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How do you answer an interview question about being fired

Veteran

Patrick OBrien Cincinnati, OH

Ive been fired from my last job and want to know how to answer that as an interview question or a pre interview questioning about that job position.

3 January 2017 10 replies Interviews

Answers

Veteran

Patrick OBrien Cincinnati, OH

Thank you all for your opinions/ answers concerning: “ if you’ve been fired at a past job how to answer that as an interview question”. Now I know I generalized because the interviewer usually doesn’t say it in such a fashion; but, it makes my point. Now, a few things I should had clairified.
1) The terminination was NOT for misconduct or anything at that level.
2) the termination was for inventory errors as well as allowing the wrong paperwork in a shipment to go to the vendor.
3) Training was inadequate as to specific product lines.
At a 2nd position later- different company- they decided to use a 3rd party shipper for hazmat shipments.
What I learned was valuable in the fact that I should had paid attention more to detail; asked for more training on the product line; and taken corrective actions sooner instead of later.
My gaps in employment were due to going back to school for Computer learning classes as well as time spent searching for new employment. Now, with that being said. Is there anything else I could possibly do to phrase it better for a possible phone interview? And since the position was less than 120 days should it still be included on the resume? I’ve read where gaps in employment aren’t as big of an issue because of the previous economic downturn. I hope this helps in clairifying and with the advice given.
My apologies for not getting back to those in Cincinnati. I’ve been very busy and would still like to contact you if at all possible. Thank you.

Advisor

Brian Rohner Alpharetta, GA

I'm a recruiter. Don't lie. Be upfront. Don't spend much time apologizing either. Talk about what you have done to make sure it does not happen again. Try to get a reference from someone at that company that can say something positive about you. In addition, here are some basic interview prep tips I provide all my candidates. https://careerservices.princeton.edu/undergraduate-students/interviews-offers. Before the interview, read their website and at least a few recent news articles about the company. When reading the job description, practice providing answers on how your background or experience relates, or does not relate, to each item. At least be able to show you understand what the job description is referring to even if you don't have that experience. Smile when you talk - it shows confidence. Have someone else proof your resume for ANY spelling error. Thank you for your service!

Advisor

June R Massoud Burlington, VT

I would say you left the last job due to conflict of interest and that your own career goals were not aligned with those of the said corporation, that you have a different business philosophy which you would like to maintain and find an appropriate company that shares the same values as yourself. You could also say that you believe in thriving personally and professionally in the workplace, and ensuring your employer thrives as well, from the fruits of your labor. You could also mention that some CEOs are very concerned with keeping their employees happy, such as CEO Richard Branson, who owns the Virgin Airways companies and that you like this philosophy; that in life, it's important to have a healthy work environment for everyone, both employer and employee, at all times; we should all strive for the best work environment possible with the best profit in sight. I hope this helps! Happy New Year. You could also say that you were in the military for 24 years and you kept that job for a very long time, nobody asked you to leave, so it's odd that the certain employer in question in the civilian arena did ask you to leave.

Advisor

Michelle McLendon King Of Prussia, PA

ALWAYS be honest - we will find out, one way or another. However, that does not mean you need to just come right out and say you were fired. If you were dismissed because you were not able to perform the duties of the position, spend a little time thinking about what specifically you were struggling with. Was it something that they could have spent some time training you on? Was it just a bad personality fit? Did you refuse to do something that you felt was disingenuous, or illegal?

As an HR Manager, I want my candidates to be upfront with me about why they were let go from a position - if they were not trained enough to do the job, then tell me that -- I did not have the proper training for the role and, after the initial review period, my manager decided that they needed someone in the position who would not need the ramp up time that I required. (and then follow it up with what you've done to beef up your training since then)

If you were fired because they were reorganizing, that's an easy one, and sometimes skill set firings can be covered under that as well. The department was reorganized and my particular knowledge and resources were no longer necessary.

If you were fired, however, for misconduct or for other reasons similar to this, it's important to be honest about it. There are hundreds of thousands of micro-industries out there, but at the end of the day, there's always going to be someone who knows what happens and you don't want it getting back to your new boss in a negative way. It's better to be honest at the beginning, so you can be the one spinning the story.

Good luck!

Veteran

Patrick OBrien Cincinnati, OH

Thank you all for responding. First, I just had a telephone interview and it was a disaster. Yes they ask why you were discharged from that position ( Exact words from the HR person on the other end of the phone). if I give the response that "I can tell them the truth and respect the decision it will sound like an evasion . if you said that they aren't supposed to ask you that information; your advice to me is hereby invalid. I don't mean to sound harsh; but, I have paid a heavy price for taking people's advice that turns out to be wrong in the end. So, if i seem to be quick to devalue advice its because experience tells me if you're wrong with one part; the rest will be just as incorrect especially when it comes to advice. APC AdvisorNet has severely failed me.

Advisor

Joan Maney Normal, IL

While potential employers shouldn't ask why you were fired, they may ask you why you left your last job. Don't lie to them. Tell them you were let go. When a company lets someone go, it is a business decision they made. While you may not like the decision, professionally you still need to respect it. It is not an easy decision for employers to make. (I am not implying that terminating your employment was right or wrong, only that there was a human on the other end of that decision that knows that their decision had consequences attached to it.)

Tell the person that is interviewing you that the company let you go and that while you may not agree with the decision, you can respect that they felt it was best for the organization. By doing so, you paint yourself in a professional light.

If you would like to share your particular circumstances I'd be happy to provide more specific coaching on how to answer. Just shoot me an email at jmaney@1stfarmcredit.com

Advisor

Randy Smith Monroe, OH

Hi Patrick,

I see that you are in Cincinnati. I'd be happy to talk or even meet up with you. I have a large network and I'm happy to help.
Sincerely

Randy
513-275-8951

Advisor

Roger Bhalla Houston, TX

I agree with both Robert and Gerald. If you want to talk through your specific situation, drop me a note at rogerbhalla@gmail.com, and we can set up a call to talk through it. In essence, we can discuss your situation (what happened, lessons learned, etc. per Robert's advice), and I can coach you on how best to respond if asked.

Advisor

Gerald Mannikarote Houston, TX

Robert provided some great insight into answering a question like that. But, generally, in an interview, you shouldn't be asked 'Why were you fired?' because they wouldn't know. If there is a gap in your work history, you should, as Robert explained, describe in the most positive way that the your fit in the company was not the best and the company and you decided it was mutually beneficial to separate.
When there is a verification call made, the company can only say whether you worked there, your position, and duration. They can't say if you were fired, you quit, etc.
But the most important thing is to remain positive and describe your situation with the company as positively as possible.
I hope that's helpful.

Advisor

Robert Deleskiewicz San Luis Obispo, CA

First, I'm sorry you were fired.

There is only one way to address this - positively. You must express yourself positively when discussing being let go.

Review the reasons you were fired, accept and resolve ALL negativity about that experience and come out on the other side - this way you won't present poorly when asked about that experience.

In interview conversation accept all responsibility for any part of that situation for which you were responsible. For example: the job wasn't a good fit for my personality so I didn't perform as strongly as I'm capable. I require a more structured environment in order to flourish.

If you need more examples of this type of thought process let me know.

Express all the positives you can for that experience. For example: I appreciate the opportunity I was given to work in the collections industry, and the feedback management provided has given me personal areas I'm exploring for growth as I continue building a career in collections. I learned my telephone personality requires more of a smile by listening to recordings of my telephone conversations.

You need to fully review all of your time with that organization, demonstrate how the experience provided you the opportunity to grow, WHY you were fired, and how you see that situation. Then you close with how you've learned and grown and explain how this new opportunity you're being provided fits more in line with your plan for your future.

You'll come off from a position of strength when you've shown you've put it all in perspective and are ready to move on with your career. Demonstrating growth and a well-thought dialogue about such a difficult time will turn what was previously a negative time into something that potential managers will view as a career-building experience for you. At the very least someone that's interviewing you won't feel the negativity during your conversation.

I'm happy to talk about things further to help you with perspective.

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