A couple of weeks ago I received a call from an accountant wanting to discuss her job search and sure enough when I asked about her last job, her response was: “I was fired” and later softened it by saying she was “let go.” Either one of those responses immediately sent a perception that something must have gone wrong in order for her to lose her job.
The most harmful aspect to her job search is that when others try to fill in the blank of what went wrong they could be developing a false perception. So we talked about her response in more detail, and when all was said and done, she was in a department where all eight of them were downsized at the same time.
Being in a group and downsized sends a much different perception instead of trying to draw the conclusion that something was wrong with her in the way she performed or interacted with others. When you reach out to people during your job search is it a given that you will be asked about your previous job. Being prepared to talk about it without having an emotional response is the best way to answer the question.
Even if you have to take a week or so to process the job loss it’s much better than to start calling people and telling them you were fired. In her case, she had a good explanation and being in a group took the perception away that is was personal.
Not everyone is caught up in a group downsizing and your situation could be different. So what if you were fired, how do you address that question without jeopardizing your chances to land another job?
Losing a job is never an easy topic to discuss regardless if it was group downsizing or just you. When the circumstance involves being fired it is not an easy pill to swallow and out of all the questions asked this one seems to raise the flag with candidates and hiring decision-makers.
As uncomfortable and harsh as the word sounds, being fired does not have to threaten your entire career path. The job market reality is that being fired is less damaging than it used to be, but it is important that you make sure you distinguish between being fired versus a layoff. When talking about your job loss, it helps to take a look at what happened in order to determine how you will respond to others. For an example, a layoff can occur anytime when a company changes direction, such as a reduction of staff, loss of profitability or duplication of jobs as with a merger or acquisition.
There is a difference, especially in how you address the question and prepare your answer. The difference lies in what you perceive to be a personal responsibility versus a layoff in which you had little control.
If you have been fired, take the time to process what happened and reconcile the situation in your mind before presenting it potential employers. The challenge job candidates have with being fired is the emotional connection that aims right at your confidence because being fired denotes a cause and is usually associated with some violation of policy or performance issue.
So if you have been fired rather than laid off, you need to prepare in advance to answer the question with confidence. The best response is one that is brief and honest. Honesty does not mean you need to go into a confession of the details regarding “who said what and how things could have been better.” It means answering the question with integrity: If the employer agreed to let you resign, then by all means say you resigned.
One strategy is to be on the offensive rather than on the defensive and just say what happened in a brief way such as, “I had a long history with the company and enjoyed contributing to its success, but it was time to make a change.” Move the conversation toward what you have learned and where you want to apply your interests going forward.
Most likely, prospective employers will judge the way in which you respond and your attitude versus being fired. Whatever you do, do not bad mouth your previous employer — it serves no purpose and reflects badly on you.
The interviewer who is talking with you is also visualizing how you would behave as their employee. This is why it is so important to process emotionally what happen before you start a job search when you are most vulnerable.
Being fired is a difficult situation, but it does not define who you are or your next career steps. You can recover and spring back to a new opportunity if you take the time to process and plan.
How have you answered the “what happened to your last job” question? Do you think employers respond to you differently if you say you were fired?
