So You’ve Been Fired!
February 17, 2009 by Darlene McDaniel
Filed under Jobs
So, You’ve Been Fired is by far the most popular post I have written here at Interview Chatter over the last two years. I still respond to comments weekly. Which is why I am reposting it today. I want to hear from you. If you have recently been fired from your job and you don’t know what to do. I invite you to take a look at this post, read through the comments. You are in good company. If you have questions, again, scroll down and leave your question. I am looking for some stories. I would like to hear what happened, and what your current status is. Has it been a challenge to find employment after being fired? Are you getting interviews? How is your job search going? If you are willing to share your story, please scroll down and leave a comment or send me an email at darlingmcdaniel@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you!
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Termination for cause is a serious concern for any hiring manager. If you have been fired from a job, do not lie 
about it or attempt to make excuses, justifications or blame others. Honesty and humility are the greatest qualities that you can employ to help you navigate through this very difficult question in the interview. If you have not invested any time preparing how you want to answer this question, you may find yourself hoping they hire you rather than communicating why you are the best candidate for the job. This question can help you score big in the interview or it can kill you! When they ask, “have you ever been terminated from a job?” If the answer is “YES”, than be honest, tell the truth – “yes, I have been fired.” Don’t leave that statement dangling out there. Follow it up with something like “But I have learned so much from my mistake.” This is an accountability statement. No blame, no long story. In other words you are going to admit you have been terminated. You do not need to tell all of the gory details and most hiring managers are not going to want to hear about all of the gory details. They are more interested in determining whether you have grown from your experience or are you going to bring mess into their organization. It doesn’t matter who did what or who said what to whom.
Give a quick summary of what you did and the lessons you learned. It is your responsibility to communicate what you have learned and to give them peace of mind – That you will not make the same mistake twice.
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I came across your site looking for suggestions on how to handle my personal situation. I would appreciate any help/advice you could provide. In August I was laid-off from a previous employer that I had worked for for 4 years (I left a job that I was employed at for 10 years to move the that company). I was devastated. Although I know the economy has been in a shambles, this was a small company and I considered quite a few of the upper management “friends.” Anyway, 3 weeks later I was fortunate enough to be offered a position in another small family owned company. Three of us worked in the office. I felt comfortable initially, and then I noticed if I tried to make suggestions about any changes or improvements, the office manager (one of the other 2 individuals that worked in the office with me) would get defensive. I would comment that it was just a suggestion and they in turn would say that I was being defensive because I “lacked confidence” in my position. I have extensive experience in this industry (15+ years) and I am very confident in my abilities.
Anyway, long story short, I asked to have an office meeting and discuss the tension that was evident. It was addressed that I am very defensive…how do you defend that?? Being MORE defensive?? :) It ended on a positive note (or so I thought. Two months later and with no formal indication whatsoever I was let go this past Friday for what the owner’s husband referred to as they were “not confident that I would be able to handle it when we get busy.” I stated that I felt I was doing fine and he said “yes, but we aren’t busy.”
I have never (not even as a teen) been fired from a position. I feel it had more to do with my compensation and ambitions (which led to tension betwen myself and the office manager) than anything to do with my abilities. I was never notified, formally or otherwise, that I needed to improve my performance, and now I have to inform future employment opportunities that I was fired due to performance issues.
I’m not sure how to effectively handle this and would appreciate any advice you can provide. I’m having nightmares about how I am going to handle UE as well…I have never collected before (my previous lay off was only 3 weeks) and I’m not sure how this would affect my benefits…
I was recently asked to sign a resignation or be fired. My union rep advised me to resign to avoid the negative comment on my file. However, when I applied for UE, I was denied, the letter stating I was “discharged for misconduct.”
Here’s the situation. I’ve worked at a pharmacy with a clean record for 8 years. Then a customer came in and was being very verbally abusive to a coworker. When I asked him to stop and leave, he would not. He continued to be abusive and I pushed him away from my coworker. There is a “no contact” policy at my workplace and the installed camera caught the push, but unfortunately did not catch the customer’s actions. I was led in to HR by a detective, explained the situation and after my union rep advised me, signed a resignation. That was all I signed. Nothing more was said to me about UE or anything. In filing for UE, I stated I resigned, but instead of “voluntary termination” my employer reported a misconduct charge to UE and my UE was denied.
I live in California and it is my understanding that my former employer can only give dates of my employment and salary to any other potential employer. Is this true? Can my former employer say I am not “rehirable” as well or state I was terminated? Also, since there is a letter of resignation ONLY (on which I stated I resigned and the date ONLY), is the pharmacy engaging in illegal activity by telling UE I was terminated for misconduct? Please help me.
Hello Darline I am stating the same questions that many other ppl had stated before about applying online and what would be a good way of saying that Iwas terminted.
I had an argument with another employee and I was suspended for five days and when I came back they fired me. I had great attendence and I was not on a final and to mysself I felt that it was wrong. This is Ikea a very well knnown stown store. I had previously work for home depot my first job..I had left home depot to go to ikea. When I seem to interview at other retailers such as best buy, the children place. etc the first thing they say you work for Ikea and why did you leave.
from that point on I tell them the truth but I think I talk alot
I was just wondering when ask that question is there a better way to say i????? and would there be a better way then writing terminated on my application.
would you be able to send me the e-mail that you send other people on here pertaining to what to say on the application process
Thank you
Tiffany
Hello!
I have a teaching degree but have only taught 1 year at a private high school. My husband is military so it’s hard to constantly find new jobs. That being said, when we moved to our new home here in Nebraska I was hoping to find a job teaching immediately but I’ve been applying to school districts within an hour radius for almost 2 years now! About a month after we moved here, I realized I wasn’t going to find anything right away even though it was August, so I obtained a job at an elite private preschool working with 4 year olds. My degree is for middle and high school students but I thought little ones might be more fun and help me keep up my classroom skills.
All that being said, this past week I was “asked to resign” after being on a probationary status for using “negative reinforcement” such as telling students they will lose “center time” if they continued their negative behavior. I’m used to older students and I guess I’m just not warm and fuzzy and willing to give rewards for negative behavior. They said they appreciated my loyalty and work but they could tell I was just trying too hard and it shouldn’t be that hard to teach little ones. Of course I was trying hard, I was on probation! Anyways, I worked for them for almost 2 years now so I don’t really know what to put on my resumes. I also, like most of the posters here, feel like I’m in limbo. I have a degree that’s almost worthless since there aren’t any teaching jobs, there isn’t a need for subs and the only jobs open are for preschool. On my last application for a school district this week I answered the “Have you ever been FIRED or ASKED TO RESIGN” question as “Yes, but XYZ school and I had a mutual parting because we both believe I would do better teaching older students. Is that a good answer?
Sorry this is so long but I guess I just needed someone to listen. I applied for Unemployment but don’t know if it will be approved since I was on probation and asked to resign. I’ve always loved teaching and had great rapport with my students, co-workers and staff so I feel very hurt and they make me seem like an ogre. Okay, enough whining but thanks for listening!
I have over 20 years of experiene in hotel management and was fired from my last job due to their “going in a different direction.” I was granted unemployment as they had no substantial reason for the firing but I am sure that my record with them is listing me as not rehirable. Problem is, this employer is the Kemmons Wilson Co., founders of the famous hotel chain, and anyone in this business that I am applying with would give great credence to their recommendation (or not). If I do not list the job, I am asked to explain that period of unemployment. I have not been able to obtain a job since that termination in 2007. What would you suggest?
Hi Darlene. I was terminated almost a month ago after 22 successful years at a large California bank. Over the years I had received great performance reviews, awards, promotions and even my VP title. My record was clean and I had taken no losses, prior to the cause of my termination. I was dedicated and reliable, honest and dependable and had earned a great reputation. Then the roof fell in when our Priority Department took a large loss due to a case of identity theft. I was involved in a minor role with one of the three transactions making up the loss. I was terminated along with three other bank officers. Three of us,including myself, were also managers. This has been a devastating experience but I gamely posted my newly created resume on Monster and Careerbuilder as well as directly at some bank and other company websites. I have applied for positions in various industries, not only banking, and I think my resume is presentable, but I am receiving no call-backs and I am wondering if my former employer is being contacted and is stating I am not eligible for rehire. I am, as discussed in earlier blogs, prepared to tell the truth of my termination, but how do I get the opportunity? I appreciated the earlier mention of answering the “Fired?” question with wanting to be given the opportunity to discuss in person, but how do I get past whatever roadblocks my previous employer has erected? Or, am I being overly sensitive and maybe I’m not being called back due to my qualifications or other reasons? Finally, I’ve read everyone’s great blogs but I am still confused what to answer when asked why I left my previous position. Termination seems to be my first, and most honest response, but others have said just that “It was time to move on” which is true also but clearly not totally honest and certainly won’t be believed in these economic times. I have many positive references thanks to my years of networking, will this help my cause? Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.
Hi Rita,
Thank you for visiting Careers today. I have a question for you. How long have you been working the job out of the country? Your answer doesn’t necessarily change the answer that I have for you questions, however your length of employment outside of the country can help you as you transition back to the US and begin your job search. As far as your question – YES, you should include the two month job on your resume and/or applications. Why? Because a background check will uncover the job. It may not necessarily uncover the fact that you were terminated, however if the job pops up on a background check and you didn’t disclose it, you have now jeopardized any potential job offers. The organization will not ask lots of questions about why you didn’t disclose the information. What they will do is question why you didn’t tell them about it. No matter what you would say, you have given them a perception that you are dishonest and trying to hide something.
If you have been employed for a year or more outside of this country, most people hiring managers will be interested in discussing your current, previous job, rather than the 2 month job. Please let me know if you have any additional questions!
Darlene
Hi What do I do! Thank you for visiting bizzia Careers! My first recommendation is that you contact the owners and find out what they are going to communicate to future employers who want to verify your employment. Don’t assume that you. Part of the reason you have anxiety about this situation is because you are dealing with an unknown. What will they say about me? Ask them before you assume that they will say negative things. If you don’t have performance issues, then don’t communicate that you were terminated for performance issues unless that is what they tell you they are going to say.
My second recommendation to you is don’t let the foolishness of the people in that office move you from being confident in your skills and abilities. Use the experience to help you better prepare for the next organization. Ask questions to ensure that you understand the climate of the next organization. You obviously need to be in an organization that embraces a collaborative approach to the work. Make sure that as you interview for jobs, you take the time to interview the organization.
As far as what you say about this organization that let you go with no notice, no indication that there was performance issue or that there was even a concern about your employment, once you know what they are going to say, that will give you information about what you need to say. Keep in mind that we are currently in a season where people are getting laid off. Most of the people being laid off are being laid off without any information about why they were let go. That is the situation that you find yourself in. Everyone who is fired is not fired for performance issues. Organizations are letting people go just to let people go. As long as the organization isn’t going to communicate that there were performance issues, you should be fine saying, “I was laid off. The reason for my lay off was not made clear to me.” And than swiftly transition into discussing your value as an employee. That is one of the most critical things for you to remember right. Despite the fact that this other organization didn’t find value in you as an employee, does not minimize your value. And let me also say, you can and will get a job in this market. Go after it, don’t let this situation get in your way or in your head.
Please feel free to stop by again and let me know what you find out from the organization. If you have any other questions, I am happy to address them. Have a great night!
Darlene
Hi Val,
Thank you for stopping by bizzia Careers. I don’t know the specific laws for CA, however I do know that an employer could and I know employers do tell if an employee is not rehireable. Unfortunately, every organization is different. So I can’t speak for your previous organization. My recommendation to you is that you contact HR and the union rep and see if you can’t work through the way your termination has been coded. If they refuse, than you need to decide if you have enough to warrant hiring an attorney. Than you need to decide if you are ready and willing to fight with the organization. I also found a website that may have information for you regarding unemployment in CA. Here is the link: http://www.edd.ca.gov/UIBDG/. Please come back and share your story. I would like to hear the outcome.
Darlene
Hi Melissa, Thanks for visiting bizzia Careers. The first thought that comes to mind is don’t leave the job off of your resume. Why? Because you will need to explain the gap. The problem is – in order to explain the gap you will have to make up a story that is untrue. Which therefore puts you on a very slippery slope. Don’t go there. You have to work through your job search with that loss of the job in play when interviewing with for job opportunities.
I suggest you choose a different group of hotels outside of the Kemmons Wilson Co. and I suggest you use networking to your advantage. Start talking to people who know people you need to know. You can network your way into a job opportunity. LinkedIn is a great place to start networking, however it is not the only place. Who do you know in the industry that is an ally and that would be willing to assist you with getting your foot in the door.
My second suggestion is to take your skill set and apply it in a different industry. Who else can use your skill set and that will be willing to pay for what you bring. The last thing I would recommend is that you get very clear about your accountability in the situation that led to your job loss. It is important that you are clear about your accountability. I am assuming you have had some interviews, though I am not sure based on the information you shared. If you have, and they are not producing job offers, than there is an issue about what you are sharing in the interview in and around this termination.
If you are interested in my assistance as a coach, I specialize in working with job seekers who have been terminated, please let me know. I am available for 30 minute sessions and 60 minute sessions. You can send me an email at darlingmcdaniel@gmail.com.
Good luck in your job search!
Darlene
Hi Emily, Thank you for visiting bizzia Careers. I apologize for my delayed response to your comment. I wanted to think about it before responding. First thing, YES, your response is good. There is no problem saying that it was a mutual agreement. One thing I would recommend is that you do is verify how the organization coded your termination. Will they say it was mutual? Are you coded as not rehireable? That is important information for you to know so that you are consistent with information they will find out about you.
I would definitely keep pursuing teaching opportunities. If you love to teach and you enjoy teaching older kids, than that is what you need to pursue. When you discuss the issue with the previous school, you can say that it was not a good fit. You can say that your desire is to teach middle school/high school age children and you now know those are the opportunities you should pursue moving forward. I would keep looking for substitute positions as well. They can lead to full time employment. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
Darlene
Hi Tiffany, Thank you for visiting bizzia Careers. I apologize for my delay in responding to your comment. First, you will need to say terminated. That is better than saying fired. As far as what to say. You want to be as brief as possible and yet be clear about what happened. You absolutely must take responsibility for what happened, even if it was the other person’s fault. You must be accountable. Any blaming of the other person, will kill your chances in the interview. I don’t have anything to send to you, however, you are welcome to send me an email about what you are saying and I will help you craft and answer that will help you on your next interview. You can send me an email at darlingmcdaniel@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Darlene
Hi plss, Thank you for visiting bizzia Careers this afternoon. Let me start by saying first, you are wasting your time posting your resume on Careerbuilders and Monster. That was how we used to get a job before the social media/social networking swirl we live in today. Do you have a profile on LinkedIn? If so, how active our there are you with massaging your networking and connecting to people who are decision makers? You can not continue to push your resume and cover letter out there and hope someone will call you. It doesn’t work like that anymore. The name of the game is networking, both in person and electronically through the world of the internet. I don’t know if your former employer is being contacted. I doubt it. That doesn’t usually happen until they, organizations are interested in offering you an opportunity for employment. I believe that your resume and cover letter are in the proverbial black hole of the internet. You will not find a job at the level you are looking for through traditional methods of job seeking. I will send you an email, please forward your resume and cover letter and I will review it. I will give you my take on it and make a few recommendations. You can take them or leave them, but I believe you are marketable without even seeing your resume. It is a matter of your job search strategy that is in your way. We will speak again. Thanks for stopping by!
Darlene