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I posted a couple of weeks ago about being let go from my job after 12 days. I was hired to replace someone who ended up not leaving the position, and as there was no role for me (small company of 12 people) I was let go.
I asked in my post how I should handle this, as I left a job I'd held for more than 5 years to take the new position. I was disheartened to note a large percentage of the people who replied to my initial post told me to lie about the reason I left my previous job (the one I left to take the ill fated, 12 day position) and that I would never get a new one if I told the truth.
I was let go on 4-11. I just accepted a new job to start on 4-30. My time from being fired to accepting a new job was less than 2 weeks. I am VERY aware that this is not always the case and isn't typical.
I sent out a bazillion resumes, but only to those jobs I was at least 50% qualified for. I returned all phone calls and emails promptly. I set up interviews like a fiend. I made sure my resume was polished. I made finding a new job my full time job. And, it was a lot of work.
In the interview process, I told the truth. I did not put the position on my resume, as it was so short. But, when asked my reason for leaving the last job on my resume, I was honest.
Is it this easy all the time? Of course it isn't. Are there circumstances in which not being totally honest are the only reasonable way to handle it? I am not sure. I am really not. i would like to think that is not the world we live in; and it was not my experience. But, I can't speak for everyone. Although, I can say that there was a lot of response as to why that was the only way.
What I can say is that I got the offer, successfully negotiated for a higher salary, and did it all with them knowing about the previous job. And, there's a peace of mind in this. I am going to have to pass a background. I don't know if part of it is employment verification, I am still waiting for the form. But, if it is, I don't need to be worried about having to put down the 12 day employer, as my new company already knows.
Now, will this work for everyone? It might not. But, I wanted to let people know my experience. Maybe, someone out there in the same boat as I found myself will find some reassurance in what happened to me.
In the interview process, I told the truth. I did not put the position on my resume, as it was so short. But, when asked my reason for leaving the last job on my resume, I was honest.
My sister has been fired 4 times one time just not picked up on a term job and she always gets another one. It is shocking to me. She always tells the truth. Most of the times she is fired because it isn't a good fit. I swear to god that employers like her moxy for being able to withstand a firing and just roll with the punches.
But a few years ago I was let go after a few days... I got a job with a town and there were budget cuts and the guy who hired me tried to put a fast one over on the city managers... but I didn't put that as firing. I never should have been hired and I didn't even get my first paycheck before they had to let me go.
I don't see how any of this would have ever been an issue. You voluntarily left one job and the termination from the other job had nothing to do with you.
Good for you. Honestly? It seems a lot of people on this forum lie and cheat their way through their professional lives. They tend to justify it by telling other people to do the same, or by claiming their employers lie to them, so they are justified in doing it back (if EVERYONE lies, it's OK that I lie too, right?).
It's good to see someone actually be honest instead of using circumstances to justify bad actions.
I'm a hiring manager who also was an HR manager for 10+ years.
I'm not typical for either a manager or someone in HR but I would imagine that no sensible HR person would hold it against you for the 12-day job even if you did mention it. The entire thing was not your fault and who could have known that the person you were supposed to replace would not end up leaving?
It's pretty common for people to "puff" their resume a bit. I've caught people in outright lies on their resumes or even during the interviewing process. People lie for various reasons from what I've seen; they lie the most when the economy is bad and they need the job the worst. They've lied about having a degree when they don't have it, created fictional companies, invented fake job titles...you name it. Of course people have lied about why they left that last job, lol. I've had very, very few people tell me honestly in an interview over the years that the reason they are no longer with their former employer is that they were fired.
It's funny really because being fired is not that uncommon. Hell, I've been fired myself once. Sometimes the person has made a mistake to get fired, they just weren't trained to the job, there are personality conflicts, etc. A million and one reasons why people get let go. Sometimes it really has nothing to do with the person's work performance at all. Most people who were fired will cover it with "resigned" or "downsized"...or something else. Very few companies are going to dispute that when you call them for the reference; most of them only give out dates of employment. I have had a handful of people come right out and tell me they got fired in the interview and then explain why. I have hired people before who got sacked at their last job. I don't hold it against people either way.
Honestly it doesn't make a difference to me and I wish the recruiting/hiring process had more honesty in it.
Sometimes you can just get a jerk of a boss who takes a disliking to you, and you get canned.
Most of my family members have been fired at one point or another. They say they were laid off and use someone who was not the direct supervisor as their reference.
Honesty may be a great virtue but when it comes to employment, we all have to eat.
I was fired from my first job outside of the navy. In EVERY interview afterwards I explain that I was fired, and deserved it. I explained what I learned from that and how it would never happen again. It was never a problem.
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots fair and square.
Does that mean if I was Doug Pederson I would have played a bunch of cheaters without cheating myself?
Absolutely not.
It's a personal decision at the end of the day. Do you want to be honest and potentially starve to death or get locked up for being homeless and killed in prison or do you want to stay alive?
There is no such thing as "fair and honest" when it comes to survival despite most Americans delusions to the contrary.
My sister has been fired 4 times one time just not picked up on a term job and she always gets another one. It is shocking to me. She always tells the truth. Most of the times she is fired because it isn't a good fit. I swear to god that employers like her moxy for being able to withstand a firing and just roll with the punches.
But a few years ago I was let go after a few days... I got a job with a town and there were budget cuts and the guy who hired me tried to put a fast one over on the city managers... but I didn't put that as firing. I never should have been hired and I didn't even get my first paycheck before they had to let me go.
I hear you on both.
The employers I talked to seemed to all feel that 12 days wasn't enough time to decide to let me go, at least not for anything that was my fault.
The response to my story was mostly, wow, why didn't yougi back to your old job. And, as I helped train the person who was internally promoted to my position... that wasn't an option.
I'd also guess your sister has good answers to what she learned. I did have one who did focus on the 12 day job, but he wanted to know my takeaway from it.
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