What to Say If Asked Why You Got Fired

@Robert so sorry that this happened to you. It's tough when you have been with a company for that long and, all of a sudden, with no warning, you are gone. It happens to the best of us and it very possibly has happened to the interviewer. Just tell it like it is - due to the economy your position was combined with another one so that your position was no longer needed. Or the company made the fiscal decision to pursue another avenue and eliminated your position/division/department, etc. Personally I would never have signed the agreement but I am guessing that they didn't give you any choice. Honestly, in today's world, probably 9 out of 10 candidates has been let go of their job - whether through attrition or being fired. Just continue to be candid and accurate when asked.

This has been a sore spot for me as well. One of my most prominent positions ended suddenly with a severance package and an agreement not to pursue legal action. Was I fired?? I am not sure that this situation fits into a certain category or box so I prefer to state that my position was made redundant. Nevertheless, I still have been asked why a 15+ year tenure with an employer ended and although I answer with what I feel is a candid and accurate description, how can I know what a potential employer "hears" when I respond??

@Terilee thanks for your comment. I guess many people would tell you to just say "no" and move on but I have to disagree. Any lie, no matter the size, is a lie and will always come back to bite you at some point. The world used to be quite large and you could maybe get away with the lie but not today. With social media and instant communications, an employer can find out anything about you with minimal effort on their part. So I say NEVER lie. If it asks you the dreaded question, answer it truthfully and give a brief explanation of what happened. No bad mouthing a former company or supervisor in the telling, either. You never know! The person who reviews your application could be golfing buddies with your former employer. Just be honest and brief. If you were fired for cause, you might be able to say something like "I was let go of my previous position due to not having the skills they needed. Since then I have taken classes to update my skills and feel confident that I am the right person for the job." Use your own words but you get the idea. Again, my recommendation: never lie!

I'd like advice on what to put on an application when asked "Have you ever been fired or asked to resign from a position? If so- what were the circumstances?" That question on an application is a deal-killer right out of the gate. What's your advice? I chose to simply say "no." If a former employer is contacted and they disclose details as to why you were fired or asked to resign....then they are in violation of the law. Thoughts?

this tip is helpful

Jan so very sorry. What a terrible situation to be in! Lessons learned for those of us who are in your same situation. But I don't understand why they would have fired you because you weren't married! That's just ludicrous! Did you sign a morals clause when you were hired? If not, then I would hire a lawyer who specializes in this type of illegal activity and would start a lawsuit against them. Hire a lawyer who only charges you if you win your case. You can fight the unemployment as you very well should. The lawyer should be able to help you with that. If you don't want to go with that type of lawyer, contact legal aid in your area to hire a lawyer pro-bono. Don't take it laying down. They did it to you, they will do it to someone else, too. Again, so sorry for your loss.

I was fired from a company I worked for 8 years because, in essence, my common law husband wasn't recognized (unbeknownst to me) as a dependent, and then when he died and I tried to get the life insurance premiums that I had paid for over the past 8 years, they discovered that he wasn't a legal beneficiary or spouse, so they terminated my employment. I had to first of all grieve for my loss, then I lost my job (no income), of course, no life insurance proceeds, and to top it off, they denounced my unemployment benefits, which they told me they weren't going to dispute. How can a person who has worked 37 years in America be treated like low life. Talk about angry. People, it's 2015, It's not like my common law deceased husband and I were the same sex. We were together and cared more about each other than most legally married folks. So, my crime was I was ignorant about state laws and what not. I would urge anyone who is in a relationship to get married, because it will bite you in the butt if you "spouse" dies and leaves you "holding the bag". Please send money.

Great! Thanks.

Thank you Nancy and Lorrie for your very helpful comments. And to whom it may concern - Mostly I have a better attitude about the situation, because I did learn a lot from the experience. Once in a while, I still think back about it, and that's when I start thinking negatively, but I try not to let myself do that. I've read books over the last two years and one of them was greatly helpful - 'How to enjoy your life and your work' by Dale Carnegie. He hands you some great ways to think and respond to various situations regarding demeaning and non-constructive criticism. He stated that a famous New York stock broker once said, "Put up your umbrella and let the rain of criticism fall off, instead of rain down your neck." It takes practice to do that though, but I try to remember - if all those famous people could endure such awful criticism, then so can I. Dale Carnegie says to think from the other person's point of view, genuinely appreciate people, and don't give fake compliments. I am already like that, but the hard part is - getting passed the other person's bad points and negativity. Non-constructive criticism is usually a sign that you are doing well and that the "giver" feels threatened by you. By the way - I thank you again for your help and will use the response in my next interview with a good attitude. Best wishes to you both. Patricia V.

@Terilee thanks for that. So true and what it's going to take is a few people taking this on and getting media coverage to stop or at least lessen the bad habits that many HRs have picked up. It is true that they are only allowed to verify the dates that you worked for them. Nothing more. @Gina unfortunately there's not much that you can do in that instance. You were a no-show for work for however long your incarceration was. You should have asked a family member to contact them. You did get one phone call right? But even if a family member had called, you might still have been fired simply due to the fact that you now have a criminal record. So sorry.

If you suspect that your former employer is "bad-mouthing" you when called by a new potential employer- take the initiative to ask the new employer for feedback why you weren't the chosen candidate. Tell them you'd like the feedback to assist you with your job hunt. Also a good idea to call HR of your former employer and ask what feedback they're giving. By law, HR is only allowed to verify that you worked at X from date-to-date. They are NOT allowed to give salary information. AND if asked if you're eligible for rehire- they're response should only be "Sorry, this is the only information we can verify." If they're saying more than that.....they are in violation and that could spell law suit. (Right up there with the HIPPA laws.)

Thank you, Nancy Anderson, you have just answer 3 of my questions; such as references from former colleagues, turning termination into positive outlook & taken steps to improve.

What if you were let go because you were incarcerated and couldn't call your job?

@ Patricia V. Dang, sounds like you may have worked for WalMart!?

@Patricia, @Lorrie is right. You have to let it go and move on. If asked why you left, you can use Lorrie's response and then move on. Don't let the interviewer linger on that question but get them past it quickly! @Lorrie there are laws that are "supposed" to be in place to protect employees but how do you prove it? That's the rub. By law a company is only supposed to be able to affirm that you worked for them and to give dates - not even give salary. @Patricia, get on LinkedIn and find some of your former colleagues and ask them for references or ask them to put a recommendation on your account. Doesn't matter that it's been two years. Hang in ladies - the economy is changing and more jobs are being posted every day. And consider this - try going for a new direction in your work life. Seek out companies that are different from the one you left two years ago. You can check them out on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, GlassDoor, etc.. See what the current employees are saying about the company and then decide if maybe that's a good cultural fit for you. Best of luck ladies.

About the references. There are laws about what they can and can't say. My friend was worried that a vindictive ex-boss would bad mouth him, so he had a friend call posing as an employer to see what they'd say. They said he worked here from blank to blank, and his salary was "x".

You can say something like, there was a sudden change in corporate culture, that no longer made you the best fit. While disappointed by how things played out, you chose to turn the disappointment into an opportunity to retrain and refocus yourself. You have to keep any signs of anger out and fake an "oh well" attitude. If you don't you will never get hired. HR professionals have a new term they use amongst each other for unhappy,dissatisfied, or angry people. They refer to them as "weeds". They don't care who was wrong or right in the past, they don't want thei shop "infected" by a bad attitude. That should tell you everything you need to know.

My question exactly Patricia!!

It took 2 years to process my emotions from the job I was fired from, because my supervisor was hostile and allowed to treat people that way. I have learned some good things - and will not let anyone treat me in that manner again. I'm a better person for it. Nothing helped at that job - and believe me, I tried. I have a better attitude about it now, but how am I supposed to explain something like that? I'm honest and positive now, but I don't understand why they would want someone like that working there. She should've been fired, not me. Too late to get letters from colleagues, but would like to know what kind of reference they give out about me. They are known to be corrupt and cruel. What should I do?