Give employers the real scoop, not just the work history. Employment expectations have changed: hardworking survivors have had to handle multiple assignments, others have ridden the wave of name changes on their institutions, and some job seekers look like job-hoppers as they have been made redundant more than once.

There is no shame in being laid off, especially during a downturn in the economy. So include a one-liner that details your company’s cutbacks. For an acquisition, state the current name with the name of the acquired firm in parentheses. For multiple acquisitions, lead in with a short paragraph describing the evolution and how your position fluctuated as a result. Remember, being retained through a series of restructurings implies you are valued. Hanging on after layoffs also usually means you are stuck with an increased workload, which is difficult to present on your resume. Don’t put in too many bullet points; it is the kiss of death and makes the resume hard to read. Only include information relevant to your career objectives. If necessary use bold subheadings under your official title and allude to the increase in responsibility when noting you were selected the handle mission-critical projects.