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This is basically my first job, I had no experience before this and was rejected by every other job before I got this one, including low stuff like overnight walmart and mcdonalds so its very important that this job be on my resume.
I work at a call center for a contracting company for 10 dollars an hour. I have been working here since January and its June now- so about 6 months of experience to put on my resume. I am now looking at higher paying call center jobs with legit companies, not contractors as the pay is much better and this job sucks.
The only problem is that this contracting company switched to a new project last month, a retention job which I am bad in. As a result, I have a week to increase my save rate or I will probably be fired after that.
I am weighing my options on what to do. I will try to increase my save rate but I doubt that happens so I will probably be fired at the end of next week. I am applying to companies like crazy right now, even some other contractor companies as a backup option just so i can get a offer next week and leave this company.
I don't want to be fired from this company because its the only job on my resume and I don't want companies I apply to calling this company and them saying they fired me....I probably won't get hired then.
So if I don't get a job offer from any company next week, should I just quit before I get fired at my current company?
The company I work at is very shady, has really high turnover (as most contracting companies would have) and recently fired some people and tried to deny them unemployment. If they call me into a meeting at the end of next week (which would probably be to fire me), could I just tell them "look I know you are gonna fire me, can I just quit so you don't have to give my unemployment as long as you tell other employers who call here that I quit and was not fired"? Or would that be way too blunt?
In exchange for not collecting unemployment benefits, are you going to have a written contract with your "shady employer" guaranteeing that he'll give a glowing review about your job performance to everyone who calls them including recommending you for the new job or do you trust shady people??
What makes you think people who quit are more employable than people who get fired or laid off? You need to have an excuse for both.
Maybe if you get fired for something serious like gross misconduct or criminal behavior... but a thief can also quit before being fired too.
I don't see why telling a new employer (if he asks) the real reason why you lost your job but highlighting your strengths and the experience you gained isn't a better alternative.
Learn how to properly write a resume.
This is basically my first job, I had no experience before this and was rejected by every other job before I got this one, including low stuff like overnight walmart and mcdonalds so its very important that this job be on my resume.
I work at a call center for a contracting company for 10 dollars an hour. I have been working here since January and its June now- so about 6 months of experience to put on my resume. I am now looking at higher paying call center jobs with legit companies, not contractors as the pay is much better and this job sucks.
The only problem is that this contracting company switched to a new project last month, a retention job which I am bad in. As a result, I have a week to increase my save rate or I will probably be fired after that.
I am weighing my options on what to do. I will try to increase my save rate but I doubt that happens so I will probably be fired at the end of next week. I am applying to companies like crazy right now, even some other contractor companies as a backup option just so i can get a offer next week and leave this company.
I don't want to be fired from this company because its the only job on my resume and I don't want companies I apply to calling this company and them saying they fired me....I probably won't get hired then.
So if I don't get a job offer from any company next week, should I just quit before I get fired at my current company?
The company I work at is very shady, has really high turnover (as most contracting companies would have) and recently fired some people and tried to deny them unemployment. If they call me into a meeting at the end of next week (which would probably be to fire me), could I just tell them "look I know you are gonna fire me, can I just quit so you don't have to give my unemployment as long as you tell other employers who call here that I quit and was not fired"? Or would that be way too blunt?
1. A quit instead of a termination is still seen by most unemployment agencies as a termination. Also, if you get fired, you most certainly CAN collect unemployment, as long as you can prove that you were doing the best you can.
Its a tough call as to whether or not you should quit. There are positives and negatives. But what I can tell you is that in a call center environment, if you have been given the dreaded "week to get better" you will very likely be fired at the end. But I think it is clear you already.
knew that.
Also, use the heck out of this next week...apply to EVERYTHING as right now you do have the job.
I think that you may have a shot at the whole quit instead of fired thing, but don't give up your unemployment.
Also, and this is risky...you can try to play the "I got there first" game. Carry a written, signed and dated resignation. You have very likely seen other people terminated and know the signs, who calls them into the office, etc. If you have the letter in hand and "quit" well, TECHNICALLY you quit before they fired you. The company may not honor it, you will have to explain this to UI (although you will PROBABLY be ok with claiming you quit in lieu of termination) and it is always a risk as they may NOT be planning to fire you in the meeting. You can also carry the resignation letter and when they say you are fired, tell them you were planning to quit and see how it plays out.
I could be wrong here but isn't it illegal for a employer to give a bad review? I think that the worst that they can say is "Employee x worked here from Jan. to July). Again check your state to be certain I could be incorrect.
A good point was raised about your ability to receive unemployment, which you earned and would deserve because you were fired.
You have a hard decision ahead of you and I want to wish you the best of luck in whichever decision you make, and in the meantime apply to every job that you are qualified for.
This is basically my first job, I had no experience before this and was rejected by every other job before I got this one, including low stuff like overnight walmart and mcdonalds so its very important that this job be on my resume.
I work at a call center for a contracting company for 10 dollars an hour. I have been working here since January and its June now- so about 6 months of experience to put on my resume. I am now looking at higher paying call center jobs with legit companies, not contractors as the pay is much better and this job sucks.
The only problem is that this contracting company switched to a new project last month, a retention job which I am bad in. As a result, I have a week to increase my save rate or I will probably be fired after that.
I am weighing my options on what to do. I will try to increase my save rate but I doubt that happens so I will probably be fired at the end of next week. I am applying to companies like crazy right now, even some other contractor companies as a backup option just so i can get a offer next week and leave this company.
I don't want to be fired from this company because its the only job on my resume and I don't want companies I apply to calling this company and them saying they fired me....I probably won't get hired then.
So if I don't get a job offer from any company next week, should I just quit before I get fired at my current company?
The company I work at is very shady, has really high turnover (as most contracting companies would have) and recently fired some people and tried to deny them unemployment. If they call me into a meeting at the end of next week (which would probably be to fire me), could I just tell them "look I know you are gonna fire me, can I just quit so you don't have to give my unemployment as long as you tell other employers who call here that I quit and was not fired"? Or would that be way too blunt?
Chew on all of the advice here as people in this forum, for the most part, seem to have good intentions.
What I will say is that the reason I left my last job was because I knew all of us old timers were going to get the axe, very soon. It's not that we did anything wrong, it's that someone they hired was well off, like them, (the bosses), and he, (the well off guy), convinced the boss to start hiring all of his buddies...who were also well off.
Then the boss started threatening some of the old timers, people who had been there for years, put in lots of time, put up with a lot of grief, were loyal to this man and the thanks he gave them was to just get rid of them because they were not "well off".
It sounds ridiculous until you understand the Miami mindset.
I have no idea where on that list I would be but I knew it was coming and I wanted to beat them to it. That was out of pride, more than anything, a "You aren't going to fire me and try to ruin me like you will others" (I had options because I had been saving for a very long time while others were going to be completely and totally screwed), "I am going to show you I don't need you!"
There were other reasons I ended up leaving...some of it too long to write out but the Cliff's Notes version is, when you have a dead girl laying in front of your business after an horrific car accident that we all witnessed and the boss makes jokes and demands that the police "clear out of here" because he has a business to run, it puts an even worse taste in your mouth than you already had about the "you are not in my class so I will get rid of you" mindset.
So for me, I left because of some very major reasons, one of them being pride, the other being absolute and total disgust. While you don't want to be fired, yours is not as...drastic of a reason...and be thankful! The point is, what I did is not necessarily the right decision for you...unless you have some kind of an experience that shows your boss is also a heartless pile of ---- who doesn't give a damn that some girl just lost her life in front of your business.
Now, one thing to alleviate your fears: They are NOT allowed to say, "I fired this person!" They are only allowed to say that you worked there. You aren't even allowed to say if they are eligible for rehire anymore. So don't let that be a reason to leave early...they are not legally allowed to do that.
Having said that, you WILL be asked why you left your last job. Unless you are good at lying, if you are fired, what will you say? That is going to hurt you in the interview process regardless of a change in policy being the reason. So keep that in mind.
You can always do the standard answer of, "I wanted to explore other opportunities" but then they are going to question why you would only work somewhere for six months before deciding this and that maybe you won't be sticking around there, either.
So, your best bet is hang in there, apply for every single thing you see no matter what it is. Hopefully get some interviews, hopefully get hired elsewhere and then, you'll be just fine.
If not...come up with a really creative answer to why you left the job that doesn't say, "I was fired" or, "to explore other options" if you quit before getting fired.
Last edited by Three Wolves In Snow; 05-31-2012 at 11:02 PM..
I could be wrong here but isn't it illegal for a employer to give a bad review? I think that the worst that they can say is "Employee x worked here from Jan. to July). Again check your state to be certain I could be incorrect.
A good point was raised about your ability to receive unemployment, which you earned and would deserve because you were fired.
You have a hard decision ahead of you and I want to wish you the best of luck in whichever decision you make, and in the meantime apply to every job that you are qualified for.
There are no state or Federal laws that restrict a bad review, as a bad review, if truthful, is NOT slander/libel/defamation. There is nothing illegal about giving a bad review, many employers will say that they will only give certain info, but even then if they violate this, it is hard to get them into much trouble unless you can PROVE you didn't get the job because of the bad review. As companies almost never say "we didn't hire you because of what your former employer said about you" you will probably never have the chance to go after them. And, if it was true, even if you did know, there is nothing you can really do.
The person can get into trouble if the review is malicious, but it is hard to find malice in "Is the person rehirable" "No the person was fired"
If you quit your job BEFORE you're fired, then there'll be a good deal of explaining to do at your next job interview. An employee that quits their job before they believe they will be fired should be absolutely certain in their assessment of the situation. Otherwise, they may be abandoning a perfectly good position because of a personal misjudgment. However, in your case, it sounds like you have an absolute certainty in your assessment of the situation at hand.
An employee that waits to be fired also faces a personal crisis, in the form of the damage caused to their professional status and reputation. In a small community or tightly-knit career field this can be an obstacle that may not be easily overcome in securing future employment. Any individual would be well served in cases where they are under the scrutiny of a possible firing to endeavor to communicate with their employer to see what they can personally do to avoid the termination. In your cases, that seems to have been done already.
The only positive to come from being fired is the possibility of receiving unemployment compensation but then again it seems like this company has been doing everything in their power to make that NOT happen for people.
IMHO, it's much better to quit on your own terms just as long as you don't burn any bridges in the process. Quitting and being fired don't look good to new employers, but it doesn't look as bad if you leave and have a specific, GOOD reason for doing so. Be honest, choose your words carefully. Be sure to highlight all the positive aspects of the job if you do end up quitting. And while you SHOULD have another job lined up, especially in this economy, it's just NOT always possible.
Chew on all of the advice here as people in this forum, for the most part, seem to have good intentions.
What I will say is that the reason I left my last job was because I knew all of us old timers were going to get the axe, very soon. It's not that we did anything wrong, it's that someone they hired was well off, like them, (the bosses), and he, (the well off guy), convinced the boss to start hiring all of his buddies...who were also well off.
Then the boss started threatening some of the old timers, people who had been there for years, put in lots of time, put up with a lot of grief, were loyal to this man and the thanks he gave them was to just get rid of them because they were not "well off".
It sounds ridiculous until you understand the Miami mindset.
I have no idea where on that list I would be but I knew it was coming and I wanted to beat them to it. That was out of pride, more than anything, a "You aren't going to fire me and try to ruin me like you will others" (I had options because I had been saving for a very long time while others were going to be completely and totally screwed), "I am going to show you I don't need you!"
There were other reasons I ended up leaving...some of it too long to write out but the Cliff's Notes version is, when you have a dead girl laying in front of your business after an horrific car accident that we all witnessed and the boss makes jokes and demands that the police "clear out of here" because he has a business to run, it puts an even worse taste in your mouth than you already had about the "you are not in my class so I will get rid of you" mindset.
So for me, I left because of some very major reasons, one of them being pride, the other being absolute and total disgust. While you don't want to be fired, yours is not as...drastic of a reason...and be thankful! The point is, what I did is not necessarily the right decision for you...unless you have some kind of an experience that shows your boss is also a heartless pile of ---- who doesn't give a damn that some girl just lost her life in front of your business.
Now, one thing to alleviate your fears: They are NOT allowed to say, "I fired this person!" They are only allowed to say that you worked there. You aren't even allowed to say if they are eligible for rehire anymore. So don't let that be a reason to leave early...they are not legally allowed to do that.
Having said that, you WILL be asked why you left your last job. Unless you are good at lying, if you are fired, what will you say? That is going to hurt you in the interview process regardless of a change in policy being the reason. So keep that in mind.
You can always do the standard answer of, "I wanted to explore other opportunities" but then they are going to question why you would only work somewhere for six months before deciding this and that maybe you won't be sticking around there, either.
So, your best bet is hang in there, apply for every single thing you see no matter what it is. Hopefully get some interviews, hopefully get hired elsewhere and then, you'll be just fine.
If not...come up with a really creative answer to why you left the job that doesn't say, "I was fired" or, "to explore other options" if you quit before getting fired.
Unfortunately, this is incorrect. It is a VERY widely believed untruth though, so don't feel bad. As I mentioned in another post, there are no state or federal laws stating that an employer can't give a reference. They can say as little or as much as they want. If it is truthful, no laws have been broken.
Per the EEOC:
"Employment References
It is illegal for an employer to give a negative or false employment reference (or refuse to give a reference) because of a person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information."
So, other than giving a negative reference based on a protected class, negative references are legal.
Texas law (Texas Labor Code, Chapter 103) gives employers important protections against defamation lawsuits based upon job references, as long as the employer does not knowingly report false information; still, employers should try to report only what can be documented.
In the OP's case, the termination would be documented, so fair game.
This article discusses the lack of Federal Laws and states that employers can say anything that is factual.
While I do not know Op's state, I am certain that telling future employers of a termination would be legal.
Please don't take this as ash attack against you. it absolutely was not. I just know of the sources as I write a paper in college on it and wanted to make them available.
I wasn't sure about that, you are correct, I had heard that somewhere. The op is in a tough situation and I hope it works out.
So do I. And don't feel bad. Most people think this its the case because employers have started saying they don't give references for great of getting sued. Purple think it means they can't give references. What it really means is they can't give false negative references. Companies often shy away from ANY references s never doing something means you are unlikely to get sued.
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