, or a process. Those make strong bullets: "Company expert on the legacy billing system; trained 15 staff on its replacement."
4. Translate company-specific language
Internal job titles, project names and acronyms mean nothing outside. Use the plain-language equivalent.
5. Update your tools
If your company used older or custom software, list what transfers (Excel, Outlook, ERP systems by name) and consider a short course in today's common tools.
6. Get the basics sorted first
Employer severance terms, unemployment benefits and health coverage are questions for your HR department or state agencies. We don't give advice on those, but it's worth checking deadlines early.
Fictional sample
Fictional sample: "Gary Whitfield" is made up. Every name, business, number and date below is invented to illustrate the advice. It isn't from a real customer.
Gary is a made-up employee whose job was eliminated after 23 years at a regional manufacturer.
GARY WHITFIELD · Rockford, IL · gary.whitfield@example.com
Summary
Production planning supervisor with 23 years of steady advancement at a regional manufacturer. Strong in scheduling, inventory control and training.
Experience
Midwest Fasteners Inc. (fictional), Rockford, IL · 2003–2026
Production Planning Supervisor, 2016–2026
- Scheduled production for 3 lines and about 60 operators; led the move to a new planning system.
Production Planner, 2009–2016
- Built weekly schedules and managed raw-material orders.
Machine Operator, 2003–2009
How we can help
We'll turn your years at one company into a clear story of growth and send you a draft within 2 business days. Go to the order form.
Prices
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| What you get | Price | Ready in |
|---|---|---|
| Resume refresh We rewrite and reformat your resume for the kind of job you want. Up to 2 rounds of changes. | $59 | 2 business days |
| Resume + cover letter The resume refresh, plus one cover letter for a specific job. | $79 | 2 business days |
| Cover letter only One letter for one job posting. Send us the posting and your resume. | $25 | 1 business day |
We'll email you a draft; pay only after you approve it. If it isn't right, tell us what to change. You owe nothing until you approve it.
An honest note: we use AI to help
We use AI writing tools to help draft and format your resume. A real person reads, checks and edits every page before it reaches you.
- We never make anything up: no invented jobs, dates, degrees, licenses or skills. If something is unclear, we ask you.
- We take out your phone number, email and street address before using any AI tool and put them back at the end.
- You can ask us to delete your information at any time. See our privacy note.
What we won't do
- We will never ask for passwords, PINs, bank or card numbers, or your Social Security number. Please don't send them. Anyone who asks you for these is not us.
- We don't log into job websites or accounts for you.
- We don't give legal, medical, or financial advice, and we don't make those decisions for you.
- We can't promise you'll get a job or an interview. Nobody honestly can.
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Want us to do it for you?
Email orders@scantoolmatch.com with your old resume (or a phone photo of it) and the kind of job you want. Rough notes are fine. We'll email you a draft within 2 business days; pay only after you approve it.