What To Do When You Are Fired
June 30, 2007 by Darlene McDaniel
Filed under Jobs
Over the last week, I have had the opportunity to answer questions about employment over at
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Cynthia: I was fired from a job a couple years ago and I wanted to know if I should or could use this job in my resume and employment history? It’s my longest employment history so I gained a lot of my experience from this job but I was fired for petty theft. If a prospective employer were to contact this employer, can the employer disclose to them why I left the job?? Or do I have rights to not have that info.disclosed? I need advice. Please help! Should I or shouldn’t I include this job in my resume?
Darlene: You don’t have to include the fact that you were fired, but you absolutely must show the job on your resume. It is a part of your employment history and should be included.
Theft is not petty even if it is something small. I understand why you are using the word, but for hiring managers, theft is theft. I am including a blog post that may help you as you prepare how you will answer the question about why you are no longer working for that company. That is what you need to work on. Don’t lie. Don’t tell all the gory details either. Read the post. I also recommend you pick up the book, 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions, by Ron Fry.
Here is the link for the blog post: So You’ve Been Fired
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Coaching Tips:
1. Don’t put yourself in the position of getting fired.
2. Challenge yourself to operate from a high level of integrity
3. If you do get fired, learn from it and don’t do it again
4. Don’t Lie about it
5. Understand that if you truly were fired, there may be a recovery period – you may not get the next couple of jobs you interview for
6. Include the job on your resume no matter what happened
7. Be accountable for your behavior and learn from it
Darlene:
A lot of people feel they have been fired when they were actually part of a downsizing, or a structural change in a company. They should absolutely not feel embarrassed about losing a job in that sort of situation. Lots of very qualified people go through that process.
It’s also quite possible to not make it through a probation period without having done anything wrong. Personally, if I was in and out of a job within two months, I wouldn’t include it on my resume, unless I felt good about explaining the circumstances.
Hi Eric – Thanks for visiting. I appreciate your comment. Unfortunately in the world we live in today, gaps in your employment history raise questions.
Any organization that does extensive background checks will consider that the candidate did not accurately disclose. I have seen countless people lose jobs because they did not fully disclose.
For jobs that only last 2 months, I wouldn’t recommend putting those jobs on the resume either, however it is important that the job is included on the application.
I was just fired from a medical practice for violating HIPPA policy. I was a biller/coder and had to access pt demographic information in order to load it into our system. A hospital brought it to the attention of my employer that I had been accessing pt info on people that were not related to our practice. Mostly I would do a random name search by last name and a first initial. The only info displayed would be pt’s name, address, med recd #, name of provider, and initial reason for visit. I did not obtain information for financial gain or maliciousness; nor did I share it with ANYONE. I was just being foolishly nosey. Other than being fired, which I am deeply ashamed and embarrassed of, am I facing some serious trouble?
To What Now – I am assuming you knew that you should not be looking you people randomly? Please clarify if this was a mistake or were you really just being nosey?
I don’t know whether you are facing trouble, legal trouble. Typically, organizations would tell you that they are seeking legal remedies when they terminate you.
As I have mentioned here to others, it is always important to get clear information from your previous employer about their intentions, about how they will speak of you when someone is verifying employment.
Are you looking for new employment right now or are you taking a break.
Your assumption is correct….I was just being nosey. My employer is not seeking legal action and could not tell me if the hospital that is involved would be. I am deeply ashamed and embarrased by this and realize that it’s my own fault. This just happened yesterday- so I will probably stay in this huge hole I’ve managed to create for myself for a couple of days. Aside from this, my performance has been excellent. Once I do start looking for a job, how much information can my previous employer release when verifying my employment.
Here is my recommendation concerning the hospital. Write a letter of apology. Do not put anything in the letter about why you did it, just write a simple note of apology. Ask them what they intend to do. You may want to consult an attorney, if for no other reason but to find out the legal consequences.
As far as what your previous employer can release – it depends on two things. The first is the laws in your state. Are you an at will employment state? You should be able to go online and get the employment laws for your state. The second depends on the organization. What is their guidelines on these matters? Your HR manager should be able to tell you what information they release when they receive a call to verify employment. Ask them. Most organizations today only release dates of employment, salary, and whether they would hire you again. Are you rehireable? Call the HR department and ask them what information they release. Ask if they have it in writing, if you can get that information in writing they may help give you some peace of mind.
I have question…I was fired after a self-appraisal/feebback to Sr VP in which I was totally honest..maybe too honest. I expressed lack of confidence in strategies to turn around our business, and general lack of satisfaction.
In all candor, my performance had slipped recently after 14 years of exemplary work. Some of which is totally my fault, some of it was caused by others. New sr mgt approx 1 year ago. In terms of explaining my termination: any suggestions?
Hi Sam, Thanks for visiting Interview Chatter. The first thought that came to me is your candor and honesty about what is going on in the organization. I have very strong convictions that candor and honesty are missing ingredients in business. My recommendation to you is to continue to be honest and upfront about the state of affairs in your previous organization. With that said, the most important thing for you to remember is how you say what you say. I want to chew on it for a while, but I will post another response to your question. How you communicate what happened in you previous job is as important as the situation. I will get back to you!
Anyone else have any suggestions?
I was also fired at a job for poor performance…..”poor classroom management”. I don’t believe I was let go because of that. The principal of the building I worked in was very cruel to me at times…so much so that I had to tell her to stop speaking to me that way. She is known for picking on random individuals. I had several people to tell me to just let her say what she wants. In the end, I lost my job and am terrified of what will happen. I’m applying for jobs but don’t know what to put down for “reason for leaving”. If they call, I’m sure they’ll tell the prospective employer that I was let go for poor performance. After all those years of school (bachelor’s and masters degrees) and certification exams, I’m scared that I wont find another job. What should I write down in that little box for the reason I was let go?
Hi Worried Teacher. Thank you for visiting Interview Chatter! I am sorry to hear about what happened with your job.
I know that these can be scary times given the economy, but a teacher, I know that you can find employment. The first thing I want to recommend to you is that you will need to forgive yourself and your previous boss for the termination. A successful job search can not happen with “shame, blame, anger or unforgiveness.”
My second recommendation is that you need to contact the HR department for your school district and confirm how they complete employment verifications. Ask them what they will say about you when called. Most organizations are more than happy to discuss their employment verification process.
Here is another link from my blog. There are about 60 comments. http://www.interviewchatter.com/so-youve-been-fired/
Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Hi Darlene,
I was fired three months ago due to one of my supervisors who was constantly lying on my performance. A week after my firing, I graduated with a bachelor degree and I am now heading to my wedding in august and moving to another state in september. Since i was fired, i did not look for a jobs due to those life events that is taking place. I am afraid of the time gap and want to know how to handle it once i start looking for a new jobs in the new state i will be living in. Also, how can i explain my previous jobs situation on application and interview. thank you darlene
Hi KEM! Thank you for visiting Interview Chatter this morning. The best part of your situation is that you are getting married and moving! These are perfect things to discuss as your reason for not looking or doing any work.
Let me back you just and give you a full answer – first thing you want to do is confirm what your previous employer will say when someone calls to verify your employment. Once you know what they will say, that will help you frame your answer for why you are no longer employed witht them. The wedding, the degree and the move answer the question for why you waited to pursue new employment. Leverage it!
Congratulations on all of your new beginnings!
I was fired after 14 months of employment because I attended a graduation after hours of young students that I had in cooking class and my boss felt liked I betrayed her loyalty.
Good Afternoon L.Micci! Thank you for visiting Interview Chatter today. I know there has to be more to what happened. I am happy to help in any way that I can, but I need a little more information. Have you found employment yet? If not, what is in the way? How long did you work at your last place of employment? More information will help me help you! Have a great day!
Darlene,
I was terminated from the job I’ve had and loved for 2 years two months ago. I was let go because of a billing mishap that occurred when I attempted to pay back an employee loan. It’s a very long and complicated story, but in the end the HR people said they could not keep me after what had happened. Two months later, I’m still jobless. I’m wondering how much this experience has hurt me and if it will be possible for me to find employment again.
Hi Dave,
Thank you for visiting Interview Chatter! First, let me answer your direct question, yes you will be able to get another job. Will it be difficult, probably in this economy, it may take a while to find something. However, the best thing for you to do, is to network with people you know. The best way to get another job right now is to tap into the unseen job market. The unseen job market has more to do with networking than just completing applications and responding to job ads on monster or careerbuilder.com. You need to start talking to people you know who know someone who needs an employee with your skills and abilities. If you want more specific help you will need to give me a little more detail and I am happy to assist you with your specific situation. You are welcome to contact me by email.
Darlene
Unfortunately, I just moved, so all of the people I could possibly network with are far away from me now.
Hi Dave,
I don’t believe it is impossible for you to network with those people despite the distance. It may take some time. Also, there are people in your immediate area that you can network with. If you have some time and you need some creative ideas, I am happy to meet with you by phone or we can IM and I am sure it will be valuable for you. Let me know.
Darlene
Hi Darlene,
I was recently fired during my probation and was only at the company for 2.5 months. It was not due to misconduct and the only reason my employer had given me was that I was not the right fit. I’m now back in the job market and am wondering whether I should even mention this job of 2.5 month on my resume. I’m pretty certain that they won’t give me a good reference. not sure what to do. thanks for your time.
Hi JJ,
Thank you for stopping by Interview Chatter! I apologize for my delay in responding to you. In a word “yes” you always want to include every job you have worked within the last approximately 10 years when putting together a resume. If you do not have a chronological resume and use a functional resume, you may be able to avoid it, however when completing an application and they ask you to list jobs, you definitely want to include the job. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Also, you may want to visit my post and sign-up for free coaching. I am offering 25 free 15 minute slots for job seekers. You are more than welcome to sign up and we can meet by phone, or chat using IM, whichever you prefer. Here is the link: http://www.interviewchatter.com/need-a-career-coach/
Have a Merry Christmas!!
I was fired for blowing the whistle on my boss who was subsequently fired. Shortly thereafter I was fired for “poor performance” although I was never told prior to the day I was fired that there was a problem. I sued my former employer, and have since worked at several positions outside of my former field. After working at the new positions for several months, I am told that I am fired, and never given a reason. In fact, all of the new employers wrote a recommendation. I know that my past employer contacted my new employers. How do I stop my past employer from continuting to ruin my job prospects?
Hi Darlene, just wanted to say thanks again for your time and valuable information today. I’ve reworked both my resume and cover letter as suggested and have my fingers crossed. Although I never expected to be in this position, I am bound and determined to find the silver lining and move on with as much grace as I can muster.
Hi plss, My pleasure. Thanks for stopping by. Let me know if you have any additional questions. Let me also recommend a book to you, 101 Great Answers to the Toughest Interview Questions, by Ron Fry. It will help you develop a solid strategy for your job search. Have a great day!
Darlene