Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
This past July, I was terminated from employment from a job that I held for nearly seven years. The only reason given was that the termination was for performance. When I pressed the issue as to where my performance was lacking, the manager merely stated that he was not prepared to discuss that right now. When I emailed the HR representative from the corporate office, all she said was that she had no specific information to give me other than the termination was for performance.
Prior to my termination, I had no sort of warnings. The only thing I did have was a non-disciplinary counseling session back in November of 2012. After that counseling session, there were no additional issues and no followup sessions.
In a few days, I'll be going to interview for a job for an organization that I really want to get into. They want me to fill out the formal job application and have it in next week. On that application, I'm being asked whether or not I have ever been terminated from any job or if I have ever been asked to resign from any job. I really don't want to lie to them. I plan on checking yes. I just don't know how to explain why I got terminated when I was unable to get any details from management or HR.
Going along with the termination, I did get a three month severance package. I had three months of wages with three months of paid insurance as well as three months of career counseling. It seems to me that if I had been such a poor employee, they would not have given me such a severance package to begin with.
So, does anyone have any ideas as to how I can honestly answer this question without shooting myself in the foot?
If it were me, I'd list it as being laid-off vs. being terminated.
A friend of mine made the same comment a week or so ago. The problem there is if I did get hired and the company found out I was actually terminated. They could then terminate me for lying on the application, couldn't they?
I would find out your old company policy on providing information. For instance, most companies nowdays do not provide any information about a former employee other than dates of employment. From this date to that date. No information as to good employee or bad; no references good or bad . .
Find out your company policy and hold them to it. Sometimes the prospective employer will ask if the individual is available for rehire. IF this question is answered at all and answered by "No" - that can give them clue. However, sometimes people just aren't eligible for rehire because they failed to give 2 weeks notice; or went to work for the competition. . .
I would prefer, if I were you, to say I was laid off rather than terminated for cause.
you were terminated, period. what you need to do (and what the interviewer will want to hear) is how youve turned yourself around. you have to really run with it and say that youve made mistakes and you took such and such step to correct them, they dont want to hear you trying to lie or cover up the termination. they can easily just call your old employer and ask why you were terminated.
I agree with Ringo you need to find out what your previous employer will say. You absolutely cannot disclose you were fired I can guarantee you no one will hire someone who has been fired you will be a leper. Either have a friend or hire one of the firms that do it to call posing as a potential employer. If they say fired and they really have no documentation to substantiate it then you can send them a cease and desist letter at which point most companies will stop as it does not benefit them to continue to say that and opens them up to liability.
Call HR at your former company asap. Tell them you want to get Employment Verification for a former employee. Then when you get the correct person, ask them exactly what they will give out to future employers for these items. Let them know it's you, and you want to know the answers ahead of time. (BTW, I used to handle Employment Verification systems at a Fortune 100 company. Lots of former employees would do self Employment Verification on themselves ahead of time.)
Here are the questions that are typical:
Start Date and End Date
Job Title
Reason for Leaving
Part Time or Full Time
Would you rehire?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
