Tip No. 159
Q. I was fired from my last job. Do I have to put this information on the job application?
A. My first suggestion to you is that you contact your local Workforce (or Unemployment) Office to determine if you are eligible for unemployment. If you are, it will help to ease your financial burden, which seems to be your first concern. Also, they will be able to provide job leads for you, as well as helping you with developing a good resume and coaching to be successful in your job interviews. You may also want to sign up with some temporary or contract placement agencies. Contract work is a great way to generate income during a search for a permanent position. Also, sometimes, contract positions turn into permanent positions, so they can be a good way to get your foot in the door. I do not recommend that you lie to potential employers about being fired. Whether you can trust your former boss or not is really a moot point, as it is grounds for termination if your new employer finds out that you lied on the application or in your interview. If you have to fill out applications for the positions for which you are applying, simply leave the box for "reason for leaving" your last employer blank. When you are asked in the interview why you left your previous employer, try to present being fired in neutral terms. Do not blame your previous employer; it is important for employees to be accountable for their actions in today's work world. You should briefly mention why you were fired (without a lot of detail), then mention the lesson you learned or how you grew as an employee from the experience. You might also mention what you will do differently in the future to make sure the same circumstance does not arise again. It is difficult to present being fired in a positive light, however, if you take the above approach, potential employers should see you as someone who learns and grows from their mistakes, who could be a contributing employee and help their other employees grow. Try not to spend too much time on this topic in the interview and then spend the rest of your interview time discussing how you can have a positive impact on their company if they were to hire you. Best of luck in your job search!
CMI Career Management International
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