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.
Minimal back story:
After being with a company for five years with a horrendous commute, I began to put feeler resumes out and see what my options were closer to home. I had been looking for a few weeks and two Thursday's ago out of the blue I was called into the owners office and basically asked if I was looking for employment. It ends up that one of the anonymous craigslist postings I replied to was a client who went directly to my employer.
He laid me off on the spot stating he couldn't afford to have his reputation questioned with regards to it being a good place to work. No questions to me, or anything other than a suggestion to write a letter of resignation. I couldn't afford to leave without collecting unemployment in the interim, so I picked up my belongings and left in shock. (I also handled all of our unemployment claims, so I fully understand why he suggested that).
Many people have said to either lie and say I still work there while looking for new employment, and others say to lie and say I've resigned. I feel like the honest truth isn't a terrible thing as I truly was looking for something closer to home but I am honest by nature and lying is very uncomfortable to me.
With such great information available on this site, I'd like to know how to go about this if asked in an interview. And my other gripe is, if I lie and say I'm employed, I have to wait 2 weeks for a hire date as to not seem like I'm leaving the company high and dry.
I had an interview last week and my game plan was "While looking for an opportunity closer to my community, I applied to an anonymous craigslist employment add, and it ended up being a current client. I was laid off on the spot without any question. It was one of the greatest disappointments I've ever experienced in business." Does that make me look bad?
Thankfully he didn't even ask.
The interview went well but the hours and pay scale wasn't what I'm looking for.
I would lie and say you still work there and yes you would have to wait 2 weeks but you can also say if there is an urgent need you could possibly do a one week notice. I strongly suggest against telling them you were layed off.
The circumstances of layoff - or even being fired - are not as important as how you deal with it in an interview. A LOT OF PEOPLE GET FIRED FOR THINGS THAT ARE NOT THEIR FAULT. Even more people get laid-off for things not in their control.
If you go into an interview mad, huffing and puffing, and pissed off at the world when asked about the situation you will not get the job. Instead, if it was not your fault, think about it and create a list of the reasons why. Deal only in fact and not emotion and if asked to explain what happened and why you think it happened, respond in a clear and again - an emotionless voice.
If the interviewer asks what you did about the situation. If you are seeking redress, state so, otherwise tell them "you could not see a solution that would not cause more trouble and heartache than it was worth for the job in question and that it was time for you to move forward anyway."
I was fired twice in my career. I always told interviewers why. It did not slow my career. The only time it did effect a job I applied for was when I was being interviewed for a management position. They liked my skills and experience, but at the time of the interview I was still angry and it came through in the interview - making me seem unprofessional.
In almost all life situations, if you are not guilty of anything, it is not the facts that get you in trouble - it is the lies and attempted cover-ups - because most of the time the lies don't make sense to a smart and logical person checking the facts.
If you are the right person for the company, and they like you, they will understand.
If you are the right fit for the job and they won't allow that there could have been a problem - not in your control - that you wrongly were fired for - do you really want to make a career with that company or manager?
Last edited by blktoptrvl; 02-19-2015 at 01:30 PM..
Minimal back story:
After being with a company for five years with a horrendous commute, I began to put feeler resumes out and see what my options were closer to home. I had been looking for a few weeks and two Thursday's ago out of the blue I was called into the owners office and basically asked if I was looking for employment. It ends up that one of the anonymous craigslist postings I replied to was a client who went directly to my employer.
I think I would actually go back to this company and ask about what happened. Seems fishy to me that they would report your application to your employer without an interveiw/job offer. I would really want to know what happened if it were me - not that it changes anything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiLShorty4lyfe
He laid me off on the spot stating he couldn't afford to have his reputation questioned with regards to it being a good place to work. No questions to me, or anything other than a suggestion to write a letter of resignation. I couldn't afford to leave without collecting unemployment in the interim, so I picked up my belongings and left in shock. (I also handled all of our unemployment claims, so I fully understand why he suggested that).
Laid off is not fired. The owner's response is curious, that he couldn't have people question if it's a good place to work. Based on how he dealt with this situation, nobody needs to question anymore - he answered that question in spades!
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiLShorty4lyfe
Many people have said to either lie and say I still work there while looking for new employment, and others say to lie and say I've resigned. I feel like the honest truth isn't a terrible thing as I truly was looking for something closer to home but I am honest by nature and lying is very uncomfortable to me.
With such great information available on this site, I'd like to know how to go about this if asked in an interview. And my other gripe is, if I lie and say I'm employed, I have to wait 2 weeks for a hire date as to not seem like I'm leaving the company high and dry.
Don't lie. I think how you propose handling it below will work with most employers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LiLShorty4lyfe
I had an interview last week and my game plan was "While looking for an opportunity closer to my community, I applied to an anonymous craigslist employment add, and it ended up being a current client who reported my application to the owner of my company. I was laid off on the spot without any question. It was one of the greatest disappointments I've ever experienced in business." Does that make me look bad?
Thankfully he didn't even ask.
The interview went well but the hours and pay scale wasn't what I'm looking for.
What would you suggest in this situation?
I think this response (above) with the bolded addition is honest, accurate, and reflects well on you.
Thank you for the responses this far. As much as I want to know what happened, it was a toxic work environment at times and I have faith that everything happens for a reason. I was in the midst of looking, so maybe this will lead me to a great opportunity.
I would never bath mouth the company or go into emotional content in an interview. I think always using the utmost professionalism is important in an interview and when on a job, always.
It's funny, I was actually in the middle of a long email to my direct supervisor (the boss' wife) which was outlining a solution to a major software issue we were having with a new implementation (that fell on my plate) and even though I was fired in the middle of all that, I went back to my desk and finished my email. I think that was a little above and beyond and kick myself for it now, but it's how I operate, always get the job done and finish a project.
Mod: Could someone change my thread title to fired instead of layoff? I can't go back and edit it, it seems.
Considering the reason you were fired, I can't imagine why you'd even consider doing something as risky as lying about your previous employment. Someone from a job you were applying for knew your boss. That's possible to happen again. It's possible a prospective employer will want to speak with your last place of employment to verify information.
The way you go about these things is as diplomatically as possible. You neither lie nor tell the perfect truth. For example, if they ask why you are changing jobs, simply make it about your skills and their company. If they ask when you are able to start, say that you have managed it such that you can start in a week but that there is room for flexibility if necessary. You're there to sell yourself and the process of selling anything is to make everything a positive. You don't mention your disappointments, you mention the skills you acquired and how they are well suited to this new company. You don't mention problems with your boss, you mention your ability in working on a team.
No, do not lie but also do not tell the truth. When asked questions, the answers should always worded such that the language includes positive selling points for yourself to this company.
I'd go with the truth. This had nothing to do with your performance, and most won't let it affect their decision. I would also agree with blktoptrvl in that you want to be diplomatic (even chalk it up as a hard lesson learned).
That being said - There is no telling how your interviewer will respond/react. But, the way I look at it is that if they can't be understanding enough of this, they may not be the best fit for you.
I would want to get a sense of what the company would say if they were contacted by a potential employer. Would they say negative things about you, or would they stick to the basics of yes, you were an employee from this date to that date. If they stick to the basics, I would just say that you were laid off due to budget cuts or something like that.
I absolutely would not lie and tell them that you are still employed. They can simply call and will find out you are lying.
I agree with Tuck's Dad, your previous employer made a bizarre decision and took a strange (and very unfortunate) action. If he doesn't want his rep questioned, he shouldn't take these kinds of actions. I think what he meant though was that his client probably asked why his employee is looking to leave and if there is something wrong internally. The way he handled this though is well...incredibly and stupidly horrible.
I'd go with the truth. This had nothing to do with your performance, and most won't let it affect their decision. I would also agree with blktoptrvl in that you want to be diplomatic (even chalk it up as a hard lesson learned).
That being said - There is no telling how your interviewer will respond/react. But, the way I look at it is that if they can't be understanding enough of this, they may not be the best fit for you.
Great logic, thank you for your response. Maybe that's whats bugging me. I had never had a write up a single day on the job, I wore hats of all varieties and took on things I wasn't qualified for, and always presented a wonderful outcome that received praises. It was a major blow to the ego, but like you said, hard lesson learned. Not sure how to avoid something like this in the future, other than not to apply to any anonymous companies. It seemed like a great opportunity, guess not. LOL
I would want to get a sense of what the company would say if they were contacted by a potential employer. Would they say negative things about you, or would they stick to the basics of yes, you were an employee from this date to that date. If they stick to the basics, I would just say that you were laid off due to budget cuts or something like that.
I absolutely would not lie and tell them that you are still employed. They can simply call and will find out you are lying.
I agree with Tuck's Dad, your previous employer made a bizarre decision and took a strange (and very unfortunate) action. If he doesn't want his rep questioned, he shouldn't take these kinds of actions. I think what he meant though was that his client probably asked why his employee is looking to leave and if there is something wrong internally. The way he handled this though is well...incredibly and stupidly horrible.
Actually, after a few days, I wrote my previous employer and laid out everything I had done for the company during my time there and boldly asked for a letter of recommendation. I received a simple reply that he would be happy to give dates of employment, but due to it being a termination he was not going to write a letter of recommendation. The director of operations was out last week but did say he would write me one. (Hopefully that is true.)
I'm sure he was questioned by the company I applied to, and ego's can be a funny thing as to how people handle situations. I think lying can truly catch people in a bad way and I've never fully understood why people lie about things. It's not worth it in the long run, usually.
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.
