Being fired doesn’t mean the end of your career

As if getting fired wasn’t rough enough, what are you supposed to write in the box “Reason for leaving” when filling out an application for a new job? Ignoring the question seems suspicious, but penning a detailed essay about why your former boss is such a jerk isn’t a very professional approach either.

According to Bill Wells, managing director of Lee Hecht Harrison’s Southern California offices, you have options.

“A simple way to address this challenge without having it overshadow your qualifications is to write, ‘Prefer to explain in interview’ or ‘Mutual employment termination,’” said Wells. “This may open the door to a slew of questions, but at least you’ll have the opportunity to address them personally.”

Once you’re in an interview, the worst thing you can do is flatout lie. Tell the truth, but only if you’re asked.

“Keep your answers short and to the point. Don’t make excuses for yourself or criticize your former employer or company,” said Wells.

That’s why you should tell your side of the story as you see fit. The interviewer doesn’t need to know all the details of your termination. And as the interviewee, your goal is to move past the topic and onto why you’d be perfect for the job you’re applying for now.

“If your interviewer insists on probing into the reasons why you left your job, explain briefly and then focus on what you learned from the experience,” said Wells. If you’d rather not go into detail, simply say, “It wasn’t a good fit, so my boss and I mutually agreed to end our working relationship.” This may be evasive, but it will be up to the interviewer if he or she wants to investigate the matter further.

Your final hurdle in landing any job, but especially after one from which you’ve recently been terminated, is to pass the background check. If you’re concerned about what they may say, Wells suggests calling the human resources department of your former employer and explain your situation, inquiring about the company policy for answering questions about a terminated employee.

If appropriate, you can ask your former boss or supervisor what he or she would say if questioned by someone interested in hiring you. Remember, you aren’t the first, and certainly won’t be the last, person to find himself in this situation, and you’re doing the best thing possible-moving on.

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