January 12, 2017
Even if youâve never personally been fired, we all know someone who has. Do you own up to it? Is it a black mark on your career? How do you discuss it so that it doesnât hurt your chances of gaining future employment? These are tough questions. Before we jump into answering them, there are two very important things you need to do first: work hard to lose any anger and figure out what you learned. Then, you can begin to tackle the delicate topic of talking about being fired. Hereâs our approach:
Do You Admit it?
Maybe. Hiring is not a standardized process and that means each employer will screen you differently. You donât want to advertise that you were fired on your resume, but some employers may ask less probing questions than others. If this happens, use it to your advantage. If you were fired from a job several years ago, an employer probably wonât ask your reason for leaving. If you were fired from a recent job itâs trickier. If they ask why you left, you should be honest. Thatâs why itâs important to work through your anger and define what you learned from the experience before you beginâso you donât bring this baggage into an interview.
What language do you use?
Saying âI was firedâ carries a lot of weightâin a bad way. Saying âI was laid offâ isnât exactly true because it implies your previous employer reluctantly made that decision. Saying âI was let goâ is safer language to use. Itâs more ambiguous and less âexplosiveâ (literally).
Why Were You Let Go?
There are so many different reasons to fire someone and the hiring manager is looking for you to put their mind at ease. Sure, if you were fired for theft, harassment, tardiness, or some other nefarious purpose, thatâs going to come to light in a reference check and employment verificationâand it will hurt your chances of being hired. But you can also be fired for other reasons. Maybe you werenât a culture fitâŚor maybe you were hired for a job that turned out to be something very different. If you were working in sales and youâre an introvert, thatâs naturally not going to be a good fit. But if youâre applying for a data entry job, being an introvert could be an asset to your productivity. Take great care to present your termination in a strategic way that explains what happened and positions you for success in a different role.
Does Being Fired Hurt Your Chances of Being Hired?
It can. When your employment endsâwhether you quit, were fired, or were laid offâthe clock starts ticking. The main goal after any separation of employment is to minimize gaps in your work history. The best thing you can do is find a way to close your gap in employment while youâre looking for a new role. This means listing your employment as âto presentâ for as long as possible (like through the end of your severance agreement if you were laid off). If youâve been unemployed for more than a few months, consider adding volunteer work or finding a friend or relative who will let you help them out in their business so you can avoid a lengthy gap in your employment history.
Do You Admit it?
Maybe. Hiring is not a standardized process and that means each employer will screen you differently. You donât want to advertise that you were fired on your resume, but some employers may ask less probing questions than others. If this happens, use it to your advantage. If you were fired from a job several years ago, an employer probably wonât ask your reason for leaving. If you were fired from a recent job itâs trickier. If they ask why you left, you should be honest. Thatâs why itâs important to work through your anger and define what you learned from the experience before you beginâso you donât bring this baggage into an interview.
What language do you use?
Saying âI was firedâ carries a lot of weightâin a bad way. Saying âI was laid offâ isnât exactly true because it implies your previous employer reluctantly made that decision. Saying âI was let goâ is safer language to use. Itâs more ambiguous and less âexplosiveâ (literally).
Why Were You Let Go?
There are so many different reasons to fire someone and the hiring manager is looking for you to put their mind at ease. Sure, if you were fired for theft, harassment, tardiness, or some other nefarious purpose, thatâs going to come to light in a reference check and employment verificationâand it will hurt your chances of being hired. But you can also be fired for other reasons. Maybe you werenât a culture fitâŚor maybe you were hired for a job that turned out to be something very different. If you were working in sales and youâre an introvert, thatâs naturally not going to be a good fit. But if youâre applying for a data entry job, being an introvert could be an asset to your productivity. Take great care to present your termination in a strategic way that explains what happened and positions you for success in a different role.
Does Being Fired Hurt Your Chances of Being Hired?
It can. When your employment endsâwhether you quit, were fired, or were laid offâthe clock starts ticking. The main goal after any separation of employment is to minimize gaps in your work history. The best thing you can do is find a way to close your gap in employment while youâre looking for a new role. This means listing your employment as âto presentâ for as long as possible (like through the end of your severance agreement if you were laid off). If youâve been unemployed for more than a few months, consider adding volunteer work or finding a friend or relative who will let you help them out in their business so you can avoid a lengthy gap in your employment history.
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